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Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation follows the relationship of two strangers as they develop a deep friendship and this helps them through a difficult time in each of their lives. Bob Harris who is Japan shoot a whiskey commercial is clearly unhappy; this is showed through his emotions and relationship with his wife. Charlotte is in new and different environment with her husband who pays more attention to his work than he does to her. In this new environment Charlotte begins to question why she married her husband and what she is suppose to do with her life. She begins searching for meaning in her life; however she has a hard time finding any answers. From since the first time Bob sees Charlotte he seems interested in her. As they both go through their time in Japan they are searching for something and that is when they find each other.
Coppola does a great job showing the intimate relationship that is shared between Bob and Charlotte which unlike the other movies we have watched does not necessarily consist of a sexual element but more of an emotional one. Before Charlotte and Bob begin spending time with each other they are lonely, restless and trying to make sense of this new environment. The pace of the film is slow at this point and the characters wear dull colored clothing. However, the first night they go out together Bob is wearing a colorful shirt and the pace is a lot faster with flashing colorful and bright lights. The relationship between the two is playful and carefree, unlike with their significant others. With her husband Charlotte seems to uncomfortable and lost and with his wife Bob is tense and experiences anxiety.
In this film water is also used to express a feeling of renewal and release. As evident in the scene where Bob is in the hot tub and he sinks down under the water after having a conversation with his wife. Though Coppola does show that Bob and Charlotte have romantic feelings for each other, the ending does not predict that they will leave their spouses to be with each other. Instead I believe that their relationship is an experience that will enable them to go back to living their lives.

Lost

I really liked Lost in Translation the best out of all the movies that we have seen this week. This movie made the most sense to me. Bob and Charlotte were like two lost souls in Tokyo. Actually I take that back because Bob wasn’t necessarily a lost soul he was just at a really strange point in his life. He was distanced from his family and judging from the conversations with his wife Bob was not a strong figure in his own home. His little girl ran from the phone instead of talking to him and he couldn’t get his child to eat anything. Usually with little kids when one parent is gone the kid is so excited to talk to them and will probably do what they want over the phone because they miss them and want to make them happy. The relationship between Bob and Charlotte wasn’t really romantic or sexual in anyway. It seemed as if they just enjoyed one another’s company. To be in a foreign country alone really took a toll on both Bob and Charlotte. Bob spent all his time taking direction from other people in terms of how to act, pose, where to be, even who to sleep with. Swimming in the pool provided an attempt at solitude. But when Bob was swimming in the pool he was still plagued by the loud music and images of older women jumping around. When Charlotte swam she was truly alone and it made me think that that experience is probably what Bob needed and Bob’s swimming experience is what Charlotte needed. Charlotte seemed to be searching for beauty, meaning, truth, validation, something. She was always observing someone else experience life on their own terms and she would either make judgments or try to take from their experience and make it her own. The relationship between them was very father-daughter. When they were lying on the bed talking about marriage and life and if things ever get easier Charlotte was in the fetal position while Bob just relaxed and open. Bob had a moment like in Laurel Canyon when his wife was calling him and the ringer was all hectic and he just sank down into the tub. I liked the premise of the movie and how each character was at a crossroads in their life. The plight of each character seemed very realistic to me. Oh I do have a question though. WHAT DID BOB WHISPER IN HER EAR?!?!

Lets never come here again

Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola is a subtle film about the disillusionment and loneliness we all feel at some point in our lives. Both of the main characters in this film (Charlotte and Bob) are feeling isolated and lonely while visiting Tokyo. Although they appear to be in different places in their lives, these two form a meaningful connection.
Charlotte is a young graduate wondering what to do with her life and her marriage. Her photographer husband leaves her to fend for herself in Tokyo. Their marriage is appears passionless and shallow. Charlotte’s husband is preoccupied with his work and other superficial thoughts, while she is plagued by pursuing her purpose in life. Tokyo, as the setting of the film is represented by vivid and graphic colors and bustling hordes of people. Scenes like the one where Charlotte attempts to navigate the Tokyo subway show her isolation and how difficult it is to be trapped by cultural and linguistic differences. The fact that Charlotte does not speak the language also further cuts her off from society.
Bob on the other hand is a has-been actor, now in his 50s forced to do Japanese whiskey ads. He is frustrated with his stale marriage and stagnant career. As Charlotte correctly diagnoses in the film Bob is suffering from a mid-life crisis, wondering what has become of his life. Bob’s wife Lydia sends him carpet samples and bugs him about shelves which further exasperate his feelings of emptiness. What Bob really needs is validation and someone to listen to him. Charlotte provides this support, and Bob in return teaches her some truths about marriage and life. I believe one of the most poignant lines in the film is “Let's never come here again because it will never be as much fun.” Charlotte realizes that Tokyo was a unique situation that allowed her and Bob to form a special relationship. Out in the ‘real world’ a relationship between a twenty year old woman and a fifty year old man would be unlikely to be supported, or even accepted by society. In addition, the circumstances that brought the two together in this period of their lives is fleeting and can never be recaptured.
Ms. Coppola has inherited her father’s unique talent of creating rich pictures in every frame of the film; pictures more telling than a thousand words. Although the dialogue is sparse, one can not help but walk away from this film feeling full from sharing in a unique and intimate human experience.

