LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE PURSUITS

US, 2010, 119 minutes. Colour.
Natalie Portman, Scott Cohen, Lisa Kudrow, Michael Cristofer.
Directed by Don Roos.

This is an American drama with some edge. Written and directed by Don Roos (who made smaller budget dramas like The Opposite of Sex), it is a film about parenting, step-parenting, divorce and re-marriage and difficulties in forgiving family members who have been the cause of hurt. At the core is the sadness of infant death. The ‘other impossible pursuits’ of the title is ambiguous and not what we might have let ourselves be led to expect.

The central character, Emilia, is played by Natalie Portman who has developed from a striking child debut in Leon, through adolescence, to prove that she is a respected actress (and director) winning the Oscar soon after this film as the doomed ballerina in Black Swan. Here, she is a bright young woman who has married Jack (Scott Cohen) after his divorce from an icily demanding surgeon, Carolyn, played by Lisa Kudrow who shows she can do far more than her ditzy comedy for so many years in Friends. The further complication is Jack and Carolyn’s rather precocious young son, Will, who resembles his forthright mother.

After initial images of birth and the dawning realisation that the baby has died, we see a confrontation between Will and Emilia – he suggesting they sell the baby’s unwanted pram and other goods on e-bay. He has no realisation of the effect on Emilia. Despite this, the two begin to become friends, Emilia showing him a quite different affection from that of his mother.

But, Emilia’s blunt accosting of people (Jack points out she does this to those she loves most) puts a strain on the marriage, not helped by Carolyn’s acerbic confrontations. After an emotional ceremony in remembrance of babies who have died, especially, from SIDS, Emilia attacks her father in public for his treatment of her mother. She then tells Jack more details of the baby’s dying and her own feelings of responsibility and guilt.

While things can work out, especially with honesty and the difficulties of talking problems through, it is not easy – but is helped by Carolyn’s actually doing something kind for Emilia.

A lot of parents may identify

1. A drama of issues, with edge?

2. American families, homes, schools, surgeries? The realism? The musical score?

3. The title, the tone – in relation to the central characters?

4. The theme of birth, the close-ups of the baby, the mother, delighted? Taking photos? The sadness of the death of the baby, for Emilia, for Jack? Emilia dwelling on it, blaming herself, not telling the truth about holding the baby as it died, falling asleep? Jack and his grief? The framed photo? Will, very factual, insensitive, asking about selling the babywear on eBay? Emilia’s reaction? Carolyn and the Jewish tradition, stating that the baby had no soul? Audience sympathies for Jack and for Emilia?

5. Emilia and Jack and their relationship, the courtship, Jack being married, the divorce from Carolyn, Carolyn and her antagonism? Will and his attitude towards Emilia? His reliance on Sonia looking after him? His talking with Emilia, the discussion about eBay, not realising her sensitivities, Emilia’s anger, telling him to shut up? Jack’s arrival, his stance as regards his son? Emilia hurt?

6. Emilia and the flashbacks, her being young and enthusiastic, the meeting with Jack, attracted to him? Her background, the law? Her father as the judge? Her mother and father separated? Her anger with her father? Dating Jack, in the room together? Dealing with Carolyn and Will? Meeting Will, the toys, his response, the recitation of facts and information? The wedding?

7. Jack and his legal background, a good man, picking up Will, relating to his son? His issues with Carolyn? Meeting Emilia, the courtship, the relationship, marrying? The tensions, the issue of the death of the baby? His only discovering the truth later? His grief and being astonished?

8. Emilia and her bluntness, her telling off Will, her confrontations with Carolyn? With Jack? Her angry outburst in public against her father? Jack explaining that she hurt those she loved? The raising of the issue of the death of the baby, her explanation, her not telling the full truth? Thinking she had killed her child? Jack’s reaction, Emilia’s dismay, leaving?

9. Emilia bonding with Will, the outings together, listening to him, the story of Lyle the Crocodile? The zoo, the ice cream, Will and his being told strict regulations by his mother, lactose? The party, his diarrhoea and embarrassment? Emilia discovering that all the children were sick, that it was not the ice cream? Emilia going to the school and leaving the message with the teacher?

10. Will and his character, his age, very like his mother, having to adapt to a new situation, coming to rely on Emilia? Isabel as his sister? His listening and hearing conversations that he should not have heard? Having to deal with the tensions?

11. Carolyn, her telling off Emilia, blaming her, Carolyn’s agenda? Going to the school, with Jack and the performance with the teacher, the teacher’s reaction, upset? Her own relationship, her medical practice? Her being pregnant?

12. Will, overhearing the conversations, about the death of the child, about his mother’s pregnancy? Having to process these?

13. Will and his concern about Isabel, telling Carolyn? Carolyn taking the initiative, getting the reports? Asking experts to consider the situation? Explaining that the child died of SIDS rather than being smothered? There being no evidence for this? Her insisting that Emilia understand this?

14. The marriage, Will sending for Emilia, going to the wedding? Carolyn and her reaction? The marriage ceremony?

15. The memorial for the dead babies, Emilia and her presence, the candle? Jack present? Her family? Her mother and father? Her resentment of her father’s presence, her outburst and calling him a sex addict?

16. Emilia’s father and his bonding with Will, talks, going to the zoo, planning the film about Lyle the Crocodile? Emilia seeing her father in the city, his patient talking with her, his explanations, apology?

17. The range of issues concerning family, parenting, pregnancy, baby deaths? Divorce? Step-parenting? The dramatising of these issues? The discussions in helping to clarify the issues for the characters – and for the audience?