Movie: In the Land of Women
By: Thomas Hooks
I’ve recently discovered a trait common amongst many of my favorite movies, the quarter-life crisis. This crisis is said to occur soon after an individual leaves adolescence and enters the “real world” (not to be confused with the “Real World,” an MTV reality series that only reinforces my belief that houses without televisions make for very unhappy homes).
Why films such as “Garden State” and “Elizabethtown,” which both contain characters undergoing such a crisis, continually appeal to me is hard to say, but they do. I believe the concept, as a whole, appeals to me. I like the idea that an individual, so engulfed in his or her burdensome existence, can find solace in the least likely of places. I like that these characters not only emerge from their sadness, but in doing so, better themselves and rise to an emotional state that far exceeds their previous existence. Why the quarter-life crisis is now gaining so much more attention than its senior, the mid-life crisis, can be difficult to explain. Perhaps Rachel Bilson’s character in “The Last Kiss” puts it best: “The world is moving so fast now that we start freaking long before our parents did because we don’t ever stop to breathe anymore.”
“In the Land of Women” is the most recent film to be released into theaters that deals with the above-mentioned topic. Adam Brody plays Carter Webb, a Los Angeles resident aspiring for writing greatness, yet finding himself hindered by writer’s block and stuck in a dead-end career as a creator of soft-core film scripts. And let me not forget to mention he is recently single as, in the opening scene, his movie star girlfriend decides that she “needs more space,” breaking his heart into a million infinitesimal fragments. These circumstances lead him to believe that a vacation may be the cure for his ailing heart, so he packs his bag and relocates to Michigan to care for his weakening grandmother. Not soon after entering the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the suburbs, a family from across the street makes their way into his life.
Enter Meg Ryan as Sarah Hardwicke, a housewife with a near perfect life. That may have been a bit of an overstatement. Sarah’s husband is cheating on her, her relationship with her daughter is turbulent at best and she has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Essentially, the problem at the heart of this film is poor communication, and Carter is the catalyst that sparks the reaction, which will produce the solution needed to dissolve this communication breakdown (my entire knowledge of chemistry exhausted in that one sentence).
As Carter and Sarah become better acquainted through a series of early morning walks, an innocent romance develops between the two, one that is unlikely to be acted upon due to the age difference between them. Yet, they both find consolation in one another’s words as Carter is made to realize that he is lucky enough just to realize such an intense emotion as love. Sarah figures out that she is a most deserving recipient of such an emotion.
Also playing a key role in this film is Kristen Stewart as Lucy, Sarah’s oldest daughter. Lucy’s anger at her mom stems from her perception that her mother is weak because she refuses to confront her husband about his adulterous behavior. As the movie progresses, the viewer is also made aware of a childhood incident that has led her to a state of hesitance with regard to intimacy. With Carter’s help, she realizes that her mother is actually showing a greater strength by not allowing her family to disband and that her less-than-eager attitude toward intimacy stems from the inadequacies of the boy she is dating, not her own.
“In the Land of Women” is a crowd-pleasing film. At no point does the viewer feel any great stress, though some periods of awkwardness do present themselves. Adam Brody plays his role well and, through his interactions with other individuals cast in difficult decisions, his character finds that the world is not falling to pieces around him. Olympia Dukakis plays Carter’s grandmother, Phyllis, and she is hilarious in the role.
With a near perfect blend of humor and drama, “In the Land of Women” has earned its right to be ranked with my favorite quarter-life crisis films in existence.
Last update: 2007-05-09