This is a very warm movie. Two people are still in love with each other, because they often greeted each other by the window and got to know each other, and then they married and had children and lived an extremely ordinary life.
Ordinary is not ordinary, because after they are going to get married, they have to pay a monthly payment of more than 800 pounds per month. It should be that the house will be theirs in more than 30 years. The house is big and wide, with a yard. Can't help but sigh, are their milkmen and maids paid so high? This house is affordable in London.
Ordinary is also ordinary. I remember Ernest always reading the newspaper and reading some news from time to time. The background of the story is the World War II period, and occasionally there will be meat and vegetable prices. Ethel is knitting sweaters when he has nothing to do. Although they have different viewpoints and positions, they are also tolerant of each other.
Ernest is always optimistic and considerate. His wife thought that the briquettes in the house did not smell good, so he built a briquettes house outdoors; when the war came, he built an air-raid shelter at home, and put an iron cage in the room; the windows of the house After being blasted, I am still optimistic that we did not escape; I will say "I know, I know" when my wife is sad and sad.
In less than 1/3 they have children. But after watching this process of raising children, I was a little afraid of marriage, and I felt that there was really no need to have children.
The child may steal things and be sent home by the police; the child will also have a rebellious period, and will refuse to communicate with the parents with the mentality of "you don't understand me"; when the child has good grades, he can go to Oxford University or Cambridge University, but choose To be an art student, this means a lot of expenses; when I grow up, I look forward to having a grandson.
But in their later years, after the children go to school, they are still the two of them. Ernest will still read the newspaper while drinking, and Ethel is either busy or knitting sweaters; Ernest would push her around when she couldn't walk.
My son would go home occasionally. After Ethel passed away, Ernest read the newspaper alone and never read it again; he watched TV alone and had a cat; he went to bed alone and said goodnight to the cat. Finally, on a lonely morning, the sudden illness could not be saved.
Recalling the trajectory of most people's lives now, isn't that the case? The traditional view is "raising children to prevent old age", but is it really possible to retire?
In addition to relying on the family before junior high school, I have started to have my own friends since junior high school, high school, university, after graduation, work, and marriage. If you are fortunate, you can go to school and work very close to your home, or even live at home, you can still have a lot of contact. If you go out to study, the number of times each person goes home is from once a week, once a month, and once a semester. Later, once a year, and then later, there may be "some things at work this year can't be arranged, and I won't go home."
But no matter how you say it, after having a family, it's like in the movie. The number of times you go home, no matter how often, is still "occasionally home". Days and nights when not going home, parents may also take care of the elderly at home? watch TV? Looking forward to a phone call home from your son/daughter? Son/daughter still seems to be doing well and needs support, but is too old to worry about it?
Even if we live together, we might come every day to see how our health is. Can we live together? Can there be a lot of intersections? Can you not be lonely?
We Chinese people pay attention to "children and grandchildren around the knees, family happiness", but when we talk about family happiness, what are we talking about?
We are talking about a lot of grandchildren fighting together, sons and daughters-in-law getting together to talk about their topics, but how many are grandchildren or daughters-in-law who can communicate directly with the elderly. The old man is more of a bystander, watching the lively and lively, and the family is a little angry, so he is happy. But this kind of anger does not appear many times, because it is difficult to get together, it may be the New Year and the festival.
What I have seen accompanying the elderly is like this: there are not many topics to talk about, and the conversation will be finished quickly, maybe only occasionally sitting together, but relatively silent. Maybe you’re playing with your phone, chatting with friends, watching short videos, or dealing with work. High-quality company is still too difficult.
How many elderly people notify their children when they have a sudden illness, but the children can't get back immediately, so is this really preventing old age? Is there a better way to prevent aging?
Or it’s just because life is too long to have children. If you don’t raise children, the middle twenty years and even more years are actually quite boring. Some people worry about it, which proves that there is still concern in this world, and there are still people with you. Connected, after all, friends at that time will also have their own families and will not take care of us.
Our final outcome may still be like Ernest & Ethel, if one goes first, the other half will soon be unable to support it. If so, can we have another ordinary life?
View more about Ethel & Ernest reviews
