Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

sunshine on leith was not such a feel good film for me

25 replies

mrshap · 18/10/2013 20:49

I went to see this film this week and thought it was a feel good film, came out of cinema feeling argggh! Don't read the rest of this post if you haven't seen it as I may spoil it for you

Must of been written by a man as its ok for them to have affairs apparently and the wifey just accepts it.

Not a good message to pass on to our daughters is it?
Cant remember the last time I felt so cross about a film, am I the only one to feel like this about Sunshine on Leith?

OP posts:

Grennie · 18/10/2013 20:51

I liked this film. No not a light hearted film I agree. And actually the wife isn't okay with it. She makes him move out and they only get back together after he has a heart attack on her doorstep. So pretty contrived, but I enjoyed it.

ParsleyTheLioness · 18/10/2013 20:53

Doesn't sound like the best message to give to my dd(15)...

DSJamesHathaway · 18/10/2013 20:55

I enjoyed it but I agree that it felt like she was emotionally blackmailed into accepting his behaviour because of his heart attack.

TooMuchRain · 18/10/2013 21:02

I thought it was all pretty dreadful tbh but the dodgy attitude to women was right up there at the beginning when the sister 'reassured' her friend by pulling down her top and telling her that her unwanted blind-date would only be staring at her tits all evening. Nice.

nonmifairidere · 18/10/2013 21:03

You cheat, you're out on your ear because I'll never trust you again. Don't think this film will be for me.

Original poster

mrshap · 18/10/2013 21:06

Toomuchrain that's right Id forgotten about that at the start, should of known it wasn't going to get any better..

OP posts:

Isabelonatricycle · 18/10/2013 21:18

I enjoyed it personally. I thought "He's just going to be staring at your tits" was a joke, not reassurance which whilst it may be in poor taste, is also something that might be said between mates. And given they were part of a larger party, she wasn't stuck with him!

For Jean and Rab, perhaps just maybe the heart attack isn't meant to be emotional blackmail, but an opportunity for Jean to think what would my life be like without him, and if we work on our marriage perhaps it isn't over. It isn't as if no couple have ever stayed together after one has an affair and managed to move past it, fgs.

Turning down a proposal and moving to the US to work isn't exactly what the little woman would do either.

ParsleyTheLioness · 18/10/2013 22:15

The message is still that the man, and his whims, rule though...

ParsleyTheLioness · 18/10/2013 22:52

Come on, we can't be on our own here!

Isabelonatricycle · 18/10/2013 23:06

Apparently! Apart from Rab and Jean though, I don't see it as the man and his whims ruling.

katese11 · 19/10/2013 00:38

Depends how you see it. ..I thought the heart attack made her realise that she loved him even if she couldn't just forgive and forget. She Def doesn't just accept it. Billing it as a feel good film is misleading, but I actually think it was handled quite sensitively.

neunundneunzigluftballons · 19/10/2013 01:07

I cannot read the OP as I will defo be going to the film with DH. sunshine on leith was our wedding song aaahhhhh

Original poster

mrshap · 19/10/2013 17:11

Nenun Don't let me spoil it for you, it was just my observations of the film, I just didn't want my daughter to think it was ok for women to accept and forgive the stupidity of men...the film was spoiled for me. My friend was sitting there singing whilst I was just fuming! It seemed to go over the heads of everyone I went to see it with. Hence why I posted this to see if it wasn't me just being on a grumpy week.

OP posts:

Smoorikins · 19/10/2013 17:16

I saw the trailer, and thought it looked really crap, so haven't seen it.

If they can't make a film look good by putting together what should all the best bits then it doesn't bode well.

Fairyloo · 19/10/2013 17:22

I loved it

Maybe your overthinking it Op

Original poster

mrshap · 19/10/2013 18:16

Not overthinking fairyloo, films should give us some escapism and fuel our dreams surely? This was too much like rl for me...
smooor it wasn't my choice of film and I agree with you, the singing was pretty crap too...

OP posts:

Perihelion · 19/10/2013 19:48

Compared to Filth, the other Edinburgh film out at the moment, Sunshine is incredibly feel good

katese11 · 19/10/2013 23:05

I just don't get how you think she accepts and forgives. They end the film together, moving on cause that's what grown ups in long term relationships sometimes have to do. Not the same add just accepting it. It was also 24 years ago and a person can change a lot in 24 years!

Screamqueen · 20/10/2013 00:53

Im with fairyloo I think you are taking it too seriously and over thinking it! I loved it, thought The Proclaimers lyrics were used to illustrate the stories very well. There wasn't a "dodgy attitude to women" at all, it was just a joke and of course that's why she went off to America turning down her soldier boyfriend eh, to pursue a career yeh very dodgy

Jeans character just doesnt accept it either...but yes working at relationships is real life and it was showing what would you do after all those years if you found out in the early days your partner had cheated?

Viviennemary · 20/10/2013 01:03

I saw it. I was a bit disappointed on the whole but it was OK. I got a different message from the Rab and wife thing. It was more to do with the girl who was his daughter and of course the affair wasn't in any way her fault and she wanted a relationship with her father.

BoomCrashBoomPoggenpohl · 20/10/2013 15:49

Totally with you on thst, katse11. We (DH and I) both percieved it was not the most tightly directed flick, and that allusion of male 'whims' may have been accentuated by that. I felt uplifted, tho and I can think of far worse ways to spent 90 odd mins.

Beccagain · 20/10/2013 18:08

First of all Mrshap thank you for the spoiler alert. I stepped away from the thread at that point because I was intending to see it today, so you are good people.

And for me, perhaps I wasn't paying attention but I really didn't pick up on a double standards issue at all...or if I did it was kind of balanced out by the fact that Liz went off and did her own thing and wasn't guilted into staying at home.

I really thought it was a lighthearted piece of fluff; they could gave called it 'Och aye Mam' because it owed SO much to the Abba musical in similar vein; loved the inevitable cameo appearance of the Reid boys, nice and early on so I didn't keep looking out for it, loved the songs (obviously) loved all the shots of Edinburgh, but most of all I love Mrshap for giving proper spoiler warning!

Fairyloo · 21/10/2013 06:01

I must say I found Rab very attractive even though he is old enough to be my dad!!

zippey · 21/10/2013 06:29

I haven't seen it but I can't see how you can blackmail drone by having a heart attack!

I also don't think it's the worst message in the world that you might want to try and work out your issues with the people you love.

Original poster

mrshap · 21/10/2013 22:09

fairy, no Im not getting the rab attractive...
I did enjoy seeing all the bits of Edinburgh too.

OP posts:

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread