American Life through Films

Paper Summary:

This paper summarizes and analyzes four movies, "Kramer vs Kramer," "Ordinary People," "American Beauty," and "In the Bedroom," and explains how these movies explore hidden issues and concerns of the American family that are relevant to the decade in which they were made.

From the Paper:

"By the 1970's divorce was well under way to becoming a normal part of life for the American family, however, what was not apparent was how custodial rights were being battled out in the court system. In 1979 director Robert Benton provided a glimpse into this issue in "Kramer vs Kramer". Ted and Joanna Kramer are married with a young son, Billy. Ted is so busy struggling up the ladder in his career that he never noticed that his wife was unhappy until one day he comes home from work one day and finds Joanna with her bags packed announcing that she is leaving. Not only is she leaving to find herself, the person she was before she married, but she is leaving Billy behind. Through this entire scene Ted does not really hear what exactly she is saying and therefore of course does not take any of her words seriously."

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