Skip to main content

Dome Pondering Movie Review: Men, Women & Children (2014)

What is it about? 

A group of high school teenagers and their parents deal with the ramifications of technology in their lives, and how it has affected their ability to communicate effectively. 

Who is in it? 

Adam Sandler - Don Truby

Jennifer Garner - Patricia Beltmeyer

Rosemarie DeWitt - Helen Truby

Judy Greer - Donna Clint

Favorite Scene: 

After being asked about their experience with and of 9/11, Don Truby states that such an event was the reason they got cell phones, to stay connected with their loved ones. Though, technology did the complete opposite for him and his family. 

Favorite Quote:

"Like it or not, for the moment The Earth is where we make our stand"

Review: 

Men, Women, & Children really brings to a light an excellent shift in our society when it comes to communication, and our dependence on the internet and technology for that communication. Ironically, at times, we don't use the advances to their capabilities and we wind up lessening our intended communication. The film does a great job of sparking the thought process on such a concept in our society, and the aforementioned is what I pulled away from it. 

However, while the film does touch base on some real aspects that plague us such as sexting, sensationalizing our selves, pornography, and the obvious lack of communication technology is indeed providing, the film goes about it in a head-on sort of way, but ends up generalizing it in the end. None of the characters ever come to grips or understand the positioning of their enslavement to technology. And if that was the intention, it just falls flat. 

The talent is pretty decent, but the truly eye-opening part of this film is indeed the bubbles and graphics of the images everyone is consuming daily. A great scene is when Ensel Elgort's character, Tim Mooney, walks into school with everyone on their phones in between classes. 

All in all, Men Women & Children does a great job of introducing the topic at hand, but sort of falls flat in driving the message home throughout the film. It felt very open and honest at the beginning, but eventually fizzled out to the point of feeling like a lecture. 

If you're interested in sparking some thoughts, give it a watch. 

Grade: 2.75/5
Labels:

Recently Read

Would You Rather: Questions 121-130

This edition of "Would You Rather" is credited to the NBA Would You Rather NBA Account on Instagram ( See Here ). Adding to the fun, this edition (and possibly future ones) are all NBA basketball questions.  121. Who would you rather have on your favorite NBA team - Giannis Antetokounpo or James Harden?  Seeing how I'm a lifelong suffering Knicks fan, the thought of any of these guys in blue and orange is hard to believe. With that said, I'm taking the Greek Freak for this reason - I enjoy watching him play a bit more. Nothing against Harden who is amazing as well, but at times, the ball sticks and that isn't always fun. Plus, I feel like we haven't yet seen a finished Giannis. 122. Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounpo with no driving ability or James Harden with no Three-Point shooting ability?  This is definitely a weird and unique one, but I'll take Harden. Giannis without his strength doesn't offer much. However, if Harden's d...
Read more

Dome Pondering Move Review: Say You Will (2017)

What is it about? A recent high school graduate cares for his mother while attempting to navigate his first relationship following his father's suicide.  Who is in it? Travis Tope - Sam Nimitz Katherine Hughes - Ellie Vaughn Favorite Scene: [spoiler alert] Sam plays his song for his mom. Favorite Quote: Ellie: "I wish we could have met down the road, maybe when we were like 27." Sam: "I think we needed each other now." Review:  Say You Will was an absolutely pleasant surprise of a watch from the Amazon Prime offerings.  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this one, but after the credits rolled, it was a movie that provided authentic characters and a great lesson on life. We don't always have to have everything figured out, and it's okay if you don't.  What makes Say You Will so beautiful is that all of the characters are carrying some inner struggle that connects them in the moment and time that helps them through whatever it is. The unlike...
Read more

Knicks Postseason 2026, Conference Finals vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

It feels like forever since we've played.  But we've got our opponent, and it's go time!  Review Thoughts from Round 1 Review Thoughts from Round 2 Like every other Knick fan, I too hoped for a seven-game series between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and that's what we got. The long series added time for our squad to rest up (get healthy, OG!) and more time to scout exactly what we'll have to deal with in the Eastern Conference Finals.  We've been here before, and a trip to the NBA Finals once again feels all too close. All too real!  The Cavaliers present some interesting dynamics with their electric backcourt and the size up front with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. There are also two players on the roster, Dennis Schroder and Max Strus, who often find ways to stick it to the Knicks. Sam Merrill seems like the kind of guy who would join that group in this series.  Nonetheless, the Knicks are on a historic run. The Cavs have been knocking on t...
Read more