Don’t Be So Quick to Give Up on This Movie Marriage

In Mimi Avins’ commentary “Marriage in Movies: Untold Story” (Oct. 30), she states: “In fact, ‘The Story of Us’ is a divorce movie, but one that lacks the courage to let its sorry twosome uncouple. It convincingly shows a man and a woman who are so miserable together that even their children would probably endorse a split.”

This is a misinformed perspective. First, it suggests that it is more courageous to dissolve a relationship than to do the hard work of keeping a marriage intact. In my opinion, this couple demonstrated greater courage by sticking it out than by parting.

Second, an overwhelming amount of social science research indicates that marital stability benefits the children with only a few exceptions (e.g., domestic violence).

And third, I didn’t see any indications that the children in this movie would “endorse” a breakup. Quite the contrary. For example, in one powerful scene, the daughter--sensing her parents’ distance--puts their hands together, a clear sign of what she (and many other children in her situation) hopes will occur.

I suggest Avins do the courageous thing and investigate what we’ve discovered about the advantages of working through conflicts in marriage before simply encouraging others in similar situations to divorce. I’d be happy to suggest some resources.

DENNIS LOWE

Director, Center for the Family

Pepperdine University

*

Avins’ article was facile at best and unenlightening at its worst.

She is entitled to her opinion, but equating “Two for the Road” with “The Story of Us”? I don’t think so. Though both are star-driven, all similarities should end there. While I agree that “Story” is indeed “cruelly defeated by its structure,” Frederic Raphael’s intricate, time-bending screenplay, by comparison, remains a marvel of construction and originality, and Rob “Champion of the Prosaic” Reiner’s direction pales by comparison to the style and sophistication of Stanley Donen.

Avins, who deduces that “a happy marriage equals no conflict equals boring,” is either trying to bend Hollywood film history to neatly fit the confines of her thesis, or perhaps she’s never had the pleasure of seeing movies like “The Thin Man” and “Adam’s Rib.” Suffice to say, the “stagnant bliss” of Powell-Loy or Tracy-Hepburn shows more “narrative energy” than the entire Nora Ephron canon of characters could ever hope to muster.

JON SCHWARTZ

Santa Monica

*

Avins’ article was the most thoughtful review I’ve ever read. My husband and I couldn’t put our finger on it, but we exited from “The Story of Us” with one thought: They shoot horses, don’t they? Avins really got to the heart of the problem.

SALLY PELMEAR

Mission Viejo