Did part of her still love him?
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mixedmed — 14 years ago(May 02, 2011 11:43 AM)
By the time your wife tells you that she was happy because she thought you were deadthat's a clear indication that she's no longer in love with you. And everything from that point is just a downward slideit won't get any better. Oliver was a fool because he didn't take Barbara seriously when she said she didn't want him anymore.
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leishayoung — 13 years ago(July 26, 2012 05:39 PM)
No, she hated him. I don't think she had actually loved him for a long time, but she loved the life he provided her. Once she established her own business and didn't need his money anymore, she wanted him out of her life forever, and she wanted everything he had ever worked for (his house).
He was never really in love with Barbara either, he was in love with the idea of them and how it looked to the outside world. The successful job, the beautiful house, the beautiful wife to go in the beautiful house, and the perfect children. His entire life is completely two dimensional and fake, he has no depth whatsoever. I don't actually think someone like Oliver actually really knows what love is; they live in a fairytale in their own mind and project an image rather than actually ever really feeling anything.
It is very easy to demonise Oliver in this film but I think they are both detestable schmucks in their own right.
I love the way the kids hardly figure in the story, they are just in the background and don't even seem to be much of a consideration for either of them, unless they can tell everyone that their kids were accepted into Harvardonce again, the kids fit the image.
I love this film because it is so damn honest about the 'American dream'. Two materialist schmucks would die for their possessionsit's horrible. -
jcshetler — 12 years ago(June 06, 2013 11:50 PM)
i don't think she loved him anymore at the beginning of the film. this goes with my post in the "self centered jerk" topic.
they probably loved each other in the beginning when it worked and when it was easy. later they just live together, make kids, spend money, etc. many couples fall into this pattern. then they realize there's no passion or real love left and hasn't been for quite a while.
this is when people cheat, become bitter or strive to rekindle their relationship. in the film they do the last two things but it's too late. too much anger and resentment has built.
The Dumbing-Down of America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbing_down -
pullman1881 — 12 years ago(September 23, 2013 02:46 PM)
I think she loved him at the beginning. You can see his behavior annoying her like at the dinner party when he tells the story about the crystal glasses, if memory serves. Over the years he became more pretentious and annoying, to her, until she just couldn't take it anymore. I love the scene when she talks about wanting to smash his stupid face in. I understand that feeling.
But at the end, absolutely not. -
OldFriendOfTheChristys — 11 years ago(December 08, 2014 05:12 AM)
What I love most about the film is Barbaras unwavering feelings toward Oliver. She falls out of love and wants a divorceand never changes her mind.
Even at the end, as the two lie dying, she rejects him
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