Review of Men, Women & Children (2014) by Danny P — 25 Sep 2014

Not too many people saw a movie called Disconnect last year, but it was a timely film about how so many of us are connected through things like the internet and don't even know it. Well the new film Men, Women & Children could practically be a sequel to that movie. This one doesn't go so far as to say we're all connected but focuses more on how much we're letting technology control our lives. Whether it's cell phones or the internet, many people don't know how to function anymore without the reliance of these devices.

The film intertwines stories of various families all living in the same town. We see how almost every high school student can't walk down the hallway without checking their phone. At the same time, we see how many of their parents are greatly affected by a world vastly different from what they grew up in. They now have easy access to everything online also, and find themselves discovering new things which consume them as well. For example, Adam Sandler plays a husband who's addicted to internet porn in order to fill the sexual void he seems to now have with his wife. And he sometimes uses his own son's computer to watch it. This leads to the discovery of other options as well that could lead to actual interactions with other women. That doesn't mean his wife isn't doing the same thing though. At the same time, there's the opposite side of the spectrum in which some people know the dangers of the internet and are overly-obsessed with protecting their family from it. This is the case with Jennifer Garner's character. She's a mother who tracks every single text and email her daughter sends online - to the point of where the girl feels she can't live the normal life of a teenager at all.

So which is it? Do we take full advantage of all that's out there for us to access or do we stay away from it in order to maintain control of our own lives? The movie doesn't attempt to give you a definitive answer... because there isn't one. But it shows you the various outcomes that may result from the paths we take and how much we really let technology control us. Sometimes the actions of both the adults and children online are entwined with each other as well. There's one story shown of a mother who sets up a website for her daughter's modeling career. She has no idea how she's exploiting her own daughter and hurting her reputation rather than helping it. There is no movie you will see more relative to current society than this one. Hopefully enough people will see this film and take something away from it. Whether it's to put the phone down a little more, or just pay closer attention to those around you and not those you only know through a computer, there's always something we can improve on. It's a thought-provoking piece that just may help you re-evaluate your place in the world. Men, Women & Children will open nationwide on October 17.