Film Comparison: In the Family by Patrick Wang and Chutney Popcorn by Nisha Ganatra - Essay Example

due Film Comparison; In the Family, by Patrick Wang and Chutney Popcorn by Nisha Ganatra Introduction Life is full of trauma and alleviations alternating frequently from time of birth to death. As matter of fact, frustrating events happen with certainty but in most cases catch the victims unaware. Noteworthy, the societies we live have set some norms which diversify the extent to which an ordeal strikes a victim. Both In the Family, by Patrick Wang and Chutney Popcorn by Nisha Ganatra focus on the values of life, its complications and how personal relations and cultural norms may unite a family in happiness or traumatize some individuals. The two movies address the emergence of a new generation that conflicts with the existing one but should mutually co-exist. Taking different perspectives the two movies act together to enlighten the community about queer families, interracial interactions and adoption. The two movies encompass on the freedom of family members in decision making as the key to family union. While chutney displays a broken family due to rigidity in understanding one another that later unites through appreciation of each ones decision, Wang elaborates how a peaceful relationship can be destroyed by lack of freedom of choice. In Chutney Popcorn, Reena, the main character, chooses to become a lesbian and lives happily with Lisa. This decision is opposed by all family members, with Reena’s mother really upset. Essentially, although Reena’s sister does not essentially oppose it, the fact that Reena’s discovery that she can do something that her sister cannon do; get pregnant, signifies that the whole family had treated Reena as inferior. In efforts to reunite her family, Reena makes a contradicting verdict of getting pregnant, which turns to be the family’s turnaround. Similarly, lack of freedom to decision making turns the relationships of characters in ‘in the family’ vague. At the onset, Joey frees chip to make his own decisions as an adult despite his tender age. Note that this could be the reason why the two live happily, with chip referring to Joey as a father. After the death of Coddy, Chip takes some alcohol presence of his father, who doesn’t question his action. Things take a different direction, when Chip’s aunt changes the norms by ordering that Joey wasn’t fit to rear Chip. The whole relationship between Joey and Coddy’s family is messed up and Joey mysteriously hunts to get his son back. Remarkably, the mover does not show how chip copped up with the new family, but the fact that he was deprived a chance to meet a person he loved, since his tender age, suggests that chips life wasn’t blissful. The two moves happen to be set in conservative communities where heterosexual marriages are awkwardly treated. This setting light up heterosexual relationship issues by placing them in total rejection zone. Reena is engaged to a girlfriend breaking the bond with her mother. Wang approaches this issue in a different manner. In addition to embracing on a gay relationship, he maintains complete rejection by the community. After Coddys death, things turnaround and the whole community displays their hate to, possibly due to his queer behavior. Note that, the fact that life isn’t as sweet as before for Joey, the homosexual and the heterosexuals, as they hunt each other, can be compared to Reena’s family situation before her mother started to positively view Reenas relationship. In a nutshell, the two movies signify that, as long as there are homosexuals in the society, the best solution isn’t to fight but let them live freely at their will. A family has always been defined as a group of individuals living together not necessarily connected by blood. It’s from this perspective where adoption, becomes a vital incident in the society (Steinberg, and Hall 21). At some point the two films encourage adoption, with Chutney using it as a link to unite family members while Wang’s story reflected the problems associated with it. Reena plans to rescue her sister by offering her a child, which Sarita and her husband are willing to adopt happily. However, the result of the plan creates a mixed feeling, possibly to recognize the fact that the community has not fully accommodated child adoption. To start with, the conservative mother thinks that her two daughters have taken a wrong decision of possibly sharing a husband. As far as the two sisters are concerned, the action isn’t offensive, and their worries are totally different. Both are concerned on their relationships, Reena feels she has betrayed her girlfriend while Sarita fears her husband could leave her for her sister. Therefore, although the adoption issue brings happiness, its repercussions group the society into two generations, as it is the case in Joey’s case. After coddy’s death, joey spends his entire life struggling to retrieve his mates child. Unlike in Reena’s case, where her partner