MovieChat Forums > Little Children (2007) Discussion > Why does Sarah's friend get upset?

Why does Sarah's friend get upset?

posted 12 years ago by missgreen16
19 replies | jump to latest

I've seen this movie several times and really enjoy it, but there's one part I never quite understood. When Sarah comes back from her "vacation" with Brad and sees her friend who babysat her daughter, the friend gets really mad and storms out the door. It seemed at first she was upset that Sarah offered her money for watching the daughter, but that didn't seem to be all of it. When Sarah said, "Is something wrong?" the friend just replied, "No, she's a lovely child." or something like that. What was that scene about?

I asked for ketchup, I'm eating salad here!

[–] Jamie_C 12 years ago

This is the only part of the movie I don't get.

[–] DivaJ75 12 years ago

I was someone here would have an explanation.

"Give a hand to my band, Sexual Chocolate!" Coming to America

[–] gmansi 11 years ago

The friend knew, somehow, about Sarah adventure or affaire... so she waited a sincere answer or confesion.... when Sarah say "My friend is better thanks" or something like this... she knew Sarah will keep the lie so she feel bad about that.

[–] deem714 12 years ago

I don't know either.. In fact there is FAQ about this on this site. The answer (I don't know what retard posted this) eludes to Lucy saying something to tip the friend off. I don't understand why or how a three year old who hits her mother would know that her mother was *having an affair* with Brad. The answer said "daughter has given her information to suspect infidelity." I mean how would a three year old who calls her mother bad when she forgets a snack know what the hell was going on???

Even stupider... another answer is that she was embarassed by Sarah repeatingly offering to pay the friend.. Just a No thank you, it was my pleasure" and a hug would have been fine, but some think the friend is just embarassed over the money offering.

The friend reminds me of former first Lady Laura Bush for some reason.

I think Lucy is adorable to look at and somewhat to talk to but I can see why Sarah is tired of her from time to time... she doesn't nap, she refuses to go into a stroller or a car seat, she hits her mother and calls her bad for forgetting a snack.

"Oh Thank you God! Thank you so BLOODY much!" Basil Fawlty

[–] jannispetersen 12 years ago

I thought that Sarah probably came way later home than expected and let the sitter hang there, because the sitter couldn't just leave the kid. She probably had other things to do, but Sarah didn't care and had sex with Brad till noon the next day. When Sarah finally got home, all mushy and fluffy after her affair weekend, the sitter got upset because Sarah offered no apology and stormed out.

[–] fiatlux-1 12 years ago

Because she knew what Sarah was really doing on her 'weekend'. And she didn't approve. She also was infuriated that Sarah didn't seem to care about her loving daughter, and shunted Lucy aside to go whoring with another man.

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] punkgirly 12 years ago

How did the friend know? And if she knew and didn't approve, why did her tone/body language change in the middle of the scene, rather than the friend being upset at Sarah as soon as Sarah got home?

Sarah walked in and the neighbor was fine and welcomed her back. But then she leaves in a huff and is obviously mad at Sarah.

How could the friend know--she doesn't even know that Brad exists!! I'm not doubting you, but the scene is just so weird and confusing.

[–] OutForAWalkB-tch 12 years ago

To me, it seemed as though the friend's attitude changed right in the middle of that scene. When Sarah first comes in, her friend is chipper and talkative; it's only after the repeated "let me pay you"s that she became sullen.

I think she went from feeling like part of the family, lovingly watching Lucy as a favor for her friend, to feeling like hired help.

I hear the drizzle of the rain. Like a memory it falls.

[–] punkgirly 12 years ago

Right, which is why it's confusing. She's fine when Sarah comes back but then she ended up storming out. I was hoping someone on here would know!

[–] vedrana_a 12 years ago

I think because she found out about Sarah's relationship with Brad.

[–] lberr17319 12 years ago

I just watched this last night and now I wish I hadn't deleted it from my DVR because I would watch this scene again. However, when Sarah walks in, there is a huge banner hanging that says "Welcome Home Mommy" and it looks like all kinds of little crafts were made by Lucy. The sitter says it was a very "busy" day, but Sarah doesn't even acknowledge the decorations, ask about her daughter, or anything. She just offers the money, like it must have been a chore. I think possibly that is what offended the sitter, Sarah's lack of acknowledgement. Think about it, if you were gone for the night and your 4 y/o put up a banner welcoming you home, wouldn't you be going....OMG....wow....I can't believe you did all of this!!! Sarah doesn't say a word about it, she just looks uncomfortable with it.

[–] katspajamas22 11 years ago

This is exactly what it is. The sitter can sense how neglectful Sarah is of her own beautiful daughter. She probably did not call over night to ask about or see if she could talk to Lucy. She comes home to a big banner made by her daughter and doesn't even acknowledge it or ask about her daughter or how's she's been or what they did. The sitter has to tell her and Sarah acts uninterested then insists on paying her, as if the act of watching her daughter must have been an unfulfilling chore, the way Sarah sees it. Most people would just politely deny the money and be on. But the friend was upset that Sarah was not interested in her daughter and the offering of money just brought to her the realization that Sarah does not value Lucy hardly at all.

One flew east, one flew west. One flew over the cuckoo's nest.

[–] Ras_lupo 11 years ago

I was confused by that scene and just watched it again..this seems to be the most reasonable answer. When sarah walks into the room with the banner she has a terrible look on her face and even walks out of that entrance and comes in through another.

Sheila ran off with Dennis and left Krampus all alone in dirty-ass Baltimore.

[–] archer6749 11 years ago

She comes home to a big banner made by her daughter and doesn't even acknowledge it

Yea but in case you forgot she came in through the front door, saw the banner, then snuck around the back door so she could pretend like she never even saw it.

[–] hakopyan-david 12 years ago

I can't believe no one's suggested this yet but the first thing that popped into my mind was that Sarah's daughter probably told the friend about Brad and his boy, the friend being an older woman put two and two together and realized Sarah was having an affair and was appalled that she would leave her daughter for 2-3 days to go have sex with her lover in peace. Just like Brad's little boy mentioned Sarah and her daughter to Brad's wife, and then her suspicions were aroused.

[–] Scarlett_Butler 12 years ago

It has nothing to do with the neighbor "suspecting" anything.

An above poster nailed it:

To me, it seemed as though the friend's attitude changed right in the middle of that scene. When Sarah first comes in, her friend is chipper and talkative; it's only after the repeated "let me pay you"s that she became sullen.

I think she went from feeling like part of the family, lovingly watching Lucy as a favor for her friend, to feeling like hired help.

The scene was to show how oblivious, tone-deaf, "in her own world" Sarah was, and how unreceptive to simple human kindness she was.

It's surprising how only one other poster in this thread got it. Really, it's not rocket science.

[–] Kroyall1962 10 years ago

I agree, the offer to pay seemed to offend the woman. I also think her not mentioning the banner didn't help. Or, the friend sensed something in her demeanor that alerted her to the Sarah's infidelity. Women's intuition and all.

In retrospect, there really wasn't anyone in the movie worth rooting for. In the end it seemed to be another one of those "suburban America sucks" movies.