Original_To:  BITNET%"cinema-l@auvm"
Original_cc:  MIRANDA
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cinema-l
Date:         Wed, 19 Aug 1992 21:08:00 EST
From:         Aramis Miranda <MIRANDA@FORDMULC.BITNET>
Subject:      The Prince of Tides

Hi all,
  I've been reading all the bad reviews you guys have given the Prince of Tides
and am really surprised so many did not like it.
  from all the posts I gathered that what bothered you most was that the
psychotherapy was not handled professionally or accurately. Well, in case none
of you have noticed, the movie was not about psychotherapy and neither was the
book(which I just finished reading).  The story of the Prince of Tides both
movie and book was about Tom Wingo telling the story of the awful childhood he,
his brother and his sister had which was the cause of them turning out to be
so unstable human beings. The fact that he was telling it to a shrink does not
alter the fact that treatment and psychotherapeutic methods were not
importantor the focus of this particular story.
   Unlike the book, the film focused on the development of the romantic
relationship between Lowenstein and Tom, which is fine with me because the most
important parts of Tom's story made it to the picture. The picture is very
faithful to the book. And in neither one was psychotherapy or its treatment of
it of any concern.  I know a lot of you think all the psychological flap-trap
should have been there but IMO it was not necessary and if it had been there it
would have ruined this beautiful, tragic but yet very romantic story.






      {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
   BUT YOU CAN CHECK THE END OF THE MESSAGE, THERE ARE NO SPOILERS THERE.





   Another thing, Savannah did not make a moraculous recovery.  She simply woke
up from the catatonic state in which she was, ready and able to star dealing
with her problems. Most of her sickness came from not being able to remember
all the events that Tom told Lowenstein, when those events were told to her a
huge gap in her memory was breached and she was halfway toward full recovery.
So, there was nothing unrealistic about any of this.  All the years of pain did
not simply melt away as someone else put it.  They were simply willing and able
to START working it out.  Like Tom told Lila "You've gotta give me time, you've
done a lot to piss me off".
    Another mistake someone made on the list was that Lowenstein visited her
client's party.  She didn't, she went to Eddie's party who was Savannah's
neighbor and her own friend. So, there was no reason for anyone to say she was
getting involved with her client.  Which would also have been a mistake,
because Tom ws not her client in any way shape or form.
    However, there had to be a way for them to get closer because the theme
that binds this whole business together is the fact that they fall in love.
That is the gist of the whole thing.


         {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{END OF SPOILERS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

   The Prince of Tides is essentially the story of how Tom Wingo discovers the
errors of his ways by learning about love again from the women in his life.
Meaning his mother Lila, Lowenstein, his daughters and his wife.  And because
he learns about love again because of his affair with Lowenstein, he is able to
go back to his wife and family, and begin the process of patching up his
relationship with his mother and father as well as finally deal with the death
of his brother Luke.  But all of this occurs because of the romance and love he
has found through his relationship with Lowenstein.

  In sum , I think many of you are far too concerned with the reality of the
therapy sessions rather than with what the novel and the movie are really
about, which is romance love, tragedy and pain.  And certainly not
psychotherapy or any of that other crap.

Aramis
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