@Markoff said: .... and now that I think about it the black daughter was pretty disgusting racist, but since it was towards the whites it's ok I guess nowadays

We watched it tonight and I was pretty disappointed by that aspect. I was reading that this was adapted from a book in which it's a black couple, rather that father / daughter, so it appears it was specifically changed just to put this in.

I thought the scene when she tells her father that she thought the other guy wanted to "f-ck" her (actual language used in the film!) totally lost the plot.

I was raising my eyebrow, Roger Moore-style, when it became clear that they were angling Julia Roberts character as being racist but it's a shame they couldn't leave it hanging subtly as something we, the viewers, could ponder as to whether any mother would have had the defensive mechanism at play when strangers, irrespective of their race, wanted to come into "their" house.

At least that would have been interesting and quite refreshing these days, as we could have a presentation of whether it was actually the black daughter's prejudices at play. But no... It had to be fully spelled out to us.

This article also includes an interview with the writer of the book, Rumaan Alam.

https://variety.com/2023/film/news/leave-the-world-behind-ending-explained-1235829444/

@Midi-chlorian_Count said:

I thought the scene when she tells her father that she thought the other guy wanted to "f-ck" her (actual language used in the film!) totally lost the plot.

Why do you say that? I thought it just showed she was no better than Julia Roberts's character for judging.

I was raising my eyebrow, Roger Moore-style, when it became clear that they were angling Julia Roberts character as being racist but it's a shame they couldn't leave it hanging subtly as something we, the viewers, could ponder as to whether any mother would have had the defensive mechanism at play when strangers, irrespective of their race, wanted to come into "their" house.

I thought they did a good of it being ambiguous if race played a part or not. It wasnt overtly clear it was because they were black because ultimately anyone turning up that late, regardless of race, would've been suspicious. And I actually sided with her scepticism and forward questions because in reality I doubt people would be so open and friendly like the husband.

The one thing that did bug me though was how she suddenly turned all warm and fuzzy to the point of wanting to have an affair.

@cpheonix said:

The one thing that did bug me though was how she suddenly turned all warm and fuzzy to the point of wanting to have an affair.

never underestimate power of alcohol

@Markoff said:

@cpheonix said:

The one thing that did bug me though was how she suddenly turned all warm and fuzzy to the point of wanting to have an affair.

never underestimate power of alcohol

Haha true dat.

@cpheonix said:

@Midi-chlorian_Count said:

I thought the scene when she tells her father that she thought the other guy wanted to "f-ck" her (actual language used in the film!) totally lost the plot.

Why do you say that? I thought it just showed she was no better than Julia Roberts's character for judging.

It was more the language used - couldn't believe a child would be having a conversation with her daddy along those lines. Seemed slightly disconnected from realism and more a means of exposition for pushing a racial angle, which I didn't think the film needed to overtly show.

I was raising my eyebrow, Roger Moore-style, when it became clear that they were angling Julia Roberts character as being racist but it's a shame they couldn't leave it hanging subtly as something we, the viewers, could ponder as to whether any mother would have had the defensive mechanism at play when strangers, irrespective of their race, wanted to come into "their" house.

I thought they did a good of it being ambiguous if race played a part or not. It wasnt overtly clear it was because they were black because ultimately anyone turning up that late, regardless of race, would've been suspicious. And I actually sided with her scepticism and forward questions because in reality I doubt people would be so open and friendly like the husband.

Yeah, for sure. That's why I was saying I thought it would have been better just leaving that as a subtle thing. Which would have had us, the viewers, question ourselves as to whether we were perceiving racism from her character, which may not have been the case. As you said, anyone should really be suspicious / upset by anyone turning up like that. Race shouldn't be part of that. However, I'm pretty sure she apologised to him later for her "prejudice" - during that bizarre dating scene!

The one thing that did bug me though was how she suddenly turned all warm and fuzzy to the point of wanting to have an affair.

Yeah, that's the bizarre scene I was meaning. They'd just heard that weird noise, all the crazy stuff with communications being down, etc, yet she's left alone in this house with the guy - her kids conveniently happily sitting on their own, her husband out (without her seemingly wondering where?!!) with the daughter, to have a date night - drinking wine, going through records, dancing together and almost getting it on without one other person interacting with them over the entire period!

@Midi-chlorian_Count said:

@cpheonix said:

@Midi-chlorian_Count said:

I thought the scene when she tells her father that she thought the other guy wanted to "f-ck" her (actual language used in the film!) totally lost the plot.

