MovieChat Forums > The One I Love (2014) Discussion > What is the psychiatrist getting out of ...

What is the psychiatrist getting out of this? Also, the force field.

posted 9 years ago by angeles_st_ides
10 replies | jump to latest

The debate about the ending can never be solved, and I think that was the point, though I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts. My one first thought was the Ethan 1 took Sophie 2 without realizing it. Though reading various threads here, it's hard to know! I can see why she may have had a very sudden change of heart about her husband, E2, people do that sometimes, very quick 180 about how they feel about someone. Based on E2s behavior in the last few moments, that may have been her breaking point where she lost all feelings for him and just though "hey, I'm getting out of here, and E1 is my way out". But why she would stay with E1 after provides more of a mystery. She showed no inclination for him whatsoever, she could have left him right away, but she didn't. Hmmmmmmmm Lots of food for thought here. And no real right or wrong answer. I DID think it was rather contrived that S1 would have brought TWO identical outfits for a 2 - 3 day weekend getaway. Not likely that would happen. I know they needed that to get to the ending, but it rings a bit false.

On to my question, which I haven't seen addressed: what is the marriage counselor getting out of this? Why would he set up this macabre scenario and imprison people there? And how do you set up a force field that will only let 2 people in or out - but not a single - and somehow knows when the 2 people are "ready", have passed the test required to get out?

I know the force field thing is one of those "suspension of disbelief" things, and not having ANY motive on the part of the psychologist doesn't ruin the movie for me, but still, it would nice if they had given him one. Or shown some aspect of his character that would demonstrate why he'd be prone to doing something like this. Maybe he's just a sadist/psychopath? But, in that case, well, most people with that bent need to see and be present to the suffering they inflict in order to make it worth while. A bit of background on that character would have been nice.

All that said, I really liked this movie a lot! Much more than I expected to.

[–] TxMike 9 years ago

It isn't a topic that interests me but it HAS been brought up and discussed here, maybe you can find it if you read through the threads.

..*.. TxMike ..*..
Take a risk, Take a chance, Make a change. Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

[–] angeles_st_ides 9 years ago

Yes, I went through the first couple "pages" of comment threads to see if I could find one. I try to do that, in order to prevent re posting a topic. But when I get to page 3 or 4 and I still don't see a topic, I go ahead and start a new thread. Because that generally means it has not been discussed in quite awhile and, I admit, because I lose patience searching for the thread in comment boards that often have dozens of pages to weed through.

[–] angeles_st_ides 9 years ago

So, just went back 10 pages, spent 20 minutes doing it and found ONE post on this topic, and not much theorizing. So, again, if anyone has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

[–] astha10024 8 years ago

There are many threads here started on the same topic of E1 leaving with S1 in the end. Better go and post this over there smartass. This is one different post and I would rather read this than the same thing over and over again. If you have nothing to contribute to the post, just don't post anything.

[–] Dr_Pillepalle 9 years ago

I saw some posts saying he was Puck. I am not familiar with midsummer night's dream myself so I can't elaborate on that. But I think either he was one of *them* or he discovered that this place can "fix" couples and is doing that.

[–] pappaus 9 years ago

This is a super film - The "suspension of disbelief" factor is huge but it did not take anything away from the movie for me -

This is the Ted Danson (or his employers) thought process --

I have technology that will
a) transform the appearance of two people to be completely like two other people while doing their body scans and surveillance recordings completely without the knowledge or detection of the two people. PS this transformation leaves no scars or swelling

b) Create a force field that will cover a lot of area, mind read the couple leaving so that only a couple not trying escape can leave. This field also has no detectable power source. Somehow this field has to know when someone is trying to escape or just going into town for sandwiches so that the level of "stun" can be set. *You do not want to kill someone who is just hungry"

c) Not to mention the doors that lock automatically and unlock depending on the location of the principals.

This expensive technology has been created and the people who run this technology is only using it for marriage counseling!!!!

Egads!

[–] Rob-O-Cop 9 years ago

Answer - it's not scifi, it's supernatural

[–] astha10024 8 years ago

I think it was just his last resort as a therapist. He knew about this place which doesn't let two people who fall out of love leave. So, anybody who is coming out of there is still in love or has not fallen out of love yet. So, it was just his way of completing his therapy with the couples. When in the middle of the movie, Ethan calls him to tell him what a hellish place he had sent them to, he must have realised something went wrong. And that's why he fled from his office.

[–] debscott116 8 years ago

Coming in late to this but there's something supernatural and metaphorically going on. In the old days they'd use the word "enchanted" or perhaps "cursed" to describe what's going on. Think of "Beauty and the Beast". We know that's a fairytale so we don't need to question why they can't leave the castle. This is a modern day fairytale with great dialog and understanding of relationships.

The force field is a symbol of couples being trapped in a relationship. You can't move foreward or you're stuck in the past as shown in the opening swimming pool scene.

The force field is also a device to force the characters to make decisions: to change or not change and to decide who they really love.

I'm in the E1+S2 ending camp. I feel that once Sophie1 felt love and happiness with E2 she could never go back to E1. It was Sophie1 who was sad at the end kneeling beside E2. And Ethan1, for all his talk of wanting what's real, was easily fooled by a smiling S2.

The truth is the relationship was over. Sophie required Ethan to change or be a person he could never be. Ethan couldn't/wouldn't do that.

Sophie was resentful and untrusting of Ethan. She also wasn't happy and hadn't been for a long time. Once she felt happiness she was fully committed to E2.

[–] debscott116 8 years ago

As for the therapist, IMO, he's either doing good by "helping" the poor couples who are stranded in the force field by introducing a new unhappy couple to take their place or he's evil and it's an ongoing cycle of teaching harsh lessons to mere mortals.