The Squid and the Whale
The kids are not all right in THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. The Berkman family is breaking up. The parents are getting a divorce and the kids must chose sides. The oldest son Walt (Jessie Eisenberg) echoes his writer/professor father Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and talks down on Philistines, those who don’t appreciate good books or movies. Walt also tells his girlfriend, “You have too many freckles.� Furthermore, Walt passes off a Pink Floyd song as his own both to his parents and at the school talent show.
On the other hand, Walt’s younger brother, Frank (Owen Kline) has more problematic issues. Frank has discovered masturbation and feels free to…ahem…distribute his “results� about the school, on library books, lockers, etc. Clearly, these kids feel uprooted, lost and confused.
It’s not difficult to blame them for their crimes, however, because their parents Bernard and Joan (Laura Linney) are not having an amicable divorce. Bernard feels jealousy over Joan’s recent success as a writer. (She’s having a shot story published in THE NEW YORKER.) His lack of recent success only fuels his desperate, name calling and condescension he feels towards Joan and all who stand in his way. Bernard shares way too much information with Walt about his mother’s indiscretions. So Walt calls his mother a “whore.� Even so, Bernard starts to make advances on one of his students, Lili (Anna Paquin), who has a knack for writing erotic poetry.
Near the end of the movie, Bernard makes an attempt at reconciliation with Joan, but she just laughs it off. She’s content with her dullard new boyfriend and Frank’s tennis coach, Ivan (William Baldwin).
If all this sounds incredibly frustrating, it is. There really is no such thing as an amicable divorce, especially when there are kids involved. Even a short commute to “his� new home provides frustration. And, what to do when a parent wants to have a new lover over? How awkward is that? And, what to do about the family pet? Shuttle it back and forth?
God rightly says “I hate divorce.� This movie shows us why its such a terrible thing. It’s terrible disruptive. It turns the necessity of a stable home life topsy-turvy. It models exactly what NOT to do in representing Christ’s love for the church.
What value is there, then, in seeing THE SQUID AND THE WHALE? Aside from showcasing some stellar acting and dialogue, and offering insight into the New York bohemian lifestyle, the movie presents two cautionary statements. One, don’t divorce without expecting pain. It results in unexpected, unpleasant dividends. Two, (and perhaps unintentionally), don’t use words and education to prove your superiority. Better to be a Philistine with love, than a non-Philistine and use words as weapons to talk down on others less educated or well read than yourself. After all, we are all made in His image.
On the other hand, Walt’s younger brother, Frank (Owen Kline) has more problematic issues. Frank has discovered masturbation and feels free to…ahem…distribute his “results� about the school, on library books, lockers, etc. Clearly, these kids feel uprooted, lost and confused.
It’s not difficult to blame them for their crimes, however, because their parents Bernard and Joan (Laura Linney) are not having an amicable divorce. Bernard feels jealousy over Joan’s recent success as a writer. (She’s having a shot story published in THE NEW YORKER.) His lack of recent success only fuels his desperate, name calling and condescension he feels towards Joan and all who stand in his way. Bernard shares way too much information with Walt about his mother’s indiscretions. So Walt calls his mother a “whore.� Even so, Bernard starts to make advances on one of his students, Lili (Anna Paquin), who has a knack for writing erotic poetry.
Near the end of the movie, Bernard makes an attempt at reconciliation with Joan, but she just laughs it off. She’s content with her dullard new boyfriend and Frank’s tennis coach, Ivan (William Baldwin).
If all this sounds incredibly frustrating, it is. There really is no such thing as an amicable divorce, especially when there are kids involved. Even a short commute to “his� new home provides frustration. And, what to do when a parent wants to have a new lover over? How awkward is that? And, what to do about the family pet? Shuttle it back and forth?
God rightly says “I hate divorce.� This movie shows us why its such a terrible thing. It’s terrible disruptive. It turns the necessity of a stable home life topsy-turvy. It models exactly what NOT to do in representing Christ’s love for the church.
What value is there, then, in seeing THE SQUID AND THE WHALE? Aside from showcasing some stellar acting and dialogue, and offering insight into the New York bohemian lifestyle, the movie presents two cautionary statements. One, don’t divorce without expecting pain. It results in unexpected, unpleasant dividends. Two, (and perhaps unintentionally), don’t use words and education to prove your superiority. Better to be a Philistine with love, than a non-Philistine and use words as weapons to talk down on others less educated or well read than yourself. After all, we are all made in His image.
1 Comments:
I haven't heard of this movie before. After reading this review I think I will actually make a point of seeing it. I love the thought of using Hollywood films to spark discussions of a spiritual nature. Thanks for a great review!
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