Why do you say that? I thought it just showed she was no better than Julia Roberts's character for judging.

It was more the language used - couldn't believe a child would be having a conversation with her daddy along those lines. Seemed slightly disconnected from realism and more a means of exposition for pushing a racial angle, which I didn't think the film needed to overtly show.

She was just your stereotypical brainwashed woke kid who see racism, sexism and whatever -isms everywhere parroting what they uploaded into her with new NPC firmware update, it was clear her grown up father was not as dumb as her and dind't hold such radical childish black&white views, though I'm not sure what was supposed to be her age, if she was still teenager or early 20s, but she seemed extremely dumb for early 20s, maybe if she was 17-19 I would be more understanding, though the actress who played her is 27.

@Midi-chlorian_Count said:

It was more the language used - couldn't believe a child would be having a conversation with her daddy along those lines. Seemed slightly disconnected from realism and more a means of exposition for pushing a racial angle, which I didn't think the film needed to overtly show.

I get what you're saying, but I think that's just how young people talk and she clearly felt comfortable in talking frankly to her dad. Also I would find it unrealistic if there WASN'T a racial angle. Its an unknown, scary situation and there's a black and white family with friction...you have to put that angle in. I didn't like the daughter's tone and what she said to her dad, but I feel that it was quite true to how family/close friends would talk to each other behind closed doors. There was a line where she said not trusting people, "especially white people, even mom would agree with that". I'm not sure how I feel about that line but I did think it was natural and realistic.

Yeah, for sure. That's why I was saying I thought it would have been better just leaving that as a subtle thing. Which would have had us, the viewers, question ourselves as to whether we were perceiving racism from her character, which may not have been the case. As you said, anyone should really be suspicious / upset by anyone turning up like that. Race shouldn't be part of that. However, I'm pretty sure she apologised to him later for her "prejudice" - during that bizarre dating scene!

My take was she apologised for being prejudiced not because he was black but by her general pessimism/negativity. Like she said to her husband how she doesn't understand how trusting he could be, then in the shed she was told why is she always angry etc, which she didn't disagree with. She was an uptight character. Also the family were from NYC; maybe it would've been less subtle if the family came from the suburbs or something like that (not saying inner-city white families can't be racist/have racial prejudice).

Yeah, that's the bizarre scene I was meaning. They'd just heard that weird noise, all the crazy stuff with communications being down, etc, yet she's left alone in this house with the guy - her kids conveniently happily sitting on their own, her husband out (without her seemingly wondering where?!!) with the daughter, to have a date night - drinking wine, going through records, dancing together and almost getting it on without one other person interacting with them over the entire period!

Ha, yeah now that was unrealistic. It would have been better if they were altogether and you could feel the tension or energy between certain pairings.

I was raising my eyebrow, Roger Moore-style, when it became clear that they were angling Julia Roberts character as being racist but it's a shame they couldn't leave it hanging subtly as something we, the viewers, could ponder as to whether any mother would have had the defensive mechanism at play when strangers, irrespective of their race, wanted to come into "their" house.

At least that would have been interesting and quite refreshing these days, as we could have a presentation of whether it was actually the black daughter's prejudices at play. But no... It had to be fully spelled out to us.

Ponder vs pander…I like it!

I agree that the film makers were doing two things at once: spelling everything out while also pulling their punches and making all the back and forth milk-toast and safe. This denies the characters any real powerful redemptive arc. It’s painfully obvious that Julia Robert’s character has to apologies “for everything” and yet really never specifically says what she is apologizing for.

There’s also the trope of a hapless white community college professor who is a “useless man”…who then ended up negotiating the peace between a super intelligent and capable black man and a kinda dumb but capable red-neck prepper.

I will say tho, the final scene of the girl watching the final episode of Friends was hilarious…and added some narrative and philosophical depth. It seemed to me the whole film was a bizarre vehicle to get to that final scene.

@Markoff said:

She was just your stereotypical brainwashed woke kid who see racism, sexism and whatever -isms everywhere parroting what they uploaded into her with new NPC firmware update

Complete with nose ring, covered in tattoos, and smug arrogant attitude. And given someone mentioned the black couple were married in the book, this makes sense; Hollywood, for all its posturing for being progressive, hates showing black couples. It's either interracial or an absent parent.