The original intention of watching this movie is very simple, in order to learn the knowledge of fishing. I've been obsessed with fishing lately, and I'm interested in fishing-related movies. Fishing in the United States is a social activity and a common parent-child activity. It has almost become a tradition for fathers to teach their sons to fish. When I go fishing, I often see a father and son. The father walks in front, and the son follows behind with a short fishing rod, imitating his posture and swinging the rod. If the father catches a big fish, the son must be the most cheering spectator.
However, the core of this film is not about fishing, but the deep family love hidden behind fishing. The love between father and son, brotherhood, mother and son, these feelings clearly exist, but no one talks about them. A mother's love is reflected in the well-cooked breakfast and dinner. The father would invite his son to the study to chat and ask him about his future plans. The younger brother would not say love, but he would run at the train station that sent his brother away from home, watching the train disappear into the mountains. My brother will keep all the memories deep in his heart and relive it every time he goes fishing.
For some reason, my sister's face kept flashing in my mind. We grew up together, but we never had a real spiritual exchange. To be honest, I didn't know anything about my sister's thoughts. My sister seems to be a copy of her father, and she is taciturn. Of course, at home, my father prefers my sister, and my mother prefers me. In a family with many children, there is definitely an implicit competition among the children. The core of this competition is to compete for the love and attention of the parents.
The brothers Norman and Paul in the movie have also been competing openly and secretly. They looked at each other with unconcealed envy and jealousy in their eyes. The older brother envy the younger brother with a lively and outgoing personality, good at socializing, popular in his hometown, and closer to his parents. The younger brother is more tough and brave, and he is more adventurous. Why doesn't the younger brother envy the elder brother? The older brother is talented and thoughtful, has a bright career future, and has also met a true lover. But they can't be each other, they can only be themselves.
The competition between brothers is everywhere, and fishing is the most vivid expression of this competition. There is a very interesting plot in the movie. The father and son squatted by the river and took out their catches to compare the size. The fish of the two brothers were equal, but the fish that my father took out was obviously bigger. At that time, there was admiration in the eyes of the brothers, which made my father very happy. The father is getting older, and the two sons are getting better and better, but when it comes to fishing, the father is still young, and the son is adored. I think this is the parent-child moment that the father wants to keep.
The competition between my sister and I is also everywhere. We are always better than who has better academic performance and who is more popular with our parents. Sometimes I don't even get used to each other. What she has done, I will resolutely not do it. I will never wear the clothes and shoes she wears. I definitely don't like the color she likes. In short, our sisters must be distinguished. We've had too many troubles between us, but we haven't had an overnight feud. We still love each other, and sometimes we don't even know how deep that love is.
The love between Norman and Paul goes without saying. Both brothers know that their father's income is meager and they can support the family, but it is absolutely impossible for both of them to go to a prestigious school, so this opportunity can only be given to the older brother with better conditions. . The younger brother didn't say a word, but the younger brother's sacrifice was all seen by the older brother. The younger brother looked at his elder brother with admiration, and the elder brother also looked at his younger brother with gratitude. There were some things that they knew in their hearts. It is said that the elder brother has a delicate mind and is good at writing articles, but don't forget that the younger brother is also engaged in writing work, he is a reporter.
At that time, my sister was in her third year of high school. In order to supplement her nutrition, my mother specially ordered bottled yogurt. But because of the financial constraints of the family, I only have one bottle a day, and I don't have my share. I could only watch my sister drink, drooling beside me. My sister looked at me with eager eyes and couldn't bear it. She handed the yogurt to me and said, "You drink it first!" I was very pleasantly surprised, but I only took a shallow sip. For me, it was just a small sip. That's enough, because I know my sister needs it more than I do. I will silently watch my sister finish the whole bottle of yogurt. I have no jealousy in my heart, I just hope that she will supplement her nutrition well and be admitted to an ideal university.
Family affection never needs to be stated, because it has always been there. But precisely because of this silent love, there are some things that cannot be said between relatives. Sometimes you will even find that the person connected with your blood has an inner world that you don't understand at all, and you don't understand a person at all. But as the quote in the movie says: "No matter how little we know them, it doesn't stop us from loving them with all our heart."
We love and care for each other, and we know each other's plight more clearly, but when you want to help, the other party often chooses to refuse. The younger brother Paul was addicted to gambling, which was something the whole family secretly worried about, but at the dinner table, no one could ask him what was going on. The elder brother once said to his younger brother hesitantly: "If you need any help, you can tell me." But the younger brother quickly changed the subject. It is precisely in the face of the people closest to us that we cannot offer help generously, for fear of hurting the other's self-esteem.
In the second year after my sister gave birth, her personality became more silent, and sometimes she didn't say a word all day. Because of the problem of raising children, the family was almost completely filled with chicken feathers, and all the conflicts that could not have been seen surfaced, but she never talked to us. My mother always said in a worried tone, "I'm so worried about your sister. She doesn't say anything if she's unhappy. I'm afraid something will happen to her."
I also began to worry about my sister, fearing her postpartum depression. But I thought about it, hesitated, and couldn't ask. Through WeChat, I just asked without any pain: "Is everything okay, sister?" She didn't reply to me in time. After a long time, she replied: "It's okay."
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, we went back to our hometown for a reunion. My sister was sitting on the sofa and playing with her mobile phone. My mother stood and looked at her, anxiously and cautiously asking her if she had something on her mind. If she had something on her mind, she must tell her.
Facing her mother's question, her sister looked blank. She didn't know the meaning behind her mother's words.
I figured it would be the best time to be with the whole family, so I asked her outright if she was depressed, if she had postpartum depression.
After hearing this, my sister was surprised. She got up immediately and solemnly said to us, "I'm fine, I'm not depressed."
The mother reconfirmed again and again: "If you have anything, you must say it. I am so worried that you will suddenly jump off the building!"
After hearing this, my sister smiled, and we breathed a sigh of relief. The tense air around him suddenly became soft. After that time, the mother's hanging heart finally returned to her stomach.
Now that her sister's daughter is four years old, her family has found a new balance. After this incident, I realized that my sister is more resilient than I thought, that she can bear the weight of life better than I can, and can take it with equanimity. I always watched her say nothing, never complain, and thought she didn't understand anything. But I finally understand now that she doesn't say it because she can find a solution, at least a way that suits her.
Pay more attention to the people closest to you, learn to cherish them in the time and space where we still exist together, ask them if they are doing well, and don’t let unspoken words become lifelong regrets.
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