Awful Message
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Standuble — 13 years ago(December 19, 2012 12:04 PM)
I liked your argument Shorbe but I have to disagree. I missed parts of this movie but I got the very clear impression that this movie was not criticising Sandler's character as a workaholic but that he seemed to lose sight of why he was doing all this and that was for his family. He begins to shun his family and shut them out in pursuit of his own career; where the job was once a tool to give his family the middle class existence they deserved it becomes an end in itself and they were cast to the side.
He originally starts off skipping family gatherings and skipping arguments with his wife (which can often be therapeutic in the identification and reconcilation of outstanding points of tension) then he becomes cold to his children. He becomes heavily obese and neglects the promise he made to his son and later ignores his father. The movie never criticises his work ethic but his attitude to everything else. -
d_henderson1810 — 12 years ago(December 10, 2013 12:41 AM)
But spending every moment with your family won't pay the bills. Reality is that a family costs lots of money. To even have a decent lifestyle may require working many hours.
Besides, what is the wife doing? I don't see her working, and taking the pressure off him. Maybe two incomes would lighten the load. Since spending time with her and the kids is such a priority, she should work, even a few hours, so he can spend time with the kids. -
sun_scryer — 11 years ago(April 12, 2014 05:49 PM)
Besides, what is the wife doing? I don't see her working, and taking the pressure off him. Maybe two incomes would lighten the load. Since spending time with her and the kids is such a priority, she should work, even a few hours, so he can spend time with the kids.
Great point. -
eddysl12 — 13 years ago(February 10, 2013 02:40 AM)
Well, work should serve the individual / family not the individual / family work. His family should have been more understanding of his need to spend more time at work than they would have liked. He was busting his butt so that they could live comfortably. At that time he was putting in long hours for them, not for himself.
In Japan, everyone understands that the husband usually has to spend virtually all of his time at work. That is why fathers are called "Sunday Friends" by their kids. That is the only time the kids really see their fathers.
Michael ceased working to support his family and instead worked just to satisfy his own ambition. It wasn't so much what he was doing but why he was doing it. I think that is what drove his family away from him. Work is important, but it is not as important as your family or your health. -
parisel — 12 years ago(November 06, 2013 12:55 PM)
chinstrapjack,
I agree with your thoughts. I have a very close relative who is an architect, solo practice. He works all the time, sometimes at home, which means he may as well not be there at those times. Would we all like to see more of him? Of course. But choices were made a long time ago between him and his wife. They felt it more important for her to be a stay at home mother, be there all the time. And it was a sacrifice for her as well, not to be out in the world, pursuing her career. I really hate the stereotype of the lazy housewife. It's a full time job, meaning 24/7, with no bonuses, no awards.
So many kids have two working parents, and frequently both of them are either exhausted or preoccupied. There is no perfect way.
The situation was exaggerated for comedy effect, but every family has to find what works best for them
I guess it's like looking at clouds. You see one thing and I see another. Peace. -
d_henderson1810 — 10 years ago(April 23, 2015 04:44 PM)
But look who he works for.
His boss rides him hard and took credit for his idea, so getting a promotion, which didn't happen for 18 months after the deal, isn't easy.
Michael's boss was a prick. So when you are working for someone like that, you should be able to rely on your wife to at least support you, and not act like a shrew. -
novastar_6 — 10 years ago(April 25, 2015 10:09 PM)
Michael's boss was a prick. So when you are working for someone like that, you should be able to rely on your wife to at least support you, and not act like a shrew.
Or go work for someone else maybe? It's architecture, it's not like if he was flipping burgers at McDonald's that any idiot off the street could do his job, I'm just guessing since new buildings are always being constructed that there IS something of a demand for architects. -
Impenneteri — 12 years ago(September 06, 2013 11:46 AM)
Just like Jim Carrey's line on Bruce Almighty,
I'm not happy with this mediocre life
. The thing is we get to lose the important things in life and we sometimes forgot that time is the most important thing. After all, we only live once.
As much as you want to provide a good lifestlye for your family. One should never forget that you created your family because of love and that it means sacrifice as well. Adam Sandler's character have prioritized more on providing and care less for the importance of being there with your family. -
d_henderson1810 — 10 years ago(July 08, 2015 04:53 PM)
Yes, but sacrifice by BOTH parents, not just one.
The wife in this doesn't work, so she should then offer more understanding, and be less demanding to the SOLE breadwinner of the family, or else she can start working as well.
You know, back in the day, fathers were the sole breadwinners, and they were treated with reverence, since it was thought that "without them, we don't eat". Women didn't work, but kept house, but these roles were generally accepted. It was only with the feminist movement, and women working has become a new thing, and now there are more demands on both partners, and less understanding and respect for each partner's role. -
novastar_6 — 10 years ago(July 10, 2015 04:33 PM)
or else she can start working as well.
And then NOBODY will be there for the kids. They weren't starving, they weren't about to be thrown in the street, Michael thought THINGS would give his kids a better childhood than he had, he was wrong. -
d_henderson1810 — 10 years ago(July 12, 2015 08:33 PM)
Guess what, that happens a lot.
How old are the kids again? Maybe they should after-school activities or a stay at a child-minding centre.
I am not saying that the wife has to work, but then she can't just whine about how hard the husband has to work as well, considering that she wasn't complaining about the nice roof it put over their heads, or the nice food it put on the table, or the nice clothes it allowed her to buy. -
xix_azn_luv_xix — 12 years ago(March 17, 2014 03:16 PM)
My parents own their own business and work every day for the past 42 years never closing except MAYBE on Christmas. I wish they would once in a while take a day off and spend time with us My dad is already almost 70 but shows no signs of wanting to slow down.
