I can personally relate to the main character. He was non-aggressive, liked to write, and didn't have a clue where he could fit into society. Such guys DO exist.
This one predictably flops in N.Y. and returns home to his hometown, and his quirky literal "home" in the midwest.There he meets a girl.
You may ask why someone as gorgeous as Liv Tyler,(her character), would hang out with such a loser. But she tells you in her own words. "I like to help people." That's why she is a nurse too. Beyond that, her character is not too bright, and she's a single mom, so she's got her own baggage. The best thing about this movie comes in letter form. The mom in the movie is portrayed as perpetually optimistic. Most modern films poke fun at this as pathetically naive. For most of this film, you think it is doing the same thing. But the main character writes a letter to his mom, when he thinks he is leaving town, and he tells her that in fact he admires her optimism, and considers it a sign of strength, and of character. I liked that. The movie doesn't really go anywhere, but that's o.k., because many people's lives don't go anywhere. It's a slice-of-life movie.
I liked it, but I would not expect most people to enjoy it. Unless you really enjoy dark, small town underdog studies.
At some point this young guy has to realize that it doesn't matter if you are depressed, you still have to find a way to make a living, and get on with life.
I don't think it portrayed the Midwest as depressing, or his parents as losers. His dad is a successful entrepreneur, and his mom fills up a room with light, and good cheer. Those are winner characteristics. They live in a nice house. Their town looks clean and safe.
Clearly what happened is that the boys inherited their mom's gentle, non-aggressive manner. That makes them ineffectual as men. She smothers them with sweetness, which may hinder them from tapping into the alpha energy that men need to succeed in a brutal world.
Why was a nurse so poor? Nurses make a boatload of money. Probably because she wasn't an RN. She was probably either a CNA or LVN.
This one predictably flops in N.Y. and returns home to his hometown, and his quirky literal "home" in the midwest.There he meets a girl.
You may ask why someone as gorgeous as Liv Tyler,(her character), would hang out with such a loser. But she tells you in her own words. "I like to help people." That's why she is a nurse too. Beyond that, her character is not too bright, and she's a single mom, so she's got her own baggage. The best thing about this movie comes in letter form. The mom in the movie is portrayed as perpetually optimistic. Most modern films poke fun at this as pathetically naive. For most of this film, you think it is doing the same thing. But the main character writes a letter to his mom, when he thinks he is leaving town, and he tells her that in fact he admires her optimism, and considers it a sign of strength, and of character. I liked that. The movie doesn't really go anywhere, but that's o.k., because many people's lives don't go anywhere. It's a slice-of-life movie.
I liked it, but I would not expect most people to enjoy it. Unless you really enjoy dark, small town underdog studies.
At some point this young guy has to realize that it doesn't matter if you are depressed, you still have to find a way to make a living, and get on with life.
I don't think it portrayed the Midwest as depressing, or his parents as losers. His dad is a successful entrepreneur, and his mom fills up a room with light, and good cheer. Those are winner characteristics. They live in a nice house. Their town looks clean and safe.
Clearly what happened is that the boys inherited their mom's gentle, non-aggressive manner. That makes them ineffectual as men. She smothers them with sweetness, which may hinder them from tapping into the alpha energy that men need to succeed in a brutal world.
Why was a nurse so poor? Nurses make a boatload of money. Probably because she wasn't an RN. She was probably either a CNA or LVN.