MovieChat Forums > The Grudge 2 (2006) Discussion > Aubrey/Mom dynamic

Aubrey/Mom dynamic

posted 15 years ago by ShyLivesMatter
3 replies | jump to latest

Ok, I haven't seen anyone else post about this. My wife and I felt really bad for Aubrey - are we the only ones? Her Mom was a total b-itch to her. And for what? Not being a carbon copy of Karen? One of the movie's strengths was really making the viewer care about Aubrey, as she never seemed able to be good enough for the Mom. It was really emotionally poignant toward the end, when Aubrey was like "Mom, I love you...but you can't talk to me like that." And then after standing up to her Mom, she...well I won't give it away, but it made me sad :-( She deserved better.

I wish Aubrey and the Mom's background was explained more in depth. There's one deleted scene on the DVD concerning their relationship, but there should have been more background - too many horror movies skimp on that these days. Makes it harder to care for the characters...which makes the job Amber did with the little she had to work with all the more impressive.

"I'm a firm believer in the philosophy of a ruling class. Especially since I rule."

[–] BrianCTyler 15 years ago

You aren't the only one, I definitely felt bad for her too. While this movie is unoriginal and a bit repetitive, I did care about a lot of the characters. Aubrey, Allison, Trish, Eason, Lacey, Jake, and of course Karen if you've seen the first one were all pretty likeable.

[–] cdjunkee-1 15 years ago

The basic formula is repetitive for these types of flicks... but I enjoy the 1st two movies for their emotional core. they give you characters with just enough background to actually care about them. for a horror movie it's certainly sentimental. (photographs, strained relationships, etc.) I thought Amber Tamblyn's portrayal of Aubrey was fantastic. her dynamic with her sister and Mother struck a chord with me.

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[–] iamskwishi83 13 years ago

Yeah, I really felt for Aubrey as well, mostly due to Amber Tamblyn's acting. And I'm sure there are many people who could identify with a conflict like that, ie. not feeling like they're good enough for their parents, or knowing that their parents openly prefer one sibling over another. It's never happened to me and my siblings, we're all equal, but I do know some people who have that type of dynamic with their parents, and it really is heartbreaking.

In fact, it was Aubrey's story I was most invested in (although I do think the 'investigative' aspect with her and Eason did drag on too long, and could've been trimmed down a little). I actually like that they didn't probe too deeply into her conflict with her mother; they presented it but didn't delve too much, just enough to demonstrate Aubrey's mindset and what she was dealing with and what she had at stake with her mother.

Also, Amber Tamblyn really sold the isolation and loneliness she felt, especially after her sister died and she's all alone in a foreign place. My favourite scene in the movie is after she goes to Karen's apartment and calls her mother, then silently breaks down while on the phone. And it was Tamblyn's acting that made the climax (and the whole movie IMO), that after she finally stood up for herself, she comes to such a sad tragic end.

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