Lost in Translation

I thought Lost in Translation was an excellent film. The ending disappointed me though, as I do not like cliffhangers. In this movie, like the other 2 movies we have watched, there is ''love confusion.'' Both characters, Bob and Scarlett, seem to be suffering from bad relationships/bad marriages. Scarlett's husband is a photographer who seems to spend more time doing things with his work and his friends than with his wife; this is something that affects Scarlett negatively. Scarlett (before meeting Bob) really had no one to talk to about it. Her mother on the phone was barely willing to listen and she obviously never raised the subject with her husband either. This may have been out of fear of his reaction. Thus, she tends to take on a submissive role with men. When meeting Bob, she begins to experiment a little bit more with the other side of her life (as does Ada in The Piano and Alex in Laurel Canyon.)

Bob Harris is an old movie star who is doing a commercial in Tokyo. He also has love-life problems as it seems his marriage is falling apart (which is more than likely his fault, we get this hint in the beginning of the movie when he receives a note saying he forgot his sons birthday.) Bob also has no one to talk to about it, as he is in a foreign city with no real friends. He meets Scarlett and they both discover they have a common ground. Like Sam in Laurel Canyon, he begins to also experiment with a different part of his life.

Both of them eventually become good friends, and we as the audience may or may not have gotten the vibe that there was some romance going on (despite the age difference.) This is further reinforced by the kissing at the end of the movie.

Although we never really know for sure what happens, we can be sure that Bob probably whispered in Scarlett's ear his address or contact info for when she goes back to the states.

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Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation is a film about two characters who come together in their feelings of isolation in a foreign place. Charlotte and Bob develop a strong friendship through their mutual feelings of loneliness and confusion about their lives. Charlotte is newly married and unsure what she wants to do now, especially professionally. Bob has been married for a while but has clearly grown apart from his family – his telephone conversations with his wife are chilly and his children leave the room when invited to speak to him on the phone. Later in the movie he tries to act as a parent from so far away, telling his wife to tell their daughter that he said she needed to sleep. The wife doesn’t seem to pay attention to him and he certainly fails to reach his daughter. Charlotte has similar issues with distance – beyond her never-present husband who seems to be flirting with a woman he photographs, when she tells her friend over the phone “I don’t know who I married,” it’s as if she didn’t say anything at all. It’s these similar problems that lead to the somewhat unlikely-seeming friendship between Bob and Charlotte. Neither of them initially are able to sleep in Tokyo, but after they have become friends there is a scene where Charlotte falls asleep and Bob carries her to bed. This is included as an indication of the emotional significance of their friendship.

Bob obviously feels very awkward in Tokyo. Coppola uses shots of him in a crowded elevator, standing much taller than everyone surrounding him, to emphasize his discomfort. Although Bob is a celebrity, some of the most clearly uncomfortable scenes are when he’s on camera. His awkward commercial shoot and appearance on a very strange talkshow are not only uncomfortable and confusing because of culture and language barriers but because they serve as reminders that his career has peaked.

Charlotte’s isolation is expressed through the things she does in her hotel room. Her husband leaves her there with little to do – she ends up decorating the room with flowers and calling a friend who doesn’t listen to her. When she does go out, she seems uncomfortable in the same way Bob does, for example, when she sees a man looking at a pornographic cartoon on the subway. It is their isolation that brings these two characters together and creates a very deep sense of friendship.

