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IN THE 3 Stars – Thought-provoking The difficulty with gender is that it is unpredictable. We would like to be able to say that all men
come
from
Mars
and
all
women
originate
in
Venus,
but
the
truth
is
that
these
stereotypes
are
themselves
misleading.
Men
and
women
are
not
all
like
their
own
gender
nor
are
they
all
dissimilar
to
the
opposite
sex
and,
when
we
try
to
either
demand
that
of
ourselves
or
one
another,
we
lose
our
common
humanity
in
the
process. That is not to say that our lives have no differences
either
biologically
or
socially
because
of
gender,
but
it
is
to
acknowledge
that
humanity
is
first
and
foremost
a
shared
experience
before
it
is
divided
one.
This
is
the
lesson
of
Jon
Kasdan’s
“In
the
Land
of
Women.” Breaking the gender stereotype in the opening scene as Carter
Webb
(Adam
Brody)
emotionally
asks
Sofia
Bunuel
(Elena
Anaya)
to
not
leave
him
when
she
assertively
breaks
off
their
dating
relationship.
We
immediately
realize
that
this
journey
into
the
“ Needing a change of scenery, Carter unilaterally decides to
leave
The focus of the story, however, is not with Carter and Phyllis,
but
with
a
mother
and
daughter
who
live
in
the
perfectly
manicured
home
across
the
street.
The
perfectionist
is
the
full-time
homemaker
Sarah
Hardwicke
(Meg
Ryan).
The
daughter
is
the
rebellious
teenager
named
Lucy
(Kristen
Stewart). Since Carter is mid-way between their two ages,
the
plot
is
set
for
both
Sarah
and
Lucy
to
be
attracted
to
him
as
he
naively
and
yet
charmingly
engages
them
both. What makes the film intriguing is that they are all just human
beings
trying
to
find
their
way
in
the
difficulties
of
their
lives. They reach out to one another as fellow travelers,
only
to
be
confused
by
their
attractions
and
jealousies. Not realizing that they need protective parameters
to
their
interactions
by
clearly
honoring
Sarah’s
marriage
and
Lucy’s
adolescence,
they
almost
lose
one
another
as
they
lose
themselves. Though we won’t tell all the details of the journey, the lesson
is
an
important
one.
In
a
sexualized
world
where
we
often
see
one
another
in
categories
that
make
it
hard
for
us
to
simply
support
each
other
in
the
journey
of
life,
“In
the
Land
of
Women”
suggests
a
different
world:
a
world
where
we
are
humans
first,
and
genders
second;
where
we
care
for
one
another
without
thinking
it
must
be
expressed
in
sexual
terms;
where
we
help
one
another
find
healing
in
safe
relationships
with
identities
that
transcend
gender;
where
we
join
together
as
human
beings
on
a
far
larger
journey
than
just
our
gender
and
sexual
identities
dictate. Discussion:
1.
As
you
look
at
your
relationships,
are
you
able
to
have
supportive
ones
with
those
of
the
opposite
gender?
Why
or
why
not?
2.
How
much
do
you
think
the
fact
that
Carter’s
writing
career
has
become
stuck
in
writing
soft
porn
has
truncated
his
growth
as
a
man
and
as
a
human
being? What do you think it meant for him to write
a
children’s
story
to
give
to
his
grandmother?
3.
The
stereotypical
reaction
of
the
quarterback
to
Carter
bringing
Lucy
to
the
party
was
to
call
him
out
and
punch
him.
Why
do
you
believe
Kasdan
put
this
in
his
film? Was it only to resolve the plot by creating
the
appropriate
love
relationship
for
Lucy
or
did
he
have
a
larger
purpose?
4.
Do
you
believe
the
affair
that
Sarah’s
husband
was
having
was
Sarah’s
fault,
as
Lucy
claimed
–
or
was
her
anger
due
to
Sarah’s
lack
of
understanding
and
support
for
her
in
her
time
of
need? ________________ Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual
movie
commentary.
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