Stuck in Love

I had my babysitter tonight, the first night in over a month.  It was a much anticipated and needed night out.  So what's a girl to do with a free night off?  Go out with girlfriends?  Noooo, no one was available.  Go on a date?  Nooo, no prospects just yet.  A single gal all on her own goes to a wine bar, sits next to a cute guy whose date arrives only minutes later, and gets a sangria on this blazing hot summer night.  Then she goes to a movie to keep cool and sees... Stuck in Love. 

There's an indie cinema in the city that I love.  It's right off of my subway line, it's in a cool spot, and it plays some really great films that I never would have heard about otherwise.  So when I checked out the listings for my "big" night out, "Stuck in Love" is what stuck with me. 

The movie opened with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes' song "Home" and I was hooked.  I thought I was going to see a film about moving on after being stuck.  But it was not that.  It was quite the opposite.  There were many story lines within the plot, but the main story was that of Greg Kinnear's character.  He had been divorced for three years following his wife's infidelity and he was stuck, stuck in love with her.  His wife, Jennifer Connelly, played a secondary role and because of that her character never truly develops so it leaves the space open to wonder why he is so stuck on her, especially since there was no back story on their love or relationship... or so I thought.  It wasn't until close to the end that it's revealed that he cheated on her in the very beginning of their marriage.  She waited six months for him to find his way back to her and she took him back.  When she did, she asks him, that if she ever is a stupid as he was, to wait for her to find her way back.  And he does.  Even when she tells him not to, that he is released from the promise (mentioned earlier in the movie, I thought it was their wedding vows), he still does.  He believes down to the very core that she will come back.  Does she!?!  I won't tell.  ;)

There is so much judgement placed on couples as a couple and as individuals when infidelity occurs.  Everyone has an opinion on what what each one should do and who is the victim and who is to blame and names are thrown all over the place.  It doesn't matter what actions they end up taking, there is criticism lurking at each and every angle.  I do not condone infidelity, but I do believe that there is worse that one can do to another in a marriage.  In this case, everyone told this man that she was not coming back and that he needs to move on.  Three years is a long time and I almost wanted him to as well.  Almost...

Because this character possessed was something that I wanted to see play out.  What did he possess?  Faith.  He didn't wish or hope for his wife to return.  He believed that she would.  He believed in her.  People have a difficult time believing in themselves let alone to believe in another where you are essentially left powerless.  I guess that's what is meant by putting your faith into another's hand.  And I wanted to see it play out because I wasn't so confident, I didn't believe, but I hoped that she would come back.  I wanted to see a happy ending play out.  

It helps to fill your own faith when what you desire can be found all around you.  A happy ending... even if it may just come from a movie.