Lost in Translation

I liked this movie but there were a lot of things I did not understand. I think Coppola wanted people to be a little bit confused about why things happened the way they did. First of all, Bill Murray lost about 30 lbs from the last time I saw him in a movie. He looked skinny. Scarlet Johansson is a major babe. As I said, I enjoyed this movie especially because it was filmed in Japan and the people were hilarious.

Again, However why do we see this reoccurring theme of husbands and wives sneaking around? These women directors have sick minds. I would like to know all their history's. I wonder if they have had some horrible experiences with men in their lives, because I do not think they are big fans of the males. You could definitely get a sense of Bill Murray questioning how good his marriage was when he was in the bath/hot tub and the phone conversation takes place. The two are so bland and dry on the phone it seemed like they hated eachother.

This film was defintely odd in a number of ways. Having it in Tokyo for one, as well as Bill Murray a guy in his mid 50s falling for a girl that at the time of the film was 18 years old. (ripe for the picking) Also the fact that he went all the way out there for 2 million dollars to do a Whiskey commercial. Odd, but I guess I like that kind of random idea in a movie with Bill Murray. I really do not know what else to say about this film, I liked it, but I do not believe it has many parallels with the previous two. I thought that the annoying girl that was singing all the time was funny too, what a ditz. I thought the acting was great and the movie was good. I will definitely have to see it again because there are many things I did not pick up the first time.

Lost in Translation

Lost in Translation is a movie that is about two people, Bob and Charlotte, stuck in Tokyo. I could sympathize with Bob and Charlotte being in a place where they could not communicate with basically anyone because of the language barrier. I think Sophia Coppola did a really good job showing Bob and Charlotte’s struggle to communicate with everyone in Tokyo, and hence the reason they both stayed inside the hotel for the most part when they were alone. Neither of them appears to be completely happy with their marriages, and they both are lonely in Tokyo until they meet each other. They seem to just “click” immediately. There is no small talk between the two of them and there is not much hesitation at first, although they are complete strangers to each other. It is clear that they have feelings for each other and that they both care for each other, but it is not quite clear what these feelings are. The feelings are romantic, yet because of the age difference, there is a hint of a father-daughter relationship. Charlotte struggles because her husband ignores her, and she is young and has no idea what she wants to do in life. Bob struggles because he is not happy with his marriage and family life, and now he is essentially going to Tokyo to try and prolong his career and income for a little while longer. Therefore, they have a lot in common, but they also differ in that they are at different times in their life; his is coming to an end and hers is just beginning. In this movie, Tokyo is portrayed exactly like it is in real life; loud, busy, colorful, fluorescent, and open all night. The fact that the city never sleeps caters to Bob and Charlotte, who both have trouble sleeping – yet another thing they have in common. Instead of sitting in their room, frustrated that they cannot sleep, they are able to go out and meet each other and spend time with each other. This is how their relationship starts, and they become very close in a very short amount of time.

Retooling Hollywood

Retooling Hollywood

If I had to pick five words I believe most accurately describe the movie “Lost in Translation,” they would be: Tension, Confusion, Denial, Mocking and Promiscuity.
Tension: There is tension between almost every character in this film. Bob Harris certainly encounters a kind of tension with every person he meets, the hotel employees, the Japanese director; he even displays a tension when speaking with his wife. Even with Charlotte, who Harris obviously finds comforting, there is that sexual tension which is not acted upon until the last scene. The tension makes the audience a little uncomfortable, but that is what Coppola wanted. Charlotte and Harris are in a country they do not know, surrounded by a language they do not understand. It is important for the audience to feel that discomfort in order to empathize with the characters.
Confusion: Not understanding the language and culture results in a lot of confusion for Harris and Charlotte. Not to mention, they are both going through difficult times in their lives. There is that sense of confusion, of being totally lost, and just kind of passing the time hoping things will change.
Denial: Bob Harris and Charlotte are both in a slight denial of their relationships with their spouses, as well as their relationship with each other. They try to deny, and rise above their failing marriages. They deny the obvious lack of excitement in their lives, but as they learn more about each other, they realize they can provide excitement for each other.
Mocking: There seems to be a sense of mocking- through lack of communication, and lack of knowledge about the culture. It is not aggressive, intentionally harmful mocking; they just seem to laugh about what they do not understand. For example, the woman in the hospital speaking with Harris- they ended up laughing at the fact that they could not communicate. And the talk show was a slight mockery of Japanese television. It reinforced that idea that Harris and Charlotte are completely out of their comfort zone, in an absolutely foreign place.
Promiscuity was also an underlying theme throughout the movie. There was simply no intimate attraction between Charlotte and her husband. They seemed to have just lost all sexual desire for each other. And although we never see Harris with his wife, we can assume the same is true for them. There is some promiscuity, but again, it is not meant to insult or hurt, it is naïve.
The writer uses these emotions to convey the difficult, tedious time Charlotte and Harris are going through, and perhaps to suggest that a safe, benevolent new relationship can rekindle an older relationship.

