What is her attraction to him?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Liberal Arts
nick-1036 — 13 years ago(August 20, 2012 03:01 PM)
Is it because he is sad and lonely and insecure and age obsessed and lost and pushing 40? Because that's exactly as he is portrayed in the trailer.
I don't know any hot college girl who would be attracted to the likes of him. -
Kablueyy — 13 years ago(September 15, 2012 11:00 AM)
Yes it is. The film thinks Radnor's character is likeable but that's only because Radnor wrote it. There is actually a moment when Zac Efron's character asks "Why do I like this guy so much?" (a good question) only to be answered with "He's likeable." Thus convincing the audience that he is a likeable character without actually being one I really didn't like this movie.
If your life had a face I would punch it! -
sbowesuk — 11 years ago(June 21, 2014 06:35 AM)
Completely agree. Didn't warm to Josh Radnor's character at all. Extremely annoying to watch. Made buying into the whole Jesse/Zibby relationship all but impossible. Actually it made buying into anything that happened in this movie almost impossible.
Didn't even realise Radnor wrote and directed the movie, but now that I do, it actually explains a lot as to why this movie didn't work for me. Radnor clearly lost objectively writing this early on, and with no one to step in and say "Hey, this is idiotic", the movie fell flat on its face.
If you ask me, Radnor should stick to one job when making a movie. He's not insightful or talented enough to do it all at once. -
lamont-hard — 13 years ago(September 22, 2012 08:11 AM)
I have not seen the movie, but i wonder from reading about it why do we need to know this. Some women do not choose men for there looks or how hot the media makes them out to be. This is what worked in old movies without every saying he is to old for her or she needs someone her own age.
Some women just like older men for what they are, plain and simple and why should so many people get involved of the reason why. -
OneFilmLover — 13 years ago(September 27, 2012 05:45 PM)
The 'love story' is the weakest element of this otherwise enjoyable little film. Elizabeth Olsen's character pretty much throws herself at him without a second thought or action on his behalf. And not in the "she just wants to sleep with him" way. No, we're talking the "she's highly mature, adult, cute as a button & a virgin who has held herself for this moment!" The character is very 'manic pixie girl' straight down to her 'I'll randomly drink this stranger's coffee" & the rather awful "we need to hug" moment. Olsen brings a great deal of life into her non-character.
AS for why women want to sleep with Radnor's character? It's because he wrote the movie. Every female character - and I do mean EVERY female character - either sleeps with, pines over, or wants to sleep with Radnor.
It's a fun film. Richard Jenkins is, of course, the best thing in it.
There. It's on the Internet. Thus it's official -
Pankra001 — 13 years ago(October 03, 2012 08:38 PM)
OneFilmLover, what did you think of Zac Efron's performance? I loved it, it's totally different from anything else he has done. I really liked the movie also.
I love the scene where Richard Jenkins character talks about still feeling like he was 19. That is something many of us can identify with. -
jozielee — 11 years ago(October 21, 2014 06:43 AM)
The RIchard Jenkins' character was wasted. I wish he had a chance to spend more time explaining why he felt so ambiguous about leaving his job. Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of new retirees have "buyer's remorse" days, weeks, months into their retirement but to beg for his old job back seems out of character. And if the writer is going to introduce such a plot point, develop it to make sense within the context of the story.
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Kaiser50 — 11 years ago(November 28, 2014 03:42 PM)
Apparently they've found that most people's mental image of themselves stays at about 22 years old for the rest of their lives. Not that they're not fully aware that they're older, or that they won't change and mature a great deal, but they still have this idea in their heads of being that age. I find that fascinating. You do hear a lot of even very old people say that they don't 'feel' old mentally. I guess there are some surprisingly positive things about the way our minds are organized, alongside all the crap.Forever young indeed!
Kaiser -
nick-392 — 13 years ago(October 24, 2012 12:23 PM)
I believe this is explained in the movie. I believe she made a comment that guys in college were too interested in partying, or something along those lines. She is attracted to him because he is intelligent, thoughtful, and poetic. Anyway, regardless of their initial attraction (which was probably somewhat based on physical attraction), it's clear that the relationship grew while she was in Ohio and he was in NYC, and they wrote some wonderful letters to each other about books and classical music.
I also don't believe that Josh's character is sad, lonely, insecure, or age-obsessed. I think he misses the feelings he had as an undergrad, when the future was full of mystery and potential. Also, I think he loved being in the company of people whose primary objective in life is to discuss literature and share their love of the arts.
I relate to those feelings, and in fact went to grad school for similar reasons. -
jrhpax — 13 years ago(October 29, 2012 02:44 PM)
Jesse has a big heart. He actually takes an airplane to visit a college student who's attempted suicide, and he saves the guy's life. He's interested in other people, and he's a good listener and a compassionate person.
Plus, he actually reads books. There have to be people who find this appealing. -
zooymtoo — 13 years ago(December 08, 2012 08:42 PM)
Uh..maybe because he's a really nice looking guy that's also personable and interesting and pretty thoughtful?
