THE ORANGES
US, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Allison Janney, Alia Shawkat, Leighton Meister.
Directed by Julian Farino.
The Oranges? No, not pieces of fruit. Rather, the citizens of Orange, New Jersey. This is a film of suburban New Jersey. It is a slice of life where things seemed to be going well enough, but weren’t.
Two couples live across the street from each other. Each has adult children. The two husbands have been best friends, even jogging every morning together, one buying the inventions the other thinks up, taking everything for granted. They are played by Hugh Laurie as David and Oliver Platt as Terry, the inventor.
David and Paige (Catherine Keener) seem to have had a long and happy marriage. They have two children, one still at home preparing to work in making furniture, the other going to China on business (Alia Shawkatt as Vanessa and Adam Brody as Toby). Over the road, Carol (Alison Janney) is a controller and tends to ignore Terry. They have a daughter, Nina (Leighton Meister), working in California.
Where can the film go and where can this ideal suburban life go wrong?
Nina comes home and responds to David’s interest in her. A marriage collapses, friendships break, children react against their parents. Nina’s return is a catalyst for drastic upheaval.
The cast is particularly strong and make the set-up believable. And, probably, we know people like this, people who have had experiences like this and who had to battle their way through, often with great hurt on innocent parties. The Oranges is an interesting, perhaps useful, mirror of suburban crises.
1. The title, the city in New Jersey, a state of mind, a way of life, people wanting to escape, to change?
2. The New Jersey locations, the suburbs, the street, homes, restaurants, hotels? The musical score? Songs?
3. The seasons and their look, the songs for the seasons, especially for Christmas? The Thanksgiving celebration?
4. A portrait of ordinary people, middle-class, middle-class Americans, the American dream, but difficulties and failures?
5. Vanessa and her narrating the story, her place in the family, her study, her room, her work, furniture and design, her plan for the future, her life within the family, love? Her comments on Nina’s return, memories of the past, jealousy, upset?
6. David, his age, work, relationship with Paige, the years of marriage, the children? David and his friendship with Terry, jogging, buying products, the children? Tensions at home with Paige, Nina’s arrival, the attraction, watching television, the sexual episode, the reactions on the next day? Driving, continuing the relationship? Paige as loving mother, everything in order, the house, conducting the choir, going shopping, her friendships? Terry and Carol, character and ignoring Terry? Their life, the visits, the phone call for Vanessa on her birthday, Nina and her listening, the relationship with Evan, the Breekup?
7. Nina and the party, 24 years old, being away from her parents, the dominant mother, engaged to Ewan, discovering him with the other women, returning home, clashes with her parents, the attraction to David, the affair, love?
8. Toby, his work, coming home, Nina’s mother and her plans for Toby, the party, his drinking, going to China?
9. Terry and Carol, the years together, Terry, his ability for inventions, Carol not listening, their concern about Nina, the arguments, the matchmaking with Toby? Carol and her following Nina, discovering the truth of the affair?
10. Truth, David, middle age crisis, lack of communication with Paige? His saying he was happy, accepting the consequences? Paige and her moving out, the hotel, the nests are being clown? Terry, quiet, his attempt to punch David, Carol upset?
11. Nina, living in, her job at the restaurant, David and Paige there, her being fired?
12. Evan, his arrival, arguments, David ousting him from the house, his picketing and sign? His discussions with Nina?
13. David, talking, H and her coming into the house? Vanessa and her anger, her bag, slapping Nina?
14. Christmas eve, Toby and his arrival, the truth, the gifts, the various speeches, Paige slapping Nina?
15. The situation as the catalyst for change? Paige, her discovery of the charity for Africa? Her upset with the choir, the singing in the street? Giving her life to the charity work? David continuing with his job? Vanessa and her apartment, David helping her? Nina and her travel?
16. Terry and David and their jogging again, best friends?
17. The film as a mirror of contemporary life?
