Pale Blue Dot

Men, Women, and Children

Is the Internet good or bad? I think that it is wonderful due to the tools I can get to do what I love, which is writing about movies and projecting it to all you wonderful readers. However, there are some people that believe that this information tool is one of the major things that are destroying families across the world. These same people believe that the explicit content on the Internet and social media is the main ingredient in said destruction. I’m not sure about all of that, but in Paramount Pictures 2014 release, Men, Women, and Children, the film gives a glimpse into a small Texas town and how social media and the Internet is affecting them.

Alright everyone, I have tried to figure out a way to sum up what this film is about and I can’t really do it without giving most of the plot away. So I am going to just let you know that the film follows a variety of people through a period in time of their lives. The film accents how social media and the internet are causing normal American families to become disconnected and how these outlets are what is wrong with our society. Though I don’t totally disagree with this ideology, I did find that the message was hammered a little too hard. I mean the movie goes to hint that once a happily married couple got cell phones for the first time fourteen years ago, their marriage started to go downhill. I do think that sometimes we has a society need to ‘unplug’ for a bit, however I think it is a stretch to say that the internet is destroying marriages.

With all of that said I actually did like the movie as a whole. Even though most other critics have gone to say that the message is a tired and clichéd one, I agree but I also think that it is just as important as when this message was first presented. There are certain parts of the film that I think could have been cut or altered, but the film is still very well acted and well directed.

Due to the ensemble cast, it was difficult to single out any of the potent performances in this film. I have always liked Adam Sandler’s (Pixels) dramatic roles and though he isn’t on screen for very long he still stands out. I don’t think he gets enough credit for roles like this. I also thought that the young loves of the film were memorable as well.   Kaitlyn Dever (Bad Teacher) and Ansel Elgort (Fault in Our Stars) play the misunderstood outcasts quite well, especially Elgort. Jennifer Garner (Danny Collins) is underrated in this film too as the overly protective mother of Dever’s character. Garner’s paranoia is almost scary at times. Of course through all of that, I come to the one actor that I thought stood out the most, Dean Norris (Breaking Bad). Not a big named actor and is mostly known for his tough, cop-like roles, however here Norris is a broken man that is clinging on to the only thing he feels he has left which is his son (Ansel Elgort). Norris so beautifully projects his character’s pain through pitches of voice and slight facial expressions.

Director Jason Reitman tackles another serious matter involving normal families. With Juno, Reitman gave light (and a little humor) to teen pregnancy and how adoption is a great alternative. With Men, Women, and Children, Reitman stays more on the serious side. I thought that Reitman stayed a little too much on the serious side and could have made this film as notable as Juno if he would have lightened the tone just a tad. However, Reitman is still terrific at capturing the emotions within people and bringing those emotions out on screen.

I guess what this all boils down to is that Men, Women, and Children is going to have some sort effect on its audience, if it be good or bad. I will admit that I liked the movie, but like I mentioned, I think some of the characters/subplot lines could have been left out and focused more and a select characters. This film isn’t has remarkable as Reitman’s earlier work, but it is still one that I suggest for you to see. Not for the acting or the director, but for the message that the film contains.

The Verdict: Worth Your Time.