Lost in Translation

Displacement from family and relationships is accentuated in this film by the foreign city, culture, language, and overall environment in Tokyo. Coppola humor to relate this through befuddled social interactions. Both the main characters, Charlotte and Bob are lonely and dislodged from their normal point of equilibrium. Bill Murray is obviously out of place in the scene in the elevator where he is a lot taller than the other people in the elevator. In addition to this, at the bar it is darkly lit, with Bob’s face lit up, again a scene of solitude. This theme continues through the movie, accentuating his sense of displacement. Scenes with many people use this to show the present loneliness in the respective character’s lives. Scarlett Johansen’s character is also obviously not happy in her environment, she exhibits insomnia, and her discontent can be initially seen when she does not respond when her husband says “love you, bye” as he rushes out the door. When she calls her friend back home, she acknowledges but does not understand her, furthering her loneliness. Coppola could have put this in because of the way women tend to have had experiences like this in their lives coming from girlfriends far away. Men would not stand for or show this weakness of lack of fulfillment.

Phone conversations bring understanding the character’s relationships with people who are not present. A lot can be learned from the tone and cadence of their conversations. Charlotte and her husband’s relationship and also Bob and his wife’s relationship is also shown in absence through their responses and reactions during conversations. Pauses and facial expressions show their true feelings apart from the words that they are actually saying.

Everything is going on around them but in they are their own world. Water is used as a time for contemplation and escape. Bob is shown in water in two especially significant scenes, one where he is swimming, and another when he is in the hot tub. In the first scene, he is surrounded by the crazy Japanese culture surrounding him. He rolls his eyes, then begins his relaxation with swimming. The other shows him relaxing in the tub, then his wife interrupts him on the phone and stresses him out. When they hang up, he sinks underwater into solitude to again get away. This theme is present in countless numbers of movies.

The clips on the back of Bob’s jacket at the photo shoot show the control Bob’s agent has over his life. Already it has been shown that his family life is suffering because of his working relationship. This is a disctinct picture with the clips going up his back like a straightjacket, showing the constraints on his life.

When Charlotte and Bob meet at the scene at the bar, they are spaced on each side of the screen; their intimacy begins when he reaches over to light her cigarette through the black space in between. Their relationship is shown to progress through seems paralleling this. Included is the scene during the party, after they sing karaoke and are sitting outside. Johansen’s character leans her head on his shoulder, this time she is the one reaching out. They have an intimate but not sexual relationship, they lay in bed, again with space between them, this time white, fully clothed but wholly personal because of the intellectual relationship.

Charlotte’s husband’s friend the actress is used as a foil to Charlotte who is intelligent and deep-thinking. The comment that she makes as being anorexic as a good thing and taking it as a compliment is taking a stab at women’s issues with weight and body image. In addition, the majority of her actions and things she says seem to be irrelevant ditzy. This accentuates her qualities that are oppositional to the superficial over-the-top actress. Coppola shows a streak of feminism in this scene.

Lost in Translation

Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation was my favorite of the films we have watched in this class so far. I think this is because I found the characters and their relationship very realistic, but the film also had a certain dreamy quality to it that pulls the viewer in. Of all the films we have watched so far, I think that Lost in Translation was the most even-handed in its portrayal of male and female characters. The other films' male characters were more stereotypical but less complex, but Bob was just as complex a character as Charlotte, perhaps even more so. He was also portrayed in a sympathetic and positive way. I think this shows what a skilled writer Coppola is, since as a female, she was still able to create a male character with a complex personality. Bob is a middle-aged actor who is just making an easy buck by shooting commercials in Japan. Although he still has a dry sense of humor, it is obvious that he feels lost and adrift in life, as if he doesn't know where he's going, and his relationship with his wife consists of superficial, disconnected conversations. Although in her twenties, the character Charlotte is experiencing many of the same feelings as him. I think this is the most interesting aspect of the story, because Bob and Charlotte connect because they are experiencing the same emotions. Their romance could have come across as weird or creepy because of the age difference, but because of their emotional connection, it is very easy to accept, something which I think is due to the female direction. Both of them are feeling alienated and lonely in the huge, strange city, and both of them are going through crises in their lives in which they don't know where they are headed. They are also both experiencing marriages where they feel disconnected from the spouse. I think the love story worked because Coppola made them awkward, but also friendly, with each other in a very realistic way, and there wasn't an emphasis on the physical as much as the emotional.

