On M List of Movie Reviews

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Men Don't Leave (1990)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 2/26

2/26: It's a credit to everybody for making a realistic drama through Men Don't Leave.

I know a family that saw its father-husband pass away suddenly. Having been totally unprepared, the survivors, who happened to be all female, were faced with certain tasks that called for a male such as house repairs, lawn maintenance, and dealing with unruly neighbors and just couldn't do it. That's how helpless Jessica Lange's character can be at times with her two boys being used to stability.

Therefore, selling the house is the right avenue, but to move to Baltimore? Eh, I would seek a better location than that. Reaching its peak in the 70's, the population has been shrinking since then, going from one million to nearly half of that with a much higher percentage of blacks than ever. Currently, it's among worst cities in the nation.

Chris complaining incessantly about the change in situation is accurate. This is what happens, and it's called "financial reality." I'm not surprised about his little brother running into bad element and becoming a thief. That's a way of coping; if his mother starts making more money, he'll grow out of it. The part about wishing to win the lottery is dead-on. Meanwhile, Jody taking on Chris as her boyfriend probably feels weird since he's quite young, but I'm sure it happens a lot.

All in all, Men Don't Leave is relevant in any age.

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