What if the father had arranged a perfect last year for a son?

jdstewart1 says > Notice that the story you suggest has never been filmed.

That's not exactly true. The exact flip side of this story may not exist but there are plenty of movies in which the guy is in some ways in Ellen's shoes. He has a short time to live or he has some other sob story so he's set up with a young lady who's basically just in it for the money or because she feels sorry for him. Often the man arranges the union himself; telling the girl, 'I know you don't love me' but I'll love you enough for the both of us...'

Sometimes it's a young guy heading off to war and he just wants to be married to a girl who is waiting for him; someone to write letters to him; send care packages; and just think of him. The quick honeymoon is also a plus so he won't die a virgin. At times his friends may arrange a 'date' with a 'pro'fessional woman aka prostitute. They pay her in advance and she agrees to come on to him; never revealing his pals were behind it. Usually it turns out she has a heart of gold, falls in love with him and he turns out to be filthy rich. Often the groom is a much older man who has plenty of money but needs love and companionship. He usually even agrees there will be no sex or, if there is, she can get out whenever she wants.

I've seen plenty of those movies but don't ask me to name any of them. I watch a lot of movies but I usually only see them once so I don't always remember the titles.

That said, I do have to agree with you in a way. Ellen was a charity case because she was a woman. She resigned herself to being a lifelong spinster but there was an inherit sadness to it that her father detected. Guys usually aren't presented that way because the theory is women are so desperate to get married a guy can always find someone to marry them; especially if they have a lot of money.

It's almost a given that a man can find a wife but a woman has to be asked. If she's plain, too old, boring, or sickly having money won't necessarily help. A rich guy can just take his pick so a parent wouldn't need to get involved.

There's one more aspect of the set-up marriage for a man that I haven't mentioned; and this one we see in movies all the time. The guy is a notorious playboy who is dead set against marriage. Instead of a potential spinster, he's a confirmed bachelor so for him it's a good thing. His friends and family - usually a mother or another older female relative will set him up with a nice girl or some girl they deem as an appropriate wife. She's usually someone he might never have looked twice at or considered for a date. They'll plot and plan to get him to fall for her and they marry. Later when he learns it was a set up, he doesn't get emotional like Helen. Instead it's usually no big deal because the assumption is that's what women do to get men to marry them. They're in love so all is well.

In some ways the movie the OP describes has never been made but that's because there are specific gender-related reasons that don't get attributed to men. Similar types of movies do exist, however, with a slight twist.


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

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