I haven't seen The Virgin Suicides, but I did see Coppola's other film Marie Antoinette. There were many similarities between the two films, especially in terms of the use of colors and music. Marie Antoinette lacked the substance of Lost in Translation, but they both consisted of many muted colors with brighter colors thrown in to punctuate more vibrant scenes. In Lost in Translation, the bright colors were used to show how foreign the brightness of Tokyo was, and the more muted colors suggested a dreamy, lonely world of contemplation, to illustrate what Bob and Charlotte were experiencing. I also found the party scenes in both films very similar. They were both filmed in a very natural way, as if the viewer was there, with the camera constantly moving over different images of people together, and the music blaring in the background. I thought that the music in both films was excellent, and that it especially enriched Lost in Translation. It enhanced the dreamy quality that I mentioned. I especially thought that ending song, "Just Like Honey" by the Jesus and Mary Chain, was used in an excellent manner because it fit the images perfectly, and its bitersweet nature fit the tone of the film and any possibilities that the viewer could imagine for the ending. Finally, both films frequently showed their main characters gazing into space. This served to illustrate Charlotte's and Marie's lonelineness and alienation, although I think it fit the main theme in Lost in Translation more well. I think that this too is a sign of a female director, since women focus more on facial expressions, and females are more willing to use a slower pace rather than making a quick-paced movie. I think Coppola was very skilled at using music and images to create a world within the film and to illustrate the emotions that the main characters were going through, and how they connected.

Lost in Translation

“Lost in Translation” was my favorite movie that we have watched so far this week. I thought the film was really intriguing and filmed amazingly. I was really impressed with how well the lighting and color schemes were done. I found it be extremely detailed and symbolic. The drab color scheme allowed any vibrant color to really stick out. I also found that the color was a symbolic way of describing the characters and moods. When Charlotte and Bob go out for a night on the town, the use of lighting is vivid. Coppola does a great job to make the surroundings luminous and bright. The one aspect of the film that I was a bit disappointed with was the ending. It felt unfinished and although I think it was intended to have the viewer imagine what they felt should happen, I would have preferred more detail about what happened when they got back to the United States. I was unsure about how I felt after the movie ended. I couldn’t decide if it ended happily ever after or if there was more to it than that. This seems to be a technique of Coppola’s because I had the same feeling at the end of “Virgin Suicides.” Although I found this movie to be really different from Coppola’s first film, “Virgin Suicides,” the lighting and color detail were also very intricate in that film. “Virgin Suicides” was depressing in a much more upfront way. I found “Lost in Translation” to be depressing at times but it was more realistic. “Virgin Suicides” had more of a disturbing approach. I think that “Lost in Translation” represents many stages of life. It represents the times in life where one loses perspective of what he or she wants. It also incorporates the times of uncertainty and passion. I though these themes were very well chosen because at some point, everyone is able to relate.

_Claudia

Lost in Translation

It is hard to believe that “Lost in Translation” is Sofia Coppola’s second film. One thing I realized when watching this movie, more then the others we have seen this week, is the use of color. In “Lost in Translation” I felt that Coppola used the color of her characters clothing to tell more about their personalities and the culture they were living in. Also, I think that the way female characters were portrayed in this movie made it obvious that there was a female producer.

When watching the movie it was hard not to notice all the black clothing the characters wore. It seemed that everyone had on black or drab colored suits. However, whenever there was a break in color it was always with a female character. One example is the singer from the bar in the hotel. The first time you see her, you can’t take your eyes off of her. She has on a bright red dress with red lipstick. The other times you see her though she is in all black dress, which blends her in to everyone around her. Another example of color is through the main character Charlotte. Just like the singer from the bar, Charlotte is constantly wearing all black colors, but in a number of scenes she all of a sudden is wearing bright white. I am not sure what Coppola is trying to convey here. Is she trying to show how pure Charlotte’s character is? If so, what is the meaning of the red that the singer wears in her opening scene?

