Tensions come to a head on New Years Eve, when snide comments from John's mother cause Jane to lose her temper and air the resentments which have been simmering beneath the surface for some time. Her mother-in-law plays the wounded martyr and John, trying to mediate between the two, ends up losing his temper with both of them and storming out. Jane runs after him and the two wind up at a New Years Eve party where, surrounded by drunken revelry, they sit in misery. John eventually tells Jane that he thinks that their marriage was a mistake: he's drowning in debt and she's miserable. This is the best scene in the film as, with the crowd around them loudly cheering the new year beginning, their marriage is quietly and heartbreakingly coming to an end.
This image is from the 1939 movie Made For Each Other starring Jimmy Stewart and Carole Lombard. They star as a young couple- John and Jane Mason- who marry after a whirlwind romance. Once wed, they settle down into a married life which isn't exactly a fairy tale. In the midst of the Depression, John not only doesn't get an expected promotion at work, he is forced to take a pay cut. They are living in a small apartment which they must share with John's overbearing mother. Jane has never kept house before and struggles to learn to cook and clean with her mother-in-law always looking over her shoulder, criticizing. On top of that, Jane gets pregnant almost immediately and they have a son, whom she and John adore but who causes further financial distress with doctor bills, etc. Not to mention the difficulty of fitting the baby crib and other necessities into the tiny apartment. Tensions come to a head on New Years Eve, when snide comments from John's mother cause Jane to lose her temper and air the resentments which have been simmering beneath the surface for some time. Her mother-in-law plays the wounded martyr and John, trying to mediate between the two, ends up losing his temper with both of them and storming out. Jane runs after him and the two wind up at a New Years Eve party where, surrounded by drunken revelry, they sit in misery. John eventually tells Jane that he thinks that their marriage was a mistake: he's drowning in debt and she's miserable. This is the best scene in the film as, with the crowd around them loudly cheering the new year beginning, their marriage is quietly and heartbreakingly coming to an end.
Comments
|
About MeI'm a lover of good books, classic movies, and well-written shows (as well as some pretty cheesy ones, to be completely honest). Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
Fun SitesOdds & Ends |