Abusers must have someone to abuse....a victim! It wasn't about the money with her father, he was losing his punching bag. He could have easily arranged some sort of pre-nup agreement if he wanted to protect her money....gimmie a break!
@trw1501 He probably would have been "kind" as long as the money lasted. IMHO, it's a toss-up as to whether the "old" Catherine would have been happy with someone who ast least PRETENDED to love her.
And one site I went to stated that 10,000 then was equal to about 300,000 now! And that was every year! Wow.
@trw1501 I don't think she meant suicide. I think she meant she was closing a chapter on her life that she was never going to revisit. She would never be taken in again. She lost her naiveté. She was smiling as she walked up those stairs at the end. She was liberated. That's how I took it.
Though I disagree about Morris, the rest of your post is right on the money. Dr. Sloper was a horrible father. So Catherine wasn't that pretty or vivacious? So what? Aren't there much worse things she could be? Wasn't it enough that she was kind, loving, and never gave him a moment's worry?
@elizabetheowynbelle Not for him. He wanted Catherine to be her mother reborn. In his eyes, what good is kindness, loyalty, and caring as compared to beauty and vivaciousness?
notice the use of the staircase in the film, very subtlely opening the play up from its one-room setting. The film is based on a play derived from Henry James' short novel. See the credits for the writers....
"Father, tell him about me. You know me so well. It would not be immodest of you to....praise me a little." What a bittersweet thing to say. He's such an emotionally abusive dad, but he's protecting her from the fortune hunter.
@princessluceval Eh. He's protecting his money from the fortune hunter. Notice how he never actually finds any good words for Catherine? He vaguely talks about her "fine qualities" - but can't actually NAME them, save that she's rich! In his eyes, she can never live up to the perfect image he has of his late wife. Never mind that she is gentle, kind, generous, thoughtful... She doesn't dazzle like his wife did, so she's nothing.
I think her father was wrong for his lack of affection for Catherine, and his contribution to her shyness, but I think he was absolutely right to try to protect her from a fortune hunter who will probably cease to "love" her as soon as they are married.
this father is a complete dick to be so sure that no one could love catherine. he's all like- if the sister meets her, she'll understand that morris couldn't POSSIBLY love her... like what an asshole this father is.
@softcelltainted22 As much as he is a dick, he was totally right in keeping Morris away from his daughter. Morris wasn't good enough for her and the dad knew at first glance that this guy was a mooch.
@LexieCasteel no he was right that morris was a shit... but the whole thing is, in catherine's speech where she says "if i am to buy a husband i would prefer buying morris" she explains that he might have at least cared about her enough to pretend he was really in love with her, which she would not have minded so much. so maybe keeping him away from her is not the best thing just by virtue of it not being what catherine wanted for herself. you get me?
@softcelltainted22 I understand, and yet with her becoming stronger after confronting her father and Morris leaving, she knew her true worth. Catherine was too good to be in love with someone who pretended to love her. It is apparent of this in the end. My point is that if her father had shown her love in the beginning, then she would not be wheedled by men like Morris because she would respect herself too much and not be wanting of love so much that she forgot her worth.
@LexieCasteel Like, it is likely that she would recognize that Morris's affections were fake on her own instead of the cruel way her dad made her realize it.
i hate that these two women would rather have her be married to a cad that doesn't love cathy rather then not have her marry at all."he could make her very happy" "she's in love" they say, but she deserves to be loved in return and loved for the right reasons. I'm with the dad on this one...even though he does contribute to her shyness
@luname82 Well, back in the "good old days", marriage and motherhood were considered the ONLY path for a woman of middle and upper class to take. In their eyes, the aunts were trying to do her a favor. (I think Cathy wanted to be a mother - she was very loving and caring.) And I think Elizabeth's thoughts were that Cathy might as well marry Morris because - could it be any worse than living with a father who beat her down? Her father didn't care if she was loved or not.
Can't blame the father for thinking he is after her money!
MSPIGGY78 2 weeks ago
In the book Catherine's father goes to Mrs. Montgemory's house.
RachelG1979 1 month ago
@RachelG1979 ....but for the puposes of the stage/film sets, it's easier and cheaper
if she visits W Squ.
n0iwont 4 weeks ago 2
Abusers must have someone to abuse....a victim! It wasn't about the money with her father, he was losing his punching bag. He could have easily arranged some sort of pre-nup agreement if he wanted to protect her money....gimmie a break!
queenat808 1 month ago
@trw1501 He probably would have been "kind" as long as the money lasted. IMHO, it's a toss-up as to whether the "old" Catherine would have been happy with someone who ast least PRETENDED to love her.
