Trip and Lux - The Virgin Suicides (2000) Discussion

[–] CasseroleWorshipper 13 years ago

The general consensus seems to be that once Trip had conquered her sexually, he just became uninterested in her, though of course as he later would say, he really did love her, just didn't realise that at the time.
I don't mean to impose, but I am the Ocean.

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[–] Eleanor_1991 13 years ago

I don't think he actually loved her. It was puppy love/lust faze he had with her. She wasn't true/real love, cause nothing indicated that and he barely even knew her. He cared about her, but as he got older, i'm pretty sure he figured out that it wasn't love, it's was a crush/lust, and her death made it even deeper.

"You and me, You and me, Nobody baby but you and me" - Blue Valentine

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[–] spacepuppy1999 12 years ago

But to just leave her there?
No, he was not an ok guy. Even if the infatuation had lost its magic that night a simple, "Let's go." would have been the decent thing to do -- not just leaving her there asleep, to the elements, and God knows what else.

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[–] ilahilda 12 years ago

So true, he could have woken her up if he cared, maybe they could have stayed at his dad's house, and let her wash up. They could have made up a good excuse, like his dad picked them up and it was too late to drive her home or something like that.

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[–] highschoolkiller 11 years ago

if he cared he wouldnt have left.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDXPiykZhnM&feature=plcp

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[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] coney_island_baby 11 years ago

In the book he says something like 'I just got sick of her right then' (it's also not clear whether or not she's actually asleep when he leaves). During sex she gets anxious and tearful 'I always mess this up', and I think it just changes how he feels about her. She goes from being a very animalistic, sexually exciting, unattainable woman with wisdom beyond her years to just any old vulnerable teenage girl.

Also, Trip was only 17/18. People don't make good decisions at that age! Actually, Trip doesn't seem to make good decisions at any age if you consider where he ends up!

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[–] dunyadoom 11 years ago

Too bad it wasn't in the movie, it surely makes sense and clears things up!
Her self-blame and vulnerability under the apparent insensitive and seductive look ("a stone fox"). And now when he sees her as a person, not only a mysterious object, she is demystified and he dismisses her. He punishes her in a way for not being what he expected.

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[–] bpollen 10 years ago

Where did he end up?

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[–] Guamley 10 years ago

My guess would be an alcohol/drug rehab.

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[–] brian3151 9 years ago

I just watched this again last night, and I think she was much more experienced, and he left her on the field out of disgust.

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[–] Therunningbrook 11 years ago

I believe he was essentially having sex with himself. This may sound ridiculous but I will try to elaborate til reason.

Trip could have any girl he wanted and when Lux strayed away from his flirtations his ego was shattered. He began to try very hard to please Lux and when he finally had sex with her, he metaphorically reached his own climax in terms of his potential and left her alone on the field because in his perception, she didn't matter any more. She was a door to Trip himself which reminds me of the Lou Reed lyric, "Why it is though she's the door She can't be the room," (which is a little unrelated but its freakin sad that he died today, so RIP Louie)

The director also showed Trip as an adult. I never read the book but I assume he is in a hospital because a health care professional reminds him his group meeting is about to start. It shows that Trip reached his height in high school and declined in mental health as an adult. If you remember, he made love to Lux (physically) on a football field, which is another aspect of himself. He made love to her in his own world in a sense. The important thing is that Trip says its rare to love anyone like that but at least he did it. I don't think he will ever love anyone as much as himself and it shows consistently throughout the Virgin Suicides that he is a troubled narcissist.

If anyone disagrees or feels I'm missing something, please share your thoughts

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[–] manofsteel4455 10 years ago

if anyone even remotely gave a sh**t about Lux or any of the other Lisbon girls it was those four boys.

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[–] Injinn 10 years ago

I think you may be right. In any case, it is, by far, one of the most well-thought-out reasons I have read.

It seems different from just a guy who conquered a girl and then forgot about her. Clearly he still remembers her all those years later. If he was just a skirt chaser, he would have moved on and never gave Lux a second thought.

Like Dotty said on a different topic, the real pull of the Lisbon sisters was their mystery. They weren't any different from normal girls -- it was the aftermath of their suicides that fueled the boys' obsessive love for them. They'll always be a mystery, which means the boys' own fevered minds can invent whatever dream they want about the life they might have had with the girls.

If Lux and her sisters had not committed suicide, and had gone away with the boys at the end, they (the boys) likely would have found out the same thing Trip had: that they are just girls.

Not enigmatic living fantasies -- just girls.

Trip just managed to live the dream for one night, then Lux's suicide just reignited the fantasy.

If she had lived, he probably would not have dwelt on her for the rest of his life. She would have just been one in a string of girls.

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[–] coldturkey30 9 years ago

Didnt any of you guys hear of the 4 Fs ???

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