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November 21, 2006

And I rest my case.

I watched Mona Lisa Smile a few weeks ago on TV. I liked it. Below is the conversation between Julia Roberts and Julia Stiles(I really like her.) Anyway, for a long time now I was wondering how to convince people that being a house wife is MY choice and I AM happy with MY choice. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I decided I dont have to convince anyone about anything in my life. I dont care. But now and then when one gets certain looks from Working Wives/Mothers and as well as from fellow House Wives/Stay at home mothers and not to mention from the Toms, Dicks and Harrys, one cant help but steal quotes from movies and throw them at their faces. Here you go...

Joan Brandwyn: It was my choice... not to go. He
would have supported it.

Katherine Watson: But you don't have to choose.
Joan Brandwyn: No, I have to. I want a home; I
want a family, that's not something I'll sacrifice.

Katherine Watson: No-one's asking you to
sacrifice that, Joan, I just want you to understand you can do both.

Joan Brandwyn: Do you think I'll wake up one
morning and regret not being a lawyer? Katherine Watson: Yes, I'm afraid that
you will.

Joan Brandwyn: Not as much as I regret not having
a family, not being there to raise them. I know exactly what I'm doing and it
doesn't make me any less smart. [Katherine looks down] Joan Brandwyn: This must
seem terrible to you.

Katherine Watson: I didn't say that.
Joan Brandwyn: Sure you did. You always do. You
stand in class and tell us to look beyond the image, but you don't. To you a
housewife is someone who sold her soul for a center hall colonial. She has no
depth, no intellect, no interests. You're the one who said I could do anything I
wanted. This is what I want.

7 comments:

Premalatha said...

:))

I saw Monalisa Smile some weeks ago and that scene was very good. I liked it so much that I paused and replayed, paused again to think for sometime.

I often question myself whether I do the same mistake as Katherine Watson did? No, I don't believe I do that mistake.

But often misinterpretations on both the sides make it look like Katherine Watsons and Joan Brandwyns. Not all are Joans and not all are Katherines. :)

I know you are a Joan. :) I hope I am not a Katherine, although she is not too different from me in many other respects, freakingly enough, many incidents are taken out of my life and played in that movie!
:)

the mad momma said...

welcome back.. that was a great quote... i am glad you used that quote.. so often we stop and question our own choice of raising a family....

B o o said...

I loved Katherine in the movie. Quoted Joan only because I could relate to it right now. But I dont think Im Joan all the time. I just hope I have the same conviction Joan has in the movie and stand by it. But my wavering mind never gives me a moment of content!

B o o said...

MM - //so often we stop and question our own choice of raising a family.... //

So true! And I am glad I do that too.

Anonymous said...

"But now and then when one gets certain looks from Working Wives/Mothers" - Are you sure that certain look is not a jealous look :)

Anonymous said...

I quit my job 9 mths back when my daughter was born and to this day I get questions from people who don't understand why I did it. What they don't get is that they don't have to understand it. It is the way I want to lead my life. Iam just thankful that Iam able to take time off and be with her and watch her reach different milestones.
Nice quote...I'll probably use it sometime.

Dadoji said...

Good movie. Great post. Well, my mother was a home-maker and she made me. QED.

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