Post by Moriji on Aug 21, 2003 4:03:45 GMT -8
Has anyone seen "Pay It Forward?" This is a good example of how reverse parenting is often glorified in cinema.
In the movie, the poor child had to take care of his irresponsible mother. She would be working in the casinos late into the night and come home drunk, so in the morning, the child had to get ready for school all on his own.
As the story progresses, the child takes on the role of matchmaker and hooks up his teacher with his mother, who has all sorts of issues of his own. Once again, the child is caught up in the drama that takes place in adult lives. In fact, it is actually the child who takes on the role of adult.
If this were to take place in real life--and if he had lived--the child would undoubtedly have grown up to be a dysfunctional adult. Not allowed to act his age and exposed to problems he is not ready to cope with emotionally, he would most likely have serious problems in relationships as an adult.
My guess is that a lot of people who watch this film probably think it is great being such a super-child. It is too bad that many are unaware of the disastrous effects of having been robbed of a healthy childhood.
In the movie, the poor child had to take care of his irresponsible mother. She would be working in the casinos late into the night and come home drunk, so in the morning, the child had to get ready for school all on his own.
As the story progresses, the child takes on the role of matchmaker and hooks up his teacher with his mother, who has all sorts of issues of his own. Once again, the child is caught up in the drama that takes place in adult lives. In fact, it is actually the child who takes on the role of adult.
If this were to take place in real life--and if he had lived--the child would undoubtedly have grown up to be a dysfunctional adult. Not allowed to act his age and exposed to problems he is not ready to cope with emotionally, he would most likely have serious problems in relationships as an adult.
My guess is that a lot of people who watch this film probably think it is great being such a super-child. It is too bad that many are unaware of the disastrous effects of having been robbed of a healthy childhood.