Monday, March 29, 2010

It's quirky




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dOxHc4Ix7c (sorry for some reason my computer was not cooperating with the video)


I love Nancy Botwin. Her character is so honest. The mothers I see on TV are always portrayed as these selfless, loving creatures who always put their children’s’ needs before their own. Nancy is not one of those mothers. She is flawed. Terribly flawed. Some may even say she’s a bad mother. Never the less we are always on Nancy’s side. TV and movies puts too much pressure on moms anyway. I like Nancy's style. She makes a lot of bad decisions, but she’s tough, she’s smart, she’s funny, and she protects her family like a lioness protects her cubs (we ignore the fact that she’s the one who put them in danger in the first place). She’s just Nancy. She always seems just lucky enough to get out of trouble. Except of course when it comes to having sex talks with her sons. You have to feel for her in these scenes where it should be Judah talking to the boys and not Nancy. AWKWARD…

This clip reminded me of our class discussions on Freud and the Oedipus complex. Both of the boys have it. Shane takes it to a whole new creepy level . We might assume that because Nancy is constantly wrapped up in her own issues, Silas and Shane a feeling a bit neglected. These “mommy issues” have led them to seeking motherly connections elsewhere. Gross.

Nancy has been losing the boys since she got into the dealing business. Silas purposely impregnates his girlfriend, joins the family business, gets arrested for stealing public property, and dates a mom. Shane starts smoking pot, “talking” to his dead father, having threesomes at age 13, hitting people over the head with croquet mallets, and whacking off to pictures of his mom. I’d call that a fail Nance.

She does get very upset about it. She often needs to self medicate with iced coffees, diet cokes, and alcohol. Though she never smokes her own product (control issues). I think Nancy has just accepted that boys will be boys, she has lost control of them, and she should just pray they turn out alright in the end. She has enough to deal with. All I worry about is Stevie Ray. Shane made it to about age 9 with a father and a more sane version of Nancy; but he’s still screwed up. What is this kid going to turn out like?

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