MovieChat Forums > The Virgin Suicides (2000) Discussion > Debutante balls?

Debutante balls?

posted 11 years ago by eolloe
4 replies | jump to latest

It seemed a bit out of place that the narrator described coming-out parties for the girls, and if I remember right, I think the narrator used the word "mansions." The Lisbons and the boys all seemed solidly middle-class. The father was a schoolteacher, and it seemed the mother was a homemaker (not unusual for early '70s). The neighborhood looked comfortable but the houses weren't that large, especially for the Lisbons, with all those kids.

Wouldn't debutante balls like that have been very unusual for middle-class Michigan in the early '70s?

[–] kaskait 11 years ago

Back in the 70's many good neighborhoods were a mix of rich and middle class. Also pay scales were not out of wack like they are today leading to CEO's making mega-millions even if their leadership is a big, fat failure.

The Lisbons and some of the boys were middle class. Trip seemed to be upper middle. The girls shown at the end were clearly rich. I have my doubts they attended the catholic school shown in the film. But the boys were invited because they were from the neighborhood.

[–] DryToast 11 years ago

I ran this question by a friend of mine born and raised in Grosse Pointe and he said, "Absolutely not unusual."

But of course the movie was filmed in Toronto so the houses we see may not reflect what Grosse Pointe actually looks like.

"You must sing him your prettiest songs, then perhaps he will want to marry you."

[–] dunbar7 11 years ago

Michigan must not be very film-friendly. Even Grosse Pointe Blank wasn't filmed in Grosse Pointe (or not much of it, anyway).

"She's, like, a biscuit older than me..."

[–] maxtshea 10 years ago

Roger & Me was filmed in Michigan, including a scene in Grosse Point -- if you catch my drift!

The narrator is talking about the debutant balls and the genteel mansions as almost a post-script to the main story. He wasn't saying his family or the girls across the street had debutante balls, but the rich kids did.