In “Lost in Translation” Coppola also seems to flaunt the female body. It appears that every time Charlotte is in her hotel room she is just in her underwear and a shirt, exposing her legs completely. In addition, the opening scene of her butt is an interesting way to start the movie and there must be some meaning behind that. This power of the female could be tied back to the colors they wear.

When the movie ended I felt that I did not fully understand it. It kind of reminded me of the ending in “Sleepless in Seattle.” Do Charlotte and Bob stay friends once they both return to the United States? Is that what he was whispering to her when he jumped out of the car and chased her down the sidewalk? I think that this movie requires you to think and make a connection with the characters and their feelings in order for you to understand it.

Lost in Translation

“Lost in Translation” to me seemed full of meaning in the scenery and dialogue. Indeed, as we mentioned in class, there was once again a pool scene. However, the pool was not the only source of water in the film. Bill Murray was also to be found in a tub in one scene, and the natural of climate of Japan is rainy on its own. I also noticed the stark grays and blah colors of the sky and buildings in comparison to the bright Las Vegas colors of the Tokyo life. There were so many flashy colors and moving advertisements that one could easily get lost in its showiness. Yet those colors did not disguise or better the life situations of the two main characters; Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray.

Their lives seemed so sad and lonely, though they were in one of the biggest cities in the world. They were all alone, and I think the gray was used to symbolize their solitary state. However, once they meet each other, the colors seem to get brighter as their lives improve in each others company.

I guess I didn’t really understand the ending, was it happy? Was it sad? What did Murray say to Johansson in the end of the movie? Whatever was whispered in the last scene must have made both of their moods better because they seemed to part in contentment. Yet being a member of the audience, I guess I would have liked to know what was said, if only for my own contentment. Nonetheless, after their parting, the camera pans out to show once again the drab and gray color scheme of the industrial buildings. Ironically, the music played during this final scene is bright and fast, quite the opposite of the sad and dreary offices.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, though I may not have understood its point.

Lost in Translation sites

Here is the main web page:

http://www.lost-in-translation.com/home.html


A parody of Lost in Translation

Laurel Canyon (2002)

Laurel Canyon (2002) is a wonderful example of female direction. It is a beautiful portrayal of the struggles that exist within human relationships. Lisa Cholodenko paints a picture of love in the 21st century that is incredibly accurate. One cannot help being moved by her attention to the everyday details that are so crucial to modern life.
Small things like fitness, clothing, and movement that occur naturally in everyday life are used by Cholodenko to help explain and develop her characters. For instance, throughout the movie she uses an AC DC t-shirt as a symbol of freedom. The shirt originally belongs to rock star Ian McKnight (Alessandro Nivola), a catalyst character who provokes change throughout the film. However, as the film progresses the audience sees the shirt move from character to character as they evolve to become more like Ian. The shirt goes from Ian to Jane (Frances McDormand). She wears it when she and Alex (Kate Beckinsale), her son Sam’s (Chritian Bale) fiancé, are beginning to bond in her music studio; a real point of development for her character. Similarly we see Alex wearing the shirt when she goes jogging after she begins hanging out with Jane and Ian. Signifying the change that is occurring within the relationships on screen this simple AC DC t-shirt becomes a excellent symbol for rebellion and growth for all three characters. Like two girls wearing their boyfriend’s t-shirt both Alex and Jane find comfort in Ian. He is an affectionate charming character who easily draws Alex from her sickly relationship with Sam who is embarrassed of his mother Jane and her lifestyle.
Overprotective and consumed by his embarrassment of Jane Sam ignores Alex’s needs and becomes distant, a situation that is augmented by his crush on fellow doctor Sara (Natascha McElhone). Only when both Alex and Sam are able to admit to the problems in their seemingly perfect relationship are they able to salvage what remains of their relationship. Laurel Canyon allows Cholodenko to present her stirring commentary on the fallacy that exists in the modern idea of a perfect relationship.