does not object her child donation, Joey acts against his partners will. The fact that the will had not been updated for some time implies that, mit might not be coddy’s final decision to deprive Joey responsibility over their child. Another point to note is that, the two movies associate the adopting families with maturity. Sarita is older than Reena, and formally in a heterosexual marriage. Despite that, she is infertile, her maturity allows her to be a responsible mother, and that’s why she does not object her sister’s hand of support. There is a contradiction between Lisa’s reaction towards adoption and Joey’s reaction. While lisa, sees it inline to give away her partners child, Joey fights to get his partners son back. Note that, Joey has been married before and his age signifies some sense of maturity, hence his desire to take responsibility. To Lisa, possibly because of her age, the child’s existence might deter their relationship. Significantly, there is some sort of betrayal or unfaithfulness designated in both works. Reena plans to betray her girlfriend by getting pregnant with a man, in efforts to please her sister. This causes chaos between her and Lisa, but are later resolved after Lisa is aware of the Reena’s motive to act unfaithful. In a different manner, Coddy displays mistrust to his mate. By not including Joey in his will, or rather not updating it for the six years they had been together, as the supporter of Chip shows lack of complete trust to his partner. Therefore, there is some sort of incompleteness in both gay and lesbian relationships which need to be fulfilled to enhance happiness in the society (Steinberg, and Hall 171). Whereas it’s evident that, Reena’s unfaithfulness not only reunited her family but also strengthened her love affair, coddy’s act of mistrust brought hatred to the community. This contradicts what the society should expect on from homosexual relationship. However, as the society works on morals, classifying anything that maximizes its happiness as ethical, therefore, the two movies signify that motive awareness retards the effectiveness of homosexuals’ unfaithfulness. Reena’s unfaithfulness was driven by her desire to make her sister and mother happy, and thus Lisa took it positively from that perspective. Coddy’s action on the other hand isn’t defined as it’s discovered after death, neither his son nor Joey understands his motive and perhaps I the situation would have been different otherwise. It’s to the benevolent of many citizens to eliminate racism in United States. The film industry has placed itself to the fore front in this fight by incorporating interracial relationship. Wang and Ganatra were not exceptional. In addition, enlightening the audience on the existence and significance of homosexual relationship, they inculcated different races in the relationship. Reena, an Indian girl fell for a Caucasian while Joey had a Tennessee accent. Evidently, no one objected Reenas relationship on racial basis, and the fact that Lisa was happy being a co-surrogate mother for Reena’s sister, an Indian, clears racial differences. Wang on the other hand approaches racism in a totally different manner. Just as he is silent on other issues, such as gay marriage; notice that there is no point in the whole movie were gay marriage is mentioned, Wang does not also openly display racism. However, Joey’s accent reflects his association with the minority category and people treat him kindly, not because they love him but as they have no place for him. This unclear interpretation captures the audience attention on racial discrimination, putting the audience in the eyes of Joey, to figure out whether his treatment is racially motivated or not. In some point, when the law does not support Joey in the fight to obtain his son back, his friends gang up to support him. The friends act aligns the idea of reduced racial segregation as the key to success in times of trouble with that of Reena’s case. In a nutshell, it’s to the munificent of every person to live happily by following his or her decision. However, any individuals decision is affected its impact on others, but this does not diminish the need for a personal stand. Reena opts to be a lesbian, her mother objects but she still moves on. To please her she later decides to act a surrogate mother to aid her sister’s happiness, the whole society is at first against but at the time she realizes it, she is pregnant and everyone is happy. Joey on the other hand is frustrated by many ordeals, his wife dies, he remarries a man, who later dies and at the same time their only child is taken away. His firm decision to maintain a gay relationship, just like Rena did, is the cause of more traumas. However, he is not ready to give up searching for her son. Work cited Steinberg, Gail, and Beth Hall. Inside Transracial Adoption: Strength-based, Culture-Sensitizing Parenting Strategies for Inter-Country or Domestic Adoptive Families That Dont "match". , 2013. Print Read More