MovieChat Forums > The Man in the Moon (1991) Discussion > Do you think Maureen was in the wrong?

Do you think Maureen was in the wrong?

posted 16 years ago by MsCurlsNCurves
38 replies | jump to latest

If not, why?
If so, tell how you would have handled things differently.

So after looking at another post I think she was in the wrong but only at a certain point. As stated by another post Maureen && Court hardly talked or hung out and they ended up having sex && "falling for one another"...while on the other hand Danii && Court have talked and hung out and gottenn to know each other && that age difference monster reared its ugly head....I truly think Court only lusted for Maureen because he couldn't have Dani. Maureen was like Dai only older && with more experience && Maureen maybe liked Court because he was different, nice, sweet and gentle. But whether or not they loved or lusted for another is beside the point. They both knew that Dani had a thing for him and if they felt themselves starting to fall for one another it could've at least been nice to have a head's up fro either Maureen or Court...mainly Maureen since she is her sister. I wouldn've at least told her that her && Court has been feeling something for one another.

[–] venturaa 11 years ago

Yes. But so was Court. They were both insensitive to Dani's feelings. But alas, young lust...

Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?

[–] DeusExKatrina 11 years ago

Maureen not only knew that her sister Dani liked Court, she knew they had kissed! That's "girl code" number one. Stealing your sister's boyfriend is terrible under any circumstances, but for your classically beautiful sister to steal away her little sister's boyfriend when Dani's a tomboy with far fewer options with boys, that's extremely cruel.

---
"Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame."

[–] shayislove726 11 years ago

Okay, so just because Court had been the person Maureen "always hoped to find", she automatically gets warranted as being in love? No matter how anyone tries to justify her situation with Court, the fact remains that she barely knew him. Simple as that. As some other posters have already stated, their relationship was based purely on lust and I don't get how anyone could not see that. Court took one look at Maureen and saw a hot chick. Maureen was desperate for a guy to give her the attention she wanted and she jumped as soon as she saw an attractive boy on her front porch. There was nothing interesting about their paring at all, and we certainly didn't feel the same spark and interest as we did with Court and Dani.

Dani did not just have a crush on Court. He didn't just show up on her front porch and have her swept away by his good looks. She actually hated him when she first met him, and in time, developed deep feelings for him. I'm also not buying that he only liked her as a friend. If anything, I think he forced himself to control his emotions. The age difference was something that he just couldn't look past and that ruined their very special relationship. They had so much more chemistry in such an authentic way. I always enjoyed their good moments together.

Both Maureen and Court were in the wrong. Maureen KNEW EXACTLY how Dani felt about Court. However, her own selfishness lead her to deceive her sister, anyway. Court KNEW EXACTLY how Dani felt about him, but was too horny to care. (to put it in a nutshell) And he lied when he said to Maureen, "I tried telling her", when Maureen asks him if Dani knows that she is only his "close buddy". He never tried telling her that. In fact, when he and Dani were sitting on the porch, she wanted him to kiss her and his exact words were, "aren't you gonna let me try first?".

I think Court had suppressed feelings for Dani but already felt guilty about from the first time he nearly kissed her. All because she is 14.

[–] zerlinde6 11 years ago

I agree that Maureen was in the wrong, too. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned is how Maureen was going away to college after the summer, so why did she even bother with Cort? What if he hadn't died? She would have gone off & probably have met some college guy, eventually breaking his heart. He & Dani would've eventually been a better pairing, considering she would still be around for a while, as would Cort, since he had to take care of his family.
But no. Maureen just had to be selfish & deceptive & have what she wanted when she wanted it, and she wasn't above burning her sister. I mean, we all saw the same movie--y'all know that unrelenting look of prowess Maureen had on her face. Oh yes, but she did hesitate with Cort...for about two hours!
And what really sticks in my craw is how
Maureen gets all the support & comforting after Cort died. Dani got none, and on top of that, was expected to forgive & comfort her sister.
I'm not saying Cort wasn't in the wrong, because he seriously was, as well. What an a**hole.

[–] glean7 11 years ago

I agree with you zerlinde6. You make some excellent points. Maureen was definitely in the wrong. I believe that it was partially Maureen's fault that Cort had his accident and died b/c he was fantasizing about her. I guess he was so damn horny that he wanted an older and more experienced girl to sleep with and didn't want to wait til Dani grew up. Maureen was selfish for going out with Cort b/c Dani had a thing for him. If she was really a good sister she would have told him, "No, this is wrong, I'm going off to college in the fall and will meet other guys, Dani is my sister and she likes you."

[–] skinsk05 10 years ago

It's been decades since I've seen this, and for the record I am a much older sister (who took her younger sister to see it!). We grew up in Louisiana.

A 17 year old boy, esp one who is now in the role of a man, is just not interested in a 14 year old kid, and that's what Dani was. Maureen was someone his age who he could really be with. She wasn't acting to hurt Dani, so it wasn't "wrong". She liked Court on his own merits as he liked her. I don't think either considered Dani a real potential. She was a 14 year old kid with a crush!

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 10 years ago

I think both Maureen and Court behaved very badly with regard to Dani's feelings, but I also think you can't help who you fall in love with, so like you said, she was wrong up to a certain point.

I think she should have told Dani about her feelings for Court before sleeping with him, but like another poster said, at that age, sometimes the passion is just too great and you can't think straight.

So anyway, to answer your question, she was wrong, but it wasn't a totally unforgivable wrong.

[–] sludgehound 10 years ago

"but it wasn't a totally unforgivable wrong." Classic line! For sure that's the message at the end laid out in fishing boat by dad.
Court does give Dani the message couple times before being knocked over by big sis. He sees her total inexperience not as something to exploit rather as something precious to protect. Hard to be mad in love with someone you are seeing as still needing a guardian. Lets Dani know it's the guy who should be signaling to the girl, not the girl setting up the game as just fresh meat.
Then he nails it down over the dinner and final use of "kid" as he drives off.

He certainly had his emotions well bottled up about her which made the Maureen encounter so much more explosive. And M was coming off that late nite car ride decision. Obviously she could have the male side at her choosing, but nothing grabbed HER. Just the other way around. M - Court attraction was mutual not that one-sided pattern she'd encountered. Timing just perfect, not forced.

Remarkably well played and paced story. Reese was so bouncy and natural. Everyone solid. At beginning with the 'dirty old man' routine at the dance I was hoping this thing wasn't going to unfold in some weird way. But then the family part kicked in and it was so wonderful. Never skipped a beat. This is what filmmaking should be all about.

[–] amybeth222-792-296033 10 years ago

I see both sides of that...Maureen's actions hurt Dani, but lust can make a person do crazy things!
And as soon as Cort saw Maureen, he really treated Dani like crap. Nasty to her or not even speaking to her at all...he's the one who had spent time with Dani and knew how she felt about him, but totally dumped her like a ton of bricks.

[–] BensGirl (590) 4 years ago

I think she was 100% wrong. She knew her sister had feelings for Court, even if it wasn’t going anywhere. She knew for a fact it would hurt Dani. In no way was she in the right. You just don’t do that.