Laurel Canyon (2002)

Laurel Canyon (2002) is a wonderful example of female direction. It is a beautiful portrayal of the struggles that exist within human relationships. Lisa Cholodenko paints a picture of love in the 21st century that is incredibly accurate. One cannot help being moved by her attention to the everyday details that are so crucial to modern life.
Small things like fitness, clothing, and movement that occur naturally in everyday life are used by Cholodenko to help explain and develop her characters. For instance, throughout the movie she uses an AC DC t-shirt as a symbol of freedom. The shirt originally belongs to rock star Ian McKnight (Alessandro Nivola), a catalyst character who provokes change throughout the film. However, as the film progresses the audience sees the shirt move from character to character as they evolve to become more like Ian. The shirt goes from Ian to Jane (Frances McDormand). She wears it when she and Alex (Kate Beckinsale), her son Sam’s (Chritian Bale) fiancé, are beginning to bond in her music studio; a real point of development for her character. Similarly we see Alex wearing the shirt when she goes jogging after she begins hanging out with Jane and Ian. Signifying the change that is occurring within the relationships on screen this simple AC DC t-shirt becomes a excellent symbol for rebellion and growth for all three characters. Like two girls wearing their boyfriend’s t-shirt both Alex and Jane find comfort in Ian. He is an affectionate charming character who easily draws Alex from her sickly relationship with Sam who is embarrassed of his mother Jane and her lifestyle.
Overprotective and consumed by his embarrassment of Jane Sam ignores Alex’s needs and becomes distant, a situation that is augmented by his crush on fellow doctor Sara (Natascha McElhone). Only when both Alex and Sam are able to admit to the problems in their seemingly perfect relationship are they able to salvage what remains of their relationship. Laurel Canyon allows Cholodenko to present her stirring commentary on the fallacy that exists in the modern idea of a perfect relationship.

Laurel Canyon

Retooling Hollywood

Laurel Canyon brought to the surface a tension between two lifestyle choices. A mother, who believes in music, and fun, did not gain the respesct of her son, who is a hard worker and desperate to never be "lost." Both of those characters were comfortable in their situations, however Alex, the girlfriend, needed to explore and experience life. I believe the tension, and the change in Alex and Sam's relationship had to do with Alex becoming more like Sam's mother, and less like Sam.
Props were hugely important in the storyline of Laurel Cayon. The swimming pool seemed to be a transitional ground for both Alex and Sam. The Mother's boyfriend said to Alex once, "dont you want to be in here instead of out there in the cold world?" The water is almost womb-like and probably provided more comfort to Sam, who seems to swim a lot, than his mother was able to. Eventually though, his mother comes to him when he is in the pool, and admits she knows she hasn't been a good mom, and after the phone call from his admirer Sam seems to look at his mother and finally accept, if not understand, her. The water, in that sense almost cleansed him of his prior judgements, and as he ducks under the water, and just floats at the very end- he seems to finally understand. For Alex the pool is her entry into the mother's world of promiscuity, music, and irresponsibility. She later says that she had never experienced breaking the rules before. The swimming pool offered Alex the opportunity to safely try out that lifestyle. The scene when she first took off her clothes and jumped into the water, was almost her initiation into the mothers world.
Another prop that stood out in my mind was the AC/DC shirt. That shirt is passed around between Bobby, the mother, and Alex. Only the three of them wear the shirt, but it symbolizes the connection they have had.
The women's hair, and especially Alex's hair is also representational of her transition. In the very first scene Alex's hair is messy. They have just had sex, and Alex is relaxed and content. However, when they go to a party Alex's hair is perfectly straight, she looks more conservative. As she lives at the mothers house, her hair gets messier and messier- to match the mothers. I think this had a lot to do with our interpertation of her relationship with the mother. Alex looked like she fits in with the mother. She looked comfortable with that crowd. If she had straightened her hair she would not have looked hippy enough to fit in. The hair subtly reinforces Alex's transition.
In the end Alex and Sam end up together, however the movie provides us with an idea that people change from their experiences with other people, and a different location. It showed how in his attempt to "never be lost" Sam did end up a little closed minded, and Alex was able to contribute to his understanding of his mother.

Laurel Canyon

This movie challenges the stereotypical image of what a mother is with a woman who often behaves like she’s her son’s age and further turns the relationship around with a son who responds by acting as mature and controlled as possible. I don’t think Laurel Canyon qualifies as a chick flick because it addresses issues to which both sexes can relate. It is an intelligent, original movie, and it seems unfair that simply because it is directed by a woman and has emotional content that it should be labeled as a ‘chick flick,’ which feels negative and dismissive. There was, though, the similar pattern to other movies we’ve watched, in which the female protagonist is swept away by someone more romantically enticing than her intended, more corrrect but less interesting partner.

