How did you feel about Rachel (Hahn) and McKenna (Temple) in the end?

YES! That scene was heartbreaking! It was probably the most potent scene in the whole film, easily trumping any of the scenes in which Rachel ATTEMPTED but failed to explain how or why she felt so unhappy. McKenna was the heart of the movie but the director treated her as some sort of Tinkerbell, blonde, petite and happened to never make any sense but able to come in and whip around a magic wand before leaving abruptly. There was the weird wiccan line early on in the film that I found hilarious but turned out to feel out of sync with the entire film. Allusions to her mom, friends, talents other than those related to sex but not much more. I'd honestly much rather watch a film about McKenna or even Rachel's husband than what we ended up getting.



I should be doing something else besides posting here. You too... Just a reminder.

It's easier to allow others to watch your own kids, but to know who the person really is and thinking how others may feel when they find out.

It's hard to go through that.

If I knew someone as a murderer, I wouldn't mind them watching my kids, and no one else knowing if I trust the person..
But if they were asked to watch 3 others because that person is my friend.
But my other friends had no idea he/she was a murderer. Things would come to my head like, what if they find out? They would really hate me for allowing this person to watch their little children.

So much easier to say yes for your own kids because you already know the outcome of what you will think when you find out the person is a murderer because, you already knew.

Also - was I the only person who found it weirdly offensive that, while she trusted McKenna to babysit her son, the minute girls were involved, Rachel acted as if prostitution were somehow catching? Are little girls some vulnerable than little boys?

I think that had more to do with the fact that her opinion of McKenna changed right after she participated in the sex work with her. The scene where the other mothers asked her to babysit occurred right after Rachel had gone with McKenna to that guy's place. And I think it was a bit different with her son because Rachel didn't actually have a job and was basically constantly supervising McKenna watching her son vs. the princess party where McKenna would be all alone with other people's children.

I think you missed a few points. First, Rachel has a very idealized notion of what McKenna does for a living. When she actually "observes" one of her sessions and is repulsed by the man and what McKenna does. At that point she doesn't want McKenna around her friend's daughters. She doesn't want that influence on her children.

I think one of the more subtle points of the movie is the part about drawing a distinction between what someone does and what someone IS. The "hooker with a heart of gold" is a motif and McKenna is NOT that stereotype. She's angry that she's been cut off from the kids and decides to take it out on Rachel by seducing her husband. HE doesn't take the bait though, but his friend does. It's a very subtle scene, but you can tell that the Rachel's husband is actually a bit jealous that McKenna moved on from him to his friend. Later he asks if Rachel wanted him to sleep with McKenna; reinforcing the point.

McKenna's actions were all orchestrated. Note, she had plans for herself that night and changed them to enact them. And, when Rachel comes home, she makes sure to tell EVERYONE all the details about who she is. McKenna is not a good person regardless of how good she is as a nanny.

Rachel doesn't come out of this unscathed. She's lost 2 good friends probably forever. And her reputation is obviously tarnished if you remember all the looks at the day care center.

Amy: I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!

Exactly burgundyslip. That scene almost made me choke up. So damn sad. She took giving the girls a princess party to heart.

I just watched it and also agree. That scene was completely heartbreaking! They brought McKenna into their home and introduced her to their circle of friends. When she was asked to sit the girls Mckenna went out right away and bought all the fun princess girly stuff with her own money and on her own time, and she really put a lot of thought into it.

I may have read a little deeper thinking it would be part of the process of healing the lost child in herself- they would have had the "best night ever". I imagine the little girls would have had so much fun and would have raved about McKenna for weeks. She would have been asked back again, and it could have opened up new doors and opportunities for her.

Instead they basically told her that she wasn't good enough, in a way saying (without actually saying it) that she is only good enough to be a whore. McKenna was brutally honest about what she did for money, but didn't let it necessarily define her, she had a good heart. Rachel was such a hypocrite, if they really wanted to help her they would have trusted her and accepted her into the group rather than shun her. They all displayed deplorable personality traits, at least McKenna was honest about hers.

And Jeff was being way inappropriate with her. Does that make him garbage too? Rachel lied from the very start while McKenna never misrepresented herself. I think that she and her client were the only the only decent people we get to know. I think the others didn't like her largely because she didn't feel shame for her profession. Or for needing a profession at 22.

True, but men should be able to discern between right and wrong in that situation.