Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Marriages made on screen
I'm as big a fan of romance movies and romance books as any woman. But, it's true that they very rarely depict a relationship that would have staying power in real life. We always want the guy to get his girl, no matter how manufactured the relationship is.
There are some movies, of course, that depict true love that we know will never, ever die. "The Princess Bride," "The Wedding Singer," "Shrek." All classics in their own right.
But for our money, more moviemakers should give us good break-ups. After all, it's better to have loved and lost than to be stuck with someone unsuitable, unstable or — egads! — boring.
Or maybe, movies should give us more relationships that will work. Like the depiction of Frank and Helen Beardsley in the 1968 movie Yours, Mine, and Ours. This movie is about a real life couple, though, so maybe it doesn't count. At any rate, it has the single best line about married love that I’ve ever heard in a movie:
It's giving life that counts. Until you're ready for it, all the rest is just a big fraud. All the crazy haircuts in the world won't keep it turning. Life isn't a love in, it's the dishes and the orthodontist and the shoe repairman and ... ground round instead of roast beef. And I'll tell you something else: it isn't going to a bed with a man that proves you're in love with him; it's getting up in the morning and facing the drab, miserable, wonderful everyday world with him that counts.
I don't think there's much more to add to that.
There are some movies, of course, that depict true love that we know will never, ever die. "The Princess Bride," "The Wedding Singer," "Shrek." All classics in their own right.
But for our money, more moviemakers should give us good break-ups. After all, it's better to have loved and lost than to be stuck with someone unsuitable, unstable or — egads! — boring.
Or maybe, movies should give us more relationships that will work. Like the depiction of Frank and Helen Beardsley in the 1968 movie Yours, Mine, and Ours. This movie is about a real life couple, though, so maybe it doesn't count. At any rate, it has the single best line about married love that I’ve ever heard in a movie:
It's giving life that counts. Until you're ready for it, all the rest is just a big fraud. All the crazy haircuts in the world won't keep it turning. Life isn't a love in, it's the dishes and the orthodontist and the shoe repairman and ... ground round instead of roast beef. And I'll tell you something else: it isn't going to a bed with a man that proves you're in love with him; it's getting up in the morning and facing the drab, miserable, wonderful everyday world with him that counts.
I don't think there's much more to add to that.
The Documents in the Case:
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