September 14, 2009 10:51 AM
Parenthood, the movie: roller coaster, Down syndrome
I must confess, I don't do rollercoasters. and the three times I've been on Ferris wheels, I've screamed until they stopped to let me off. But this viral video says something to me about life:
It reminds me of this sequence of clips from Parenthood, which every parent will relate to. To set the stage, when Karen, a mom who loves being a mom, tells husband Gill that they are expecting a fourth baby, Gill - whose job is on the line because he can't compete with childless coworkers and who has a lot of anxiety about being a dad anyway - reacts badly with subtle pressure for Karen to abort the baby. He also expresses fear that they will have a baby with Down syndrome.
At this point in the movie, Karen has made it clear she will have the baby and Gill is still struggling with ambivalence and fear. The part I want you to see begins at 4:13 in the following clip:
Can you hear the roller coaster in the background? The metaphor plays out beautifully in the next clip:
And at 5:25 you will find the most beautiful film understatement I have ever seen. Probably most people never noticed that Karen and Gill's baby has Down syndrome. But now that we have the blessing of YouTube, we can stop and linger on those sweet almond-shaped eyes. And that explains Karen (Mary Steenbergen's tears) and provides that happy ending that Gill has embraced the rollercoaster of parenthood.
Parenthood is a must-see for moms and dads at any stage of parenting. I saw it for the first time 20 years ago, but now with all I've learned in the past two decades it resonates even more. It's not a portrait of a perfect family, but a family filled with messiness and mistakes. You might want to preview it so you will know where to fast forward if you watch it with your kids.
Available at Amazon
and Netflix (from 4.99/month - see my right sidebar).
Posted in Down syndrome, Inspiration, Mothering, Movies | Permalink
Comments
I love the movie "Parenthood" and have watched it many times, but never noticed before that the baby might have had Down syndrome. Thanks for sharing that insight!
Posted by: Donica | September 14, 2009 11:45 AM
Wow! I have always loved this movie and it does mean so much more now that I am a mom. I never noticed that about their beautiful baby girl. I am going to watch it again tonight. That grandmother is a genius with her roller coaster story!
Posted by: michelle c | September 14, 2009 8:55 PM
I love this movie, truly love it. I love how it is messy and imperfect, just like real life. And you're right, it does appear that the baby has Down Syndrome, I hadn't noticed before. But it does explain Karen's tears... and now the movie means even MORE to me. :) so beautiful.
Kristy in Germany
Posted by: Kristy in Germany | September 16, 2009 7:42 AM
