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You are conflating numerous unrelated issues. The bottom line was that the Fran character and yes, even the real life "Fran" had choices in her life to improve her socioeconomic situation. Can you deny that?
She did...in the eyes of those of us that overcame adversity.
It is very rare that people do that today. The reason that it is rare, is that it is difficult. Many people have no understanding of basic economics and as result crash and burn in their lives.
There are always going to be poor people.
Again, people that work hard should have a basic, liveable lifestyle in THIS country.
Unfortunately, we exported our low-wage jobs and then imported 30 million plus low-skill, to compete with Americans with low skills.
It is basic economics, supply/demand curves. We need to restrict immigration of low-skill, low-wage immigrants to increase wages of Americans with low-skill sets.
Not everybody will succeed in America. Does that mean that EVEN if they work hard, they are condemned to a life of poverty??
BTW... I am a RV'er. It use to be the only people you met on the road were fairly well-off people. Then the poor showed up and many like me, originally thought, that they were just "testing" RV'ing to see if it worked for them. They are proud people. It took a bit for me to understand they were "RV'ing" because they had no option.
In the past few years, the mentally ill are moving onto the public lands from our urban areas. It is a race to the bottom.
I did work for the Forest Service and met many of the "campground hosts" that maintained Forest Service campgrounds. Good people, trapped in very bad circumstances.
Yes. The cancer along with her age and the other things about her life and experience seemed to create a certain openness to the movie and to Fern's choices and circumstances. A lot there about owning vulnerability and co-existing with it, sometimes painful, sometimes liberating.
I liked the movie when I saw it a while back, but it didn't ring in all the way for me like it did for the author of the Atlantic review. I am of that generation though and the things she wrote about the characters getting to be girls again and about being of the '60s generation... makes me want to go back and watch the film again.
There was one thing in the review that led me to think that she didn’t really get it though. She seemed to believe that it was unrealistic for Fern to not stay with her sister or the man when invited but as a former van life lady, I totally understood her decisions. I’d have to say that the theme of the movie was choice and how the sum total of your choices adds up to a life. But then, I think that’s the meaning of anyone’s life as well.
Also, if she had chosen to stay with either of them, it would have been a kind of hell. She wasn’t in love with the man from what I could tell and she wasn’t that close to her sister and she stated in the beginning that she needed and loved to work.
Two details that made this movie meaningful for me as well....1. Her name is Fern, and that was my grandmother’s name. 2. The tea rose China set is one that came down to me from my other grandmother and I inherited it mainly because no one else in my family liked it but I love it and always design my kitchen around it.
Also, if she had chosen to stay with either of them, it would have been a kind of hell. She wasn’t in love with the man from what I could tell and she wasn’t that close to her sister and she stated in the beginning that she needed and loved to work.
Absolutely.
Who wants to live with a man because you're broke? If you like him as a person, what a rotten thing to do to him.
And who wants to be the poor relative in the basement?
Fern prefers to find the good things in the life she is able to provide for herself. What self-respecting person doesn't?
I agree. I was worried when my sister offered the travel trailer for my summer stay but It's working out well. I had stayed in her basement, which is set up like a small apartment, after back surgery but there was such an expectation of eating together, it was tough on both of us.
When a person spends a lot of time alone you just develope a different lifestyle. You eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, etc.
And if Fern was not in love with the man, it would have been very difficult and may have caused resentment between them regarding expectations.
She seemed to believe that it was unrealistic for Fern to not stay with her sister or the man when invited
On this point...
what seemed unrealistic to me was how IMPOSSIBLY beautiful the place was where she was invited to stay by her male friend! Holy cow!!! I know filmography wants, at least to some degree, to be wildly photogenic... but that place was spectacular. I thought, heck I'm not even homeless and I want to live there.
I agree. I was worried when my sister offered the travel trailer for my summer stay but It's working out well. I had stayed in her basement, which is set up like a small apartment, after back surgery but there was such an expectation of eating together, it was tough on both of us.
When a person spends a lot of time alone you just develope a different lifestyle. You eat when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, etc.
And if Fern was not in love with the man, it would have been very difficult and may have caused resentment between them regarding expectations.
For me, it worked the other way. I was a loner for a good couple of decades before I started full timing.
When I stay with people - and I do - I sleep in my van in the driveway. As much as I love the people I stay with, I need plenty of time away from them (and I suspect that they need plenty of time away from me!)
Who wants to live with a man because you're broke? If you like him as a person, what a rotten thing to do to him.
And who wants to be the poor relative in the basement?
Fern prefers to find the good things in the life she is able to provide for herself. What self-respecting person doesn't?
Huh? Fern's sister wanted her to stay because she loved her and wanted to build their sister relationship. How did you miss that?
As for the love interest, what's wrong with the potential for love? Sure, if she wasn't interested, then of course, decline the offer.
Fern, just like anyone, can choose to live however they wish. I just don't think seasonal, itinerant work is as glorious as they were trying to make it.
Huh? Fern's sister wanted her to stay because she loved her and wanted to build their sister relationship. How did you miss that?
As for the love interest, what's wrong with the potential for love? Sure, if she wasn't interested, then of course, decline the offer.
Fern, just like anyone, can choose to live however they wish. I just don't think seasonal, itinerant work is as glorious as they were trying to make it.
You thought they made itinerant work look glorious? Really?
And we really don't know what was going on in her mind with the love interest. Maybe she saw the potential for love but wasn't ready. Maybe she didn't like him nearly as much as he liked her. Or maybe she just wanted to keep traveling. I like that they left that hazy because we all have our reasons and they don't have to make sense to anyone else, not even ourselves.
I looked for love while on the road and met two likely seeming fellers who ultimately didn't work out. One had so many red flags I thought I was in China and the other was an extremely handsome ex model who seemed gay so I never trusted it and wasn't falling in love anyway. That just happens sometimes and we don't need a reason. I still hear from the "gay" guy every single day lol. Maybe he's not.
One thing I noticed was the way they played with the light in the film. As the sky got lighter I could feel her mood rising too. Just because something looks bad doesn't mean it is.
You thought they made itinerant work look glorious? Really?
They tried to make life on the road some spiritual journey of freedom from the "system."
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