Introduction"Back When We Were Grownups" is a 2004 American television movie directed by Ron Underwood. It is based on Anne Tyler's 2001 novel of the exact same name. The film follows the life of Rebecca Davitch, a 53-year-old lady who feels disappointed and uneasy with her existing life and embarks on a journey to find out what might have occurred if she had actually made different choices in the past.
Plot OverviewThe movie opens with Rebecca Davitch, now the matriarch of a sprawling and unruly family. She runs the family organization of renting their ancestral home for events and takes care of her late hubby's senior uncle, while staying engaged with the lives of her children, step-daughters and granddaughters.
During one family gathering, she is hit with the plain awareness that she has, in such a way, lost her uniqueness and become simply 'Poppy', the ever-smiling person hosting and matriarch. This prompts Rebecca, feeling she has developed into a 'fraud', to yearn for the road not taken. She begins to question what her life would be like if she had actually stayed with her college sweetheart, Will, and not impulsively eloped with Joe, a guy currently burdened with a family.
Characters' JourneyRebecca's reflective journey starts as she finds Will, now a physicist and a widower. To get a sense of the life she could've led, she begins dating him, finding at the same time that romance and the appeal of a 'what if' life isn't all it's eliminated to be. She likewise tries to reconnect with her enthusiasms of reading and finding out lost in the whirlwind of her domesticity.
As she interacts more with her complex, typically aggravating yet loving family, and tries to immerse herself in this alternate life with Will, she finds out valuable lessons about acceptance, belonging, and true happiness.
ConclusionEventually, Rebecca realizes her present life, chaotic as it might be, has substance, meaning and a peculiar charm. She acknowledges that she has actually progressed and grown through her experiences and interactions with her family. She is required to think rather ruefully that she is not a scams, but merely 'Poppy,' who, having learnt life's troubled journey, has actually emerged more powerful and content.
She ends up breaking off her relationship with Will, and rather, chooses to focus once more on her family and business, discovering her identity and joy therein. At the same time, she teaches her household, and the audiences, an essential lesson about cherishing what you have instead of constantly seeking what could have been.
Accentuating Themes"Back When We Were Grownups" is a genuine and moving exploration of a mid-life crisis, capturing the nuances of familial ties, personal identity, regret and approval. Rebecca Davitch's character embodies the confusion, restlessness, and ultimate serenity that includes acknowledging one's real self. The movie successfully highlights the dichotomy in between the past and present, and presents a fully grown understanding of life choices and their repercussions.
Top Cast
