MovieChat Forums > The Animal Kingdom (1932) Discussion > I'm going back to my wife!

I'm going back to my wife!

posted 14 years ago by tom-1356
12 replies | jump to latest

The final line in the movie "I'm going back to my wife" seems a bit strange as he's leaving his wife, no?

I must have missed something.

[–] AliciaHuberman59 14 years ago

I think he was referring to Ann Harding, whom he considered his "real" wife.

[–] filmfan86 14 years ago

I was wondering that myself - and came to the same conclusion. I also liked the fact he left her money on the mantle.

Do you have monkeys in Scotland?
~No, but if we did we'd probably deep fry them!

[–] hka-3 12 years ago

The line was a tad confusing. I didn't realize he had previously lived with Daisy. I liked how subtle he was about realizing he was with the wrong woman.

Cheese fries...next time.

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

hka-3 says > The line was a tad confusing.

I'm not sure why the line is so confusing; even his pal, the butler, was confused. It seems pretty obvious to me. If he's leaving his house and says he's going 'back' to his wife, it could only mean one person; Daisy. She's the only other woman in the movie with whom he was involved.

I didn't realize he had previously lived with Daisy.

At the beginning of the movie, after the note arrives from Daisy, Tom's father says something like 'that woman he's lived with for the past three years'. The note says she's arriving that very night. That's why Tom had to leave the dinner. He wanted to be the one to tell her he was going to marry Cecilia.

I liked how subtle he was about realizing he was with the wrong woman.

I don't think there was anything subtle about it. He came to the realization he was with the wrong woman rather suddenly and abruptly at the moment Cecilia locked him out of their bedroom. What was subtle was how he went about confirming his suspicions then deciding how he'd deal with the situation. I like the fact he didn't overreact.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] TanteWaileka 12 years ago

Personally I thought his legitimate wife was his REAL wife but Tom was too immature and unethical to know it. After all, it was HE he caused Cecilia, his legitimate wife, to be forced into some manipulative behavior. As to helping her husband to realize that, in order to make a living publishing books, he would have to publish books that the masses want to read. It is always so in any business, really. If books that only 'challenged one's brain power' were published, then no publishing house would stay in business.
The same can be said for movies or any art form. Most people are dullards, you know it is true, even if YOU are one of the dullards.
Tom was living with Daisy because both of them were sl*ts who didn't have any idea what it takes to make a real marriage. Cecilia's mistake was marrying an 'unformed' man like Tom.

So in the ened he goes back to Daisy, his 'real' wife, well they deserve each other and if this was real life Cecilia would have mourned then married a BETTER man than Tom.
Casual relationships do not lead to successful marriages, common sense would tell you that.
When this movie was made it was, well, just like the 70s, huh.

This was not a good movie at all, and the only reason I semi-watched it is because I love the clothing styles of the day (not the fabrics but the 'look n feel').

Towards the end of the movie they tried to make Cecilia's character 'manipulative and selfish' but they hadn't developed her character well enough prior to that to really make that a case. After all, she let that drunken, no good bum (former boxer) live with them and be their erstwhile 'butler'. She also lived out in the country when she wanted to live in the city. She did that for LOVE.

Also, Tom's father only wanted to help his son, and Tom consistently rejected him. Honor thy father and thy mother, remember? There's a reason for that commandment.

To my mind, Cecilia can do a lot better than TOM.

Life is a journey not a destination. Fear nothing.

[–] BrooksBro 12 years ago

Tom was living with Daisy because both of them were sl*ts who didn't have any idea what it takes to make a real marriage. Cecilia's mistake was marrying an 'unformed' man like Tom.

Wow, I'd hate to be on trial and have YOU on the jury!

[–] jashobeam5 11 years ago

Tante is right. Tom didn't know a good wife when he saw her. He was immature and short sighted. He was willing to carry on an affair knowing how it would hurt his wife. You never see Tom take his wife's feelings or future into consideration and he easily put her aside to go to a woman without morals. Hollywood has had low morals since the beginning.

[–] Henry_Framus_Valentine 10 years ago

You are right on. Tom is the manipulative one, not Cee. She is well rid of him. Tom`s intimating that Cecilia is a whore is despicable. Since Daisy`s Bohemianism is likely paid for by Tom, she is more the whore than Cecilia.

🇺🇸 Liberty and Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable. 🇺🇸

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

TanteWaileka says > Towards the end of the movie they tried to make Cecilia's character 'manipulative and selfish' but they hadn't developed her character well enough prior to that to really make that a case. After all, she let that drunken, no good bum (former boxer) live with them and be their erstwhile 'butler'. She also lived out in the country when she wanted to live in the city. She did that for LOVE.

I don't think Cecilia's character had to be any more developed than she was. She started off defending Tom when his father spoke negatively of him. She seemed to believe in him and was supportive, understanding, and respectful of who he wanted to be.

After they got married Cecilia didn't seem to care what Tom wanted. To his face she agreed with anything then she manipulated him to get him to do what she wanted. When that didn't work she locked him out of the bedroom. When Tom brought up having kids she kept brushing it off saying they'd discuss it later. Some people may think it's okay for a wife to behave that way; lie, manipulate, and control, but I don't.

You may say she did these things for love but I don't think that's true. She knew who he was before she married him. He lived in the country; published the kinds of books he wanted to publish; helped his friends; and planned to be his own man, not someone who lived off his father or let himself be controlled. Tom was even open and honest with Cecilia about his prior relationship with Daisy.

...in the ened he goes back to Daisy, his 'real' wife, well they deserve each other and if this was real life Cecilia would have mourned then married a BETTER man than Tom.

You're right. That was exactly the point of him saying he was going back to his wife. Tom and Daisy deserve each other. They deserve an honest and loving spouse not one who's manipulative and controlling.

By her actions, Cecilia showed she did not want Tom. What she wanted was his family's money, their social standing, and a version of Tom she tried to mold to her liking. She ditched her boyfriend Owen to marry Tom then was ready to start up again with him later; some devoted wife she was.

Hopefully she understood the meaning of the money on the mantle. It was for services rendered and to buy her out of his life. Like a prostitute, she used her 'affections' to get the things she wanted out of Tom so he paid her off like any other two-bit hooker.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] jonkennedy 8 years ago

Spot on. After Cecilia locked Tom out of the bedroom for not getting what she wanted, she is suddenly all lovey dovey when she thinks he will accept his father's huge check and move into the city. Tom's suspicions are thus confirmed that she really married him for his money and social position.

[–] raventhom 8 years ago

I totally agree with you!, I saw Tom (ashley wilkes) all over again, weak as water, wanting his cake n eating it too., Only he wasn't even the realist Ashley was. Myrna was lovely as always and the part she played, was excellent. She was the only honest one of the 3, and as for "Daisy", She would have looked more at home with Regan

[–] mdonln 9 years ago

tom-1356 says > The final line in the movie "I'm going back to my wife" seems a bit strange as he's leaving his wife, no? I must have missed something.

You didn't just miss something; you seem to have missed the point of the entire movie.

You're right about Tom being married to Cecelia. She is his wife but slowly he discovers Cecelia is his wife in name only. The person to whom he's really committed, and who is committed to him, is Daily.

He endorses the check and leaves it on the mantle for Cecilia because she always treats him like he's her customer in a bordello.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]