MovieChat Forums > Still Alice (2015) Discussion > Was I the only one who thought Alec Bald...

Was I the only one who thought Alec Baldwin was cheating on her?

posted 10 years ago by asc85
40 replies | jump to latest

There were a number of scenes where he announced he was working late, there was at least one time he suddenly had to take an important call and left the table. I kept saying to my wife, "he must be cheating on her," and kept waiting for that to be shown during the movie. But much to my embarrassment, it never happened! I didn't read the book, and if it's not in the book, that makes sense, but seeing so many films in my life, all the "cheating" conventions were there (or so I thought).

[–] Yinky 9 years ago

I wