DTLA LIFE MAG #10 | OCTOBER 2014 | Page 60

MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN
Peter Badillo
A review by
The internet age has definitely changed the way that peo-
ple view relationships, expressionism, and sex. As a parent,
how does one evolve with this rapid growth of technology
when your children can view whatever they like with the
simple action of a few simple keystrokes? As a maturing
adolescent, how does one adapt to the pressures that oth-
ers can bestow upon you? Men, Women, And Children
seems to have different accounts on how this question
was answered. Featuring a great cast of actors, the film
opened up with a universal perspective on a mission that
started many years ago, but quickly returned to Earth on
how the internet seems to be a tool of different needs.
Parental wise, there was four different approaches with
what the internet seemed to offer; treat it as a threat; use it
a tool for sexual needs; embrace it for the networking op-
portunity; or be indifferent. For the High School students
in the film; it was a means of communication, rebellion,
escapism, exposure, guidance, and advice (regardless if it
was good or bad.)
Adam Sandler and Rosemarie DeWitt played a couple who
were struggling with a passionless marriage, tired of their
mundane routines; they used the internet to explore un-
fulfilled desires, to obtain something they have not had in
some time. Their eldest son, having discovered adult vid-
eo websites at an early age, used the internet to explore
the different and various genres of adult entertainment.
Eventually his exploration would lead him to depravity and
fetishes that has changed his views on sex to the point
where it later defeats him.
Jennifer Gardner’s character saw nothing but horror and
possible threats in the internet, thus, she went to great
lengths in limiting her daughter’s freedom by installing a
device that recorded every keystroke on her computer,
grabbed every social media password her daughter had in
order to have any messages and updates sent to her own
phone as well. While her daughter went around her moth-
er’s eyes and used the internet to rebel for her own sanity.
Dean Norris played a father whose wife had left him and
his son to chase her dreams in California. While he adored
Football, his son felt different. After a year of playing the
sport, his son decided he didn’t want to play anymore, and
instead used the internet to escape the pains and strug-
gles of life and invest his time in a massively multiplayer
online role playing game. Regardless of what his son de-
cided to do, he didn’t pay much attention to his son and
his online activities. Judy Greer saw the internet as an op-
portunity to gain attention for her daughter, who wanted to
become an actor.
Whatever the view was, it seemed that every decision af-
fected everyone in that community; as one parent’s resolve
changed the flow of another’s child. The progression of
the story revolved around these changes that would nega-
tively reflect another person. Over-protective mothers and
carefree fathers seem to be a negative force, even par-
ents that are somewhere in the middle aren’t effective in
raising teenagers especially when the internet is involved.
As these teens are discovering sex, or “hooking up,” even
without proper knowledge, they seem to want to rush the
experience only to want to claim that they’ve had it.
Each actor played their part perfectly, Jennifer Gardner
really sold her part of being that “unfair” mother, restrict-
ing everything her daughter did. It was so convincing, one
could have mistaken her acting for something genuine.
Adam Sandler played a part that was somewhat uncon-
ventional to him, less of a comedic role, and more of a
serious note, his part of that awkwardness in his passion-
less marriage was well executed. Dean Norris looks like
that typical sports dad, thus it was not a surprise how his
passions for the football game in the film transferred over
well. Still, these big names had amazing support from the
actors who played the teens in the movie: Tomothee Cha-
lamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort, and
Elena Kampouris all performed their unique roles perfectly,
whether it was that boy who used online games to escape,
the girl who used images from the internet to judge her
own body, or the girl who used the internet to sell her pic-
tures for attention.
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The story centered on the topic of sex, Emma Thompson
narrated the story as it progressed which gave a bit of in-
trigue to everything. The lack thereof, the new experience
of it, or the gossip of it was the influence of a lot of deci-
sions that occurred through the films progression. It cer-
tainly hit a lot of relevant points about teenagers today,
with girls getting pregnant at younger and younger ages
seemingly like a trend. With parents having trouble con-
necting with their adolescent kids due to their time being
spent on the phone and the internet, it is understandable
the different approaches that each actor used trying to ei-
ther protect or connect with their individual teen kid. Re-
gardless though, being that there was a bittersweet con-
clusion to the whole matter, each parent took something
out of their journey of this very deep and emotional spiral
of hormones and needs. Through it all, it was an enjoyable
film, something the older audience would deeply appreci-
ate as they are going through some similar things with their
kids, but hopefully nothing too extreme.
Men, Women, And Children | A Film by Jason Reitman
| With Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie DeWitt,
Emma Thompson, Judy Greer & Dean Norris | Paramount
Pictures | www.menwomenchildrenmovie.com | © 2014
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Pictures