Actually I didn't realize who he was. I never watch network tvbut I was thinking he should abandon those sitcoms and make more movies.
He is very likable.
I think they mostly connected on an intellectual stimuli level. But they connected. She was not your stereotypical image of the "college babe" and he was not your typical literary intellectual. They just enjoyed each others company.
You could just as easily ask what did he see in her.
I don't think it's so far fetched to see them together..the age gap doesn't appear that large just by looking at them. But considering that they're at crucially different points in their lives would create later troubles. And he was the first to "get that". -
greg-goremykin — 13 years ago(December 12, 2012 03:19 AM)
I think you nailed it. It's easy to try to explain it by saying she may have had daddy issues, or that the writer was appealing to the wish-fulfillment of 40-something male viewers, but anyone who's ever been in a long relationship realizes attraction and love are funny things that you can't really account for. I don't think the OP has been in that situation before perhaps, thinking that physicality is the beginning and end of what drives attraction.
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xela23 — 13 years ago(December 17, 2012 10:53 AM)
As a girl who just graduated college, I can tell you I would find Josh Radnor's character very appealing. Girls love older guys, and he's a very good looking older guy. But besides the looks part, it's very rare and refreshing to find a guy in college who can hold a conversation about anything other than partying and sports, not to mention a guy who isn't surrounded by a pack of other "bros" at all times.
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ShyLivesMatter — 12 years ago(March 26, 2014 07:01 PM)
Is it because he is sad and lonely and insecure and age obsessed and lost and pushing 40?
You mean like a regular human being? Who doesn't feel all those things you listed sometimes? Minus the pushing 40 thing for some people, natch (though I certainly amI'm basically Jesse meets Zibby meets Nat)
Christ, I hate to be judgmental, but a lot of you imdb folk really seem like pretentious jerks. Everyone's some kind of Social Darwinist these days. You all really need to get over yourselves and be more honest with yourselves. Would love to see your hot college girl-wooing "winning personalities" to make you all so judgmental toward those with these supposedly "weak", undateable flaws lol People really seem to lack a basic self awareness these days, at least online, where all they do is judge others with no sense of empathy, self deprecation, etc. Maybe that type is attractive to some, but to me, it just screams: I have no personality so I'm trying too hard to seem like a cool, cynical, well adjusted, "normal", intelligent, hardass. Yawn.
Sorry for the "old man" rant Don't mean to pick on or gang up on people, I just get so tired of seeing posts like that. Guess because they seem so mean spirited, like something a troll would post. Plus because it makes me doubt myself and my dreams.
"Its only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." -
ShyLivesMatter — 12 years ago(March 26, 2014 07:02 PM)
Anyway, as another poster said, Jesse had a big heart. What more do you need?
Sure, other intangibles are necessary such as physical attraction, but aside from the basics, what more else is needed, really? Sure, some girls of that age will see him as a loser or whatever, but Zibby isn't a superficial jerk like they are. She appreciates him for who he is. I guess I'm lucky in that the women I've dated in the past have all had big hearts, too, and not been the judgmental type like the OP.
Also, as I think another poster said (or was that a different thread?), sometimes you just connect with a person. Life is all about connection for me, not some BS Darwinistic competition where people have to be "winners" and "losers". I guess I just see the world differently than some. Love is love, fate, and all that cliche stuffwhich I just happen to believe in, uncool as it may make me I guess I still am a very young person at heart, still feeling things deeply, an empath, a dreamerand I'm ok with that. We are who we are. If only certain others would believe me and take a chance.
But yeah, sucks Jesse and Zibby didn't end up together. I actually feel that would have been a true non-Hollywood ending. Due to the age gap, since society frowns on that so much in this day and age. Even Hollywood does, who are supposedly so liberal. Silly people.
Finally, I like how another poster said they're a recent college graduate and how it was so rare to find a guy who could talk about things other than sports and partying and who you could separate from his "bros". As a guy who fit all those things back then when I was in college, it really makes me feel good to know guys like me were appreciated, even if we didn't know it at the time. Just like it makes me feel good and flattered when, for the movie Perks of Being a Wallflower, I see posts wishing Charlie was real, since I was totally him in high school
It really makes me wish I'd been less shy back then, as apparently I'd have been perfect for at least a few decently attractive girls at my campus (and high school) I'm sure, if not someone quite as hot as Zibby. Who is? lol Hindsight is 20/20, I guess. Regrets suck. Thing is, I still feel almost exactly the same as I did then. Hey, no one's perfect, right? With all the evil in the world, if a guy's worst flaw is that he still feels like a teen/early 20s on the inside, things could be a lot worse, right? So even though I don't necessarily feel Jesse was the perfect fit for Zibby (he was a bit of a snob IMO, I'd have validated her Twilight fandom a lot more), maybe another, similar guy would have been Hey, can't blame a guy for having hope.
"Its only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything."