Jen's Sociology

People fascinate me.  We're each unique, yet we live our entire lives trying to fit in some way with the people around us. 

Because people fascinate me, I also have this thing about movies that depict "normal" life.  Yesterday I picked up the movie Everybody's Fine from the video store. 

 

It had a good cast (DeNiro, Barrymore, Beckinsale) and the movie summary sounded like a "normal" life kind of movie that I might like.  It wasn't an incredible story with action, humor, or suspense...it was exactly what I was hoping:  normal. 

My favorite part about movies like this is that they are based on relationships and how they develop through years of life together.  It's so interesting to me how our intentions and perceptions are just that, ours.  We may feel we have the best intentions in a relationship, but they could be perceived completely different by the other person. 

Everybody's Fine is about a dad's relationship with his adult children after the death of his wife.  The kids had always been closer to their mom and didn't know how to open up to their dad about their lives without disappointing him. 

Another thing this movie got me thinking about is how roles develop in a family.  The dad in the movie didn't intentionally separate himself from his kids through the years.  He worked hard supporting the family and what he thought were their dreams throughout the years.  The role of listener became mom's role; while the role of talker/motivator became dad's role. 

This all gets me to wondering what my relationship will be like with Luke as he gets older and how it will develop through the years as he matures.  Frankly it terrifies me.  At five years old, he still wants to be with me most of the time and likes "doing" life together.  But I know that life will change as he grows.  He will become interested in more things away from home and will be influenced more by other people, mostly friends.  I'm by no means saying that I want to isolate him to stop the inevitable, it just makes me wonder what the years ahead hold for our family. 

The movie also gets me thinking about the generations before me.  What all has fed into the lives of my parents and grandparents to make them who they are today?  Which then led to impacting my young life at home. 

That was a lot of rambling and I guess you've gotten a glimpse of the sociologist in me:)  And to think, I hate sociology in high school! 

Anyway, if you're interested in checking out any other "normal" life movies I've liked, here are a few:

• The Thing About My Folks - LOVE this one!
• It Runs in the Family