And one site I went to stated that 10,000 then was equal to about 300,000 now! And that was every year! Wow.
happybkwrm 4 months ago
@trw1501 I don't think she meant suicide. I think she meant she was closing a chapter on her life that she was never going to revisit. She would never be taken in again. She lost her naiveté. She was smiling as she walked up those stairs at the end. She was liberated. That's how I took it.
ohsnapitsme59 5 months ago in playlist More videos from PearAMount
@trw1501
Though I disagree about Morris, the rest of your post is right on the money. Dr. Sloper was a horrible father. So Catherine wasn't that pretty or vivacious? So what? Aren't there much worse things she could be? Wasn't it enough that she was kind, loving, and never gave him a moment's worry?
elizabetheowynbelle 6 months ago 2
@elizabetheowynbelle Not for him. He wanted Catherine to be her mother reborn. In his eyes, what good is kindness, loyalty, and caring as compared to beauty and vivaciousness?
happybkwrm 4 months ago
notice the use of the staircase in the film, very subtlely opening the play up from its one-room setting. The film is based on a play derived from Henry James' short novel. See the credits for the writers....
The1234fivesix 8 months ago
are you people crazy, thinking the father was cruel in pointing out the cad's true intentions????
youre all dreaming... WAKE UP
NOELLE01j 8 months ago
"Father, tell him about me. You know me so well. It would not be immodest of you to....praise me a little." What a bittersweet thing to say. He's such an emotionally abusive dad, but he's protecting her from the fortune hunter.
princessluceval 1 year ago
@princessluceval Eh. He's protecting his money from the fortune hunter. Notice how he never actually finds any good words for Catherine? He vaguely talks about her "fine qualities" - but can't actually NAME them, save that she's rich! In his eyes, she can never live up to the perfect image he has of his late wife. Never mind that she is gentle, kind, generous, thoughtful... She doesn't dazzle like his wife did, so she's nothing.
happybkwrm 4 months ago
"You will kill her if you deny her this marriage."
"You forget, I'm a doctor; people don't die of such things."
This film has the best dialog ever, clipped yet meaningful. Harsh yet wise.
godzillaqueen 1 year ago
@godzillaqueen Ten months later I must agree with all you said.
boomerang905 7 months ago
I think her father was wrong for his lack of affection for Catherine, and his contribution to her shyness, but I think he was absolutely right to try to protect her from a fortune hunter who will probably cease to "love" her as soon as they are married.
rand0midentity 1 year ago
this father is a complete dick to be so sure that no one could love catherine. he's all like- if the sister meets her, she'll understand that morris couldn't POSSIBLY love her... like what an asshole this father is.
softcelltainted22 1 year ago 2
@softcelltainted22 As much as he is a dick, he was totally right in keeping Morris away from his daughter. Morris wasn't good enough for her and the dad knew at first glance that this guy was a mooch.
LexieCasteel 1 year ago
@LexieCasteel no he was right that morris was a shit... but the whole thing is, in catherine's speech where she says "if i am to buy a husband i would prefer buying morris" she explains that he might have at least cared about her enough to pretend he was really in love with her, which she would not have minded so much. so maybe keeping him away from her is not the best thing just by virtue of it not being what catherine wanted for herself. you get me?
softcelltainted22 1 year ago
@softcelltainted22 I understand, and yet with her becoming stronger after confronting her father and Morris leaving, she knew her true worth. Catherine was too good to be in love with someone who pretended to love her. It is apparent of this in the end. My point is that if her father had shown her love in the beginning, then she would not be wheedled by men like Morris because she would respect herself too much and not be wanting of love so much that she forgot her worth.
LexieCasteel 1 year ago 2
@LexieCasteel Like, it is likely that she would recognize that Morris's affections were fake on her own instead of the cruel way her dad made her realize it.
LexieCasteel 1 year ago
@LexieCasteel we are in total agreement
softcelltainted22 1 year ago
i hate that these two women would rather have her be married to a cad that doesn't love cathy rather then not have her marry at all."he could make her very happy" "she's in love" they say, but she deserves to be loved in return and loved for the right reasons. I'm with the dad on this one...even though he does contribute to her shyness
luname82 1 year ago
@luname82 Well, back in the "good old days", marriage and motherhood were considered the ONLY path for a woman of middle and upper class to take. In their eyes, the aunts were trying to do her a favor. (I think Cathy wanted to be a mother - she was very loving and caring.) And I think Elizabeth's thoughts were that Cathy might as well marry Morris because - could it be any worse than living with a father who beat her down? Her father didn't care if she was loved or not.
happybkwrm 4 months ago
oh she breaks my heart
Weenybean 1 year ago