Page 2 April 23, 2020
Entertainment
Endings, Beginnings, An Observation
of Complicated Love(s)
By Morgan Rojas for Cinemacy.com
“Everything might not be ok, but that’s
ok. You’re exactly where you need to be.”
It’s a sentiment that’s exceptionally fitting
right now, and a beautiful takeaway from
Endings, Beginnings, the latest feature from
director Drake Doremus. In these times of
self-isolation and social distancing, I’m
finding his films to be more therapeutic
than ever. Although we may be watching
from within our homes on VOD, we will
still be connected through its message that:
We’re allowed to give ourselves the room
for personal exploration without judgment,
and the vulnerability to admit our universal
human desire: to love and be loved.
Daphne (Shailene Woodley) is fresh off
a breakup with her long-term boyfriend
(Matthew Gray Gubler) and currently calling
her sister’s Los Angeles pool house home.
After four years of struggling to find contentment
in her relationship –”Searching
for a yes, and never finding it” – the only
commitment she is looking forward to having
is the one with herself. Daphne romanticizes
her future; full of travel plans, bold
expressions, and wild adventures. But
her intentions are tested when she meets
Jack (Jamie Dornan) and Frank (Sebastian
Stan), two men who light up Daphne in
very different ways, and who also happen
to be best friends. This unexpected and
complicated love triangle forces Daphne to
re-examine past traumas and dependencies
and re-prioritize the future she had envisioned
for herself.
Scrolling Instagram during personal moments
of self-inflicted sappiness, I recently
came across a saying that’s stuck with me,
“The timing isn’t wrong, the person is.” In
this case, Daphne finds compatibility and is
attracted to two men, one providing passion
and one stability. This sexual vs intellectual
chemistry provokes an emotional crisis that
Shailene Woodley portrays with incredible
honesty. Her performance is raw, selfish, and,
admittedly, relatable. Co-stars Jamie Dornan
and Sebastian Stan meet her level of artistry,
creating scenes that cut right to the heart.
Endings, Beginnings is made up of an
abundance of subtext and that is partly fueled
by the film’s soundtrack and Frank’s “Music
To Suffer To” Spotify playlist. Moody tracks
from Beach House, Hayden Thorpe, Lawrence
Rothman, and more act as musical poetry that
embellishes every scene. Additional subtext
and emotional catharsis swirl throughout the
film and let the audience fill in the blanks
with occurrences from their own lives. Bluetoned
cinematography by Marianne Bakke
and imaginative editing by Garret Price also
gives the film its dream-like quality.
Triangles have sharp edges, and when it
comes to love, someone’s bound to get hurt.
Endings, Beginnings, now streaming, is a
reminder that even with earnest intentions,
life doesn’t always go according to plan.
The sooner we are able to accept this reality
with love and grace, the happier and more
fulfilled our crazy, chaotic, and beautiful
lives will be. •
Endings, Beginnings, Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn
Morgan Rojas
Film Review
Your Neighborhood Therapist
Dear Neighborhood Therapist,
I am one of the lucky ones who still has
a job. My company cut salaries across the
board, mine included, and even though
I’m home and able to work from home I
am now working harder than ever, twelve
hours a day, six or seven days a week, and
I’m exhausted physically and mentally. Even
though I have no commute, I feel like I see
my family less than before. My job pays
most of the bills, so my husband cares for
our young child, and I feel like an inadequate
mother. On top of this I feel guilty for even
thinking this way, knowing how many people
are hurting right now. Is there some way to
reduce this anxiety?
– “Lucky” Me
Dear Lucky Me,
You have lamented that you don’t get to
spend time with your family, so I’m guessing
that family togetherness is something
that you value. You have noted that your
job pays most of the bills, so I’m guessing
that being a provider is something that you
value. You have noted your interest in being
an adequate mother, and while we know that
society unfairly critiques mothers’ parenting
much more than that of fathers, I suspect you
value having a close and loving relationship
with your child. You mentioned you feel
guilty that you are employed while others
are not, so I would bet that you care about
your neighbors and your community.
If I’m right - if you are a family- and
community-oriented, loving person with a
sense of responsibility - then a lot of things
that you value are being tested right now. To
make it worse, there is an entire movement
dedicated to “leaning in” that insists that
working mothers can “have it all” if they get
with some imaginary program that includes
having time and money and energy and a
worthy partner. Any one of those stressors
is enough to invite Anxiety to charge in
like a schoolyard bully. Together, the problems
can seem to invite a whole gang of
Anxiety Bullies.
Are you planning to suddenly turn into a
bully yourself? Will you cause so much trouble
that you’ll scare the Anxiety Bullies away?
Will you stop caring and lose interest in the
well-being of your family and community?
No, no, and no? No bully likes being called
out, and the Anxiety Bullies are no exception.
Take them on one by one. Give them each
a hard stare and tell them that you know
exactly why they are here, how long they
can stay, and what will make them leave.
Remind them they’re not strong enough to
get your lunch money. You may find they
are more bark than bite.
If you need help, or have the ability to help
others, please reach out and I will coordinate.
If you or someone you know needs to talk
to someone, please reach out and I will take
as many people as I can during this crisis,
regardless of ability to pay.
Please write to tom@tomandrecounseling.
com or text to 310.776.5299 with questions
about handling what is affecting your life,
your family, the community or the world. Tom
Andre is an Associate Marriage & Family
Therapist (AMFT96089) supervised by Chris
Thomas (MFT78020). The information in
this column is for educational purposes only
and nothing herein should be construed as
professional advice or the formation of a
therapeutic relationship. •
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