Basic Information
Film title: Men, Women & Children
Year of release: 2014
Genre: Drama
Director: Jason Reitman
Original story: Chad Kultgen's novel of the same name
Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Anu Deep, Judy Greer, Rosemary DeWitt
Running time: 119 minutes
Country of Manufacture: United States
a historical background
The movie "Man, Woman & Children" is set in the early 2010s. It is a time when the rapid spread of smartphones and social media changed the way people communicate with each other. The movie revolves around changes in human relationships and communication in the digital age. Elements such as smartphones, social media, online games, and pornography emerge as major themes, shedding light on the impact of technology on human relationships in the modern world.
plot
The film follows a series of intertwined stories of different families. Each family is experiencing various problems due to the influence of digital technology and social media. The film mainly tells the stories of the following main characters.
Don and Helen Trouby:
Don (Adam Sandler): Don is a middle-aged man who secretly uses pornographic sites, and his relationship with his wife, Helen, is estranged. Helen, too, tries to fill her void through an affair. Their relationship is becoming more distant due to the influence of digital technology.
Patricia Beltzer and Brandy Beltzer:
Patricia (played by Jennifer Garner): Patricia monitors her daughter Brandi's online activities and over-controls her privacy. Brandi uses social media in secret, trying to find her identity amid this oppression.
kent Mooney and Tim Mooney:
Tim (Ansel Elgort): Tim is addicted to online games, so he loses interest in school, and his relationship with his parents is estranged. Father Kent doesn't understand his son's addiction, and a conflict builds between the two.
Joanne Clintzer and Hannah Clintzer:
Joanne (played by Judy Greer): Joanne promotes her daughter's photos online for her modeling career. Hannah is feeling psychologically pressured by her mother's undue attention and control.
Key themes and appreciation
"Men, Women & Children" deals with the impact of digital technology on human relationships in modern society, and the story revolves around conflicts, alienation, and lack of communication. Through each character's story, the audience can think of the following important topics.
Duality of Digital Communication:
The movies illustrate how digital technology connects people while separating them at the same time. As seen in Don's relationship with Helen, technology often hinders communication between people and rather estranged relationships.
Privacy and Control:
Patricia and Brandy's story shows how over-control of parents can hinder a child's self-formation and free growth. This reflects the problem of privacy being violated through digital technology in modern society.
Addiction and avoidance:
Tim Mossil's story highlights the seriousness of digital addiction. An addicted team to online games avoids real-world problems, which eventually leads to a loss of communication with the family.
Self-discovery and expression:
Joanne and Hanna's stories deal with self-expression online and the pressures that result. They reflect the psychological burden of expressing oneself through social media in the modern world.
character analysis
The characters in the movie have different problems, which are universal problems that anyone can experience in the modern world. Through this, the audience can look back on their lives.
Don Trugart: Don lives a more isolated life due to digital technology. His pornographic addiction is part of his attempt to relieve his complaints and loneliness in real life.
Helen Trugart: Helen's affair is the way she tries to fill the void in her marriage, which shows how technological advances change the depth of human relationships.
Brandi Bell: Brandi uses social media in secret, trying to find her identity under her mother's over-control. This reflects issues of privacy and control.
Tim Mosil: Tim gets addicted to online games and avoids real-life problems. His addiction shows how an abuse of digital technology can destroy an individual's life.
Hannah Cleanser: Hannah is feeling psychological pressure from her mother's undue attention and control. It reflects the difficulty of self-discovery and expression.
Conclusions and personal appreciation
"Men, Women & Children" is a film that deeply explores the effects of digital technology on human relationships in modern society. Through each character's story, it shows the way of communication in the digital age and the resulting conflict, alienation, and absence of communication. The film allows the audience to look back on their lives and think about the duality of digital technology.
Personally, I felt that this film realistically reflects our lives in the digital age. In particular, the problems such as the conflict between parents and children and the lack of communication between couples are topics that many people can sympathize with. The movie impresses the audience by portraying these problems realistically, not exaggeratedly.
