MovieChat Forums > Scrooged (1988) Discussion > Claire Not Understanding

Claire Not Understanding

posted 16 years ago by aquaprincess
26 replies | jump to latest

I thought Claire was being ridiculous when she said that they couldn't go have dinner with the president of the company or whatever he was. She wasn't the one sweating in the dog suit all day how could she possibly understand how Frank was feeling? He was ready to move up and he needed a girl to stand beside him and encourage him in his career. How did she expect for them to ever have a future to get married and have children if he was still playing around at the bottom of his career ladder? I don't know. Those were just my personal thoughts on that situation. She was being unreasonable and wasn't looking ahead. All she saw was I want to hang out with our friends. Although I agree that Frank was being an ass$%$@ about it when she says she's sorry. Maybe if he'd been nicer and explained why it was important things would've been different. Any thoughts from others?

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[–] blacknyellowsquid 14 years ago

Yeah she seemed a little unreasonable there to me.

[–] drxcreatures 13 years ago

From they way Claire spoke, I think Frank had done this numerous times.

I think it's wonderful that after 15 years, he just needed her out-of-the-blue and she showed immediately.

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[–] thesnowleopard 12 years ago

I agree with those who say this is meant to be an endpoint of his increasingly neglecting their relationship for his own ambitions, not the first time there was real trouble between them. These are snapshots from his past that are each meant to illuminate a much larger trend.

For example, young Frank might sound a bit whiny when he asks for a choo-choo--until you consider that this isn't just one Christmas. It's every Christmas in his childhood. Which is why he spent so much time watching other people's lives on TV. His dad was a bitter, prematurely old man with no joy or compassion in his heart and it helped screw Frank up.

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[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Soodinum 10 years ago

I think the implication is that Frank and the ghost jumped forward not just to some random moment in the relationship we just saw beginning and growing , but to the moment when stresses caused by their growing apart (because of Frank's obsession with climbing the ladder at all costs) finally became the last straw. In that sense Claire is not just reacting dimly but we're seeing the end of a long series of disagreements about their values as a couple.

[–] e827 10 years ago

I agree with the people who say that this was just supposed to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

But I also think you're right that she should have been way more understanding. He's stuck wearing a dog suit, and this is the president of the freaking network. It's an incredibly important career opportunity.

If he had a history of blowing off plans with her for minor work issues, then she should have left him for doing that. This wasn't an instance of him being selfish, though.

I don't see many flaws in the script for this movie (I absolutely love it), but one thing I do consider a flaw is that Frank's decision in the breakup scene should have been a lot less justifiable.

[–] novastar_6 10 years ago

He's stuck wearing a dog suit, and this is the president of the freaking network.

And? If he hated being Frisbee so much, he could've quit and got another job. WHAT exactly is the point of making it big in a business? Making enough money to live comfortably, preferably so you and your family can live comfortably, he had no family, no friends, NO girlfriend, he was a lonely, miserable bastard, that was the outcome of his 'success'.

And understanding? Selfish? Take the present time, Claire is helping volunteers at a homeless shelter, and Frank can't wait ONE minute for her to make a couple phone calls to talk to her. Who's selfish? Who's not understanding here? She's doing something to help people, he's the richest man in the city, what's he do with his money? He doesn't help anybody, he doesn't even pay his secretary what she's owed, yeah, Claire was right to leave him because otherwise he would've dragged her down with him.

[–] gabby_bm 10 years ago

But this was the present time- after he lost his heart. Frisbee the dog was a stepping stone to a brighter future and a better career. It's not a matter of hating being the dog. but it's not a career position. Just a rung on the ladder and it got him exposed to the president and invited to dinner. Had his woman supported him in his decision instead of another inane holiday dinner at their friends' house, who knows how much better off they would both have been. Frank may have even helped her at the Outreach Shelter, supporting her career like she supported him.

Guess we'll never know what might have been.

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[–] culturedeluxe 8 years ago

Had his woman supported him in his decision instead of another inane holiday dinner at their friends' house, who knows how much better off they would both have been.

Ah, but you see how she ends up in the future if she took the "Frank's career first" option. Bitter, miserable, rich and very much "his woman".