Interpersonal conflict in Film
The movie ‘The last kiss’ is an interesting one filled with lots of twists and turns but above all, the theme of interpersonal conflict is clearly illustrated. This can best be seen through the two main characters Michael and his live in girlfriend cum lover Jenna. Their troubles may have started at the point where Jenna’s parents forcefully made the two settle down in marriage because apparently Michael was not ready for this turn of events in as much as Jenna was his girlfriend. They settled down simply because of the pregnancy which should not have been the case when two people decide to get married.
In order to enjoy a good and productive marriage, the two parties involved are expected to reach a mutual agreement that the two are actually ready to be married and live together. In their case Michael is very scared of the whole issue of marriage and even feels that he is getting trapped by some unforeseen circumstances. In the long run, they settle down in marriage but he goes on to cheat on Jenna therefore breaking her trust for him. If the whole marriage issue was to be handled carefully and all its effects on them lay bare then maybe whatever that happened to them may not have happened in the first place.
The conflict between Jenna and Michael was not handled very carefully because Jenna’s parents are the ones who seem to have taken control of the whole marriage issue instead of Michael and Jenna handling it on their own. When it comes to the matters of the heart and more so where love for one another is in question, it is prudent that the parties involved be given room to make her own decisions and come up with solutions that the parties are comfortable with no matter the circumstances. In the case of Jenna and Michael, their union can be termed as a forceful one done out of the prevailing circumstances.
If these two grownups would have been left on their own to make their own decisions then maybe the problem that arose may have been avoided. Their relationship and marriage to some extent can be seen not to be committal because if it was, then Michael could not have cheated on her. At the same time if Jenna could have followed her instincts and heart for that matter, in not settling down with Michael knowing that he was fearful of the whole arrangement then they may not have ended up together as husband and wife anyway.
The interpersonal conflict that is very prominent here is the one between these two main characters. It may have been caused partly by their own free will and partly by Jenna’s parents. Michael really thinks that Jenna is a really good companion and a very good woman by all virtues, but one heartbreaking thing is that he harbors second thoughts about their marriage. Marriage is not as simple as it looks and if one partner is not okay with it then the marriage will be prone to many problems. The problems they encounter as a couple is as a result of their mindset from the very beginning. Had it been not the case then Michael may have not cheated on her anyway. He gives another woman room to get into his life simply because he was not contented with the whole marriage affair with Jenna.
The Last Movie as Directed by Tony Goldwyn
http://www.lastkissmovie.com/
