They made a point to shoe Mercy putting on her shoes oddly as she got out of her car, at least twice, and then she seemed pleased when Larry noticed them at the bus stop.
Her shoes must have meant something. What was it?
Were they too high to drive? (I wouldn't know. I'm a guy. They look great but they must be painful to wear)
Except for her shoes, she was pretty frumpy until she realized Larry could keep a secret.
they were a metaphor.
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I read in an article once that Julia Roberts doesn't like to wear shoes so maybe that was something to do with the not wearing shoes when driving but maybe your right in that it may be hard to drive in high heels.
Her husband was too self absorbed to notice Mercy anymore. How many times have you heard of women complaining that their SO didn't notice their new blouse or dress or shoes? Larry noticed her shoes because he knew they had to be uncomfortable to walk a long distance in and she like the fact that he noticed. I believe it kinda turned her on that another man noticed something about her.
A little late in reply but here's my take on the shoes as metaphor... It felt like she was suiting up to do battle, putting on something uncomfortable to face what had become an uncomfortable and unpleasant job. And a comment in general... The board for this film seems to have become a hangout for folks who just need a place to complain (though I was happy to see one of the regulars point out that the shoes are a metaphor). There is a lot of talk about the Julia Roberts character being bitchy, unpleasant, etc. and that her transformation was not believable. Having been a prof (also at a community college), you can definitely become jaded and burned out and sometimes having a great student like Larry can recharge your battery so, while definitely made to entertain, her transition - and the film on the whole - is not all that far-fetched.
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