Where is it written that a woman makes a better parent than a man? This is a question that arises in the award winning film, Kramer Vs. Kramer. The story is about, Joanna Kramer, a woman (wife/mother) who leaves her husband, Ted Kramer, and son, Billy, in search of her own identity. She could no longer only see herself as being someone's "daughter, wife, and mother".
Ted, who is a workaholic, left most of the care taking of his son up to Joanna. With the absence of Joanna, Ted realizes that he needs to step-up and change his role. He struggles in the beginning, but then gradually understands what it takes to be a good parent. He puts his son before his job and actually loses his job for this.
After Joanna had been gone for over a year and a half, she realizes that she wants her son Billy back in her life. She meets with Ted and tells him that she wants to have her child back. Ted won't allow it. He was the one that was there when she walked out. Billy is practically all the Ted has and he isn't willing to give him up.
They end taking one another to court and fight for custody of the child. Although, Ted is the more appropriate parent and provides a stable home for Billy, the court (as well as the rest of society) feels that a child should be with their mother. She wins the case.
When she comes to pick Billy up from Ted, she feels guilty taking Billy away from his room of "painted clouds" and sees that Ted is a fitting parent for their son.
The story is a different view of gender roles. We are trained to think that a mother is a care-taker, one who is a parent, nurturer. The man is thought to be the worker, the one who brings home the money, spends less time with the children. This movie was made in 1979 (almost 30 years ago). The view on single fathers is about the same. We usually see single mothers, not too many single fathers. So why is it that we believe a woman makes a better parent than a man?
This question makes me think about gay parents. It is looked down upon by society if a child has 2 fathers, or 2 mothers. Does gender/sex really matter when it comes to raising a child? Call me crazy, but it seems that having 1 or 2, or even more parents loving you, taking care of you, and supporting you matters a lot more than their biological sex.
I can see why this movie was considered controversial at its time, as it is still a somewhat controversial issue in our society. Other movies have had their own take on this issue, such as Mr. Mom.
1 comment:
There's too much re-telling of the story, not enough analysis. You barely talk at all about the core message of the film, questioning gender roles. And while it can be a good tactic, in writing your opinion, to refer to other similar works, you must do more than simply mention them. You need to connect the dots.
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