Life During Wartime

Life During Wartime

I didn’t know what to make of this bizarre film. It truly is wacky and yet I found myself enjoying it. Incest, dysfunctional families and pedophilia are hardly topics for humor. In this film you may feel disturbed about the situations but they are handled in quite a funny manner.

Trish is one of the main characters. She has told her three children that their father is dead. In reality he has been in jail as a pedophile. She tries her best to meet the children’s needs but in good parenting she would be considered a failure. The young daughter takes drugs from the cupboard with ease sanctioned by the Mom. The middle son is approaching his Bar Mitvah. He is practicing his speech about becoming a man. He and his mother discuss sexual issues that would make you squirm. Trish comes home from a date and tells her son she was ‘all wet’

Trish dates Harvey. He is a middle aged unattractive divorcee. She wants so much for a normal life. Harvey thinks there is a chance at a relationship. He tells Trish that he can’t afford to fail again. He brings his geeky son for dinner. The family dynamics are hardly a positive experience. Trish and Harvey talk about going to Israel. Harvey told Trish he voted for Bush and McCain because of their policy to Israel. (Funny but pathetic) Trish had told her son that his father was a pervert. She instructed the son to scream if a man ever touches him. Poor Harvey hugs the son when he seems upset. The son starts to scream and poor Harvey is frightened away.

Trish’s sisters are also a ‘piece of work.’ One sister talks in a little girl voice. She always has a dead pan look on her face. Her attire is anything but stylish. She does social work rehabilitating black ex-cons.

Shirley lives and works in Hollywood. She is very successful in her work. A string of Oscars sits on a shelf in her home. She is of no help in empathizing or supporting her sister.

Many of the sets are fairy tale like and whimsical much like the lives of the characters involved.

The story becomes more involved when the father is let out of jail and comes back to see his children.

The issues are all very real. They have been exaggerated and presented in a comedic manner. I wish I had of known more about the writer and director before I went to the film Todd Solondz is known for his other films. Life During Wartime is apparently a sequel to his very successful film ‘Happiness. I think it is safe to say that this current film will not be pleasing for many people. I considered it a film experience and I quite enjoyed it. I chose to see the people as characters and not real people. They presented very serious issues but made it all easy to digest by presenting it in a ‘screwball’ fashion.