Instruction
Film: All's Fair
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Production Company: Ulterior Productions
Date: 2011
This film is a COMEDY with a deeper meaning!
Characters:
Roye - the ex-boyfriend
Miranda - the ex-girlfriend
Justin - the new boyfriend
Phoenix - the prostitute (and comedian)
Notes:
Roye makes himself miserable by imagining his ex-girlfriend having a wonderful time with her new boyfriend.
Roye tries to make the pain go away by replacing Miranda with Phoenix.
Roye will not accept his relationship with Miranda is over. He feels if he lets it go, he will lose her completely.
Phoenix views her time with Roye as a business deal at first, but then grows to care about him as a friend.
Phoeniz has great wisdom. She tells Roye: Stop running from your pain. Move closer to it. Let things fall apart. Stop resisting. Feel the pain. Let yourself let go. Resistence = suffering.
At the end of the film, Roye remembers his first kiss with Miranda, which may be a sign he appreciates the good times they had together, and he may now be able to accept the break up and move on.
Possible Topics for an essay about All's Fair:
grieving, trying to avoid emotional pain, helping others overcome difficult time, handling a break up
Possible Research Sources:
Psychology Today journal; books or articles on grieving, denial, coping with emotional pain, how to help people who are experiencing grief, how to handle a break up