There is a clear role-reversal in Jane’s relationship with her son. Before the audience even sees Sam’s mother, Jane, he describes her as having a “developmental disorder.” Immediately something seems off – this comment is very much like something a parent would say about a child. Further interactions confirm the role reversal – later Sam is cleaning up glass and won’t let his mom help him. Maybe the reversal comes to complete fruition when Jane finally kisses her son’s girlfriend. However, while she clearly has been irresponsible as a mother throughout Sam’s life, Jane does start to try to reach out to her son. She offers her box seats to him and his girlfriend and tries to approach him about building a better relationship in a conversation near the end of the movie. Sam’s odd relationship with his mother is emphasized by the juxtaposition with his patient’s more typical relationship with his own mother, who doesn’t approve of his typically rebellious decisions. While Jane isn’t a conventional mother figure, Cholodenko includes indications that she does have some motherly qualities that Sam seems to miss: she understands Alex better than he does when she says “She must get lonely” working by herself and she shows some motherly concern for Alex when she offers her a health drink in the kitchen.

I liked how both of the forbidden relationships in the film were preceded by a near-accident on the road between the characters involved. It was an interesting way to foreshadow the problems they would create.

Laurel Canyon

Today’s film defies most pre-conceived notions of what a mother is; how she acts, what she wears, what she does, etc. When preparing my multimedia gloss for mother several words came to mind immediately- loving, nurturing, caregiver, supporter, friend, responsible, nester, etc. Then I began to think of the word mother in regards to the film Laurel Canyon. Jane, the mother, is very different than your stereotypical American mother. When thinking of Jane as a mother I though of words like, marijuana, alcohol, addiction, sexual promiscuity, no bra, hippy, irresponsible, partier, stoner, etc.
Sam wanted so badly the stereotypical mother and felt so much aggression towards his mother for the way she acted when he was growing up. I found it ironic that Sam was studying to become a psychiatrist so he could help the mentally disturbed/challenged, but what he really need to do was get a little psychotherapy for himself. He is a highly disturbed person carrying a great deal of baggage.
Sam was obsessed with leaving his mothers home, and claimed it was for Alex’s sake, when in fact Alex was quite content. Alex herself needed the time away from her research to experiment and explore a different life she never knew. Even though Alex was happy, Sam couldn’t stand the fact that she was spending so much time with his mother. I think Alex hated his mother’s lifestyle so much that he couldn’t imagine that the woman he loved could stand participating in such actions.
No matter how you interrupt the characters actions throughout the film, it is apparent that Sam and Alex needed to step outside of their normal lifestyle and experience something different to realize that what they had was good and solid. Even though I applaud them for trying new things, I thought that it was totally unnecessary for Alex to attempt a threesome with Jane and Ian- that’s just wrong.

Laurel Canyon

On the road to the perfect life, Sam & Alex took a little detour
The plot in Laurel Canyon was filled with many twists and turns. In the beginning Sam and Alex seemed to be heading on the right track to want they wanted in their lives. Sam was beginning his residency and Alex finishing her dissertation. They both were focused on what they wanted and the path they needed to take in order to get there. At first Alex was not very receptive to Jane, Sam’s mother lifestyle. Instead she tries to stay away from it, making all efforts to avoid becoming apart of that lifestyle. However, Sam and Alex make their transition in the place. Sam’s transition occurs when he is almost involved in a car accident with 2nd year resident Sarah. That experience sparks their interest in each other. For Alex, it is when Ian, Jane’s lover is also almost involved in an accident; Alex becomes a bit more curious about this unknown lifestyle. Sam and Alex become tangled in a web of deceit as they each begin having affairs.
Another element explored in the film is the mother and son relationship between Sam and Jane. Unlike the protective and nurturing characteristics of most mothers Jane is care free and wild which causes Sam to retreat as far away as possible from a lifestyle of instability and lack of boundaries. His mother’s lifestyle has strained the relationship between the two. Sam goes off to medical school to prove to himself that he is not like his mother. However, by the end of the film he becomes more like her than he’s ever been. In the end Sam is no longer tied to the world of strict boundaries and total control that he has built up. Instead he is caught up with thoughts of having an affair with Sarah. This loss of control is also exhibited in Alex. At first, she was an uptight intellectual, who was focused completing her dissertation but through exposure to Ian and Jane’s lifestyle she began experimenting with new feelings and emotions that she never knew existed. Laurel Canyon can be viewed as a chick flick because it is filled with emotions and issues that each character must go through in order to have a better understanding of who they are. Although I do not believe that they had a happy ending, they all went through a period of renewal. In the end I believe that Sam and Jane’s relationship was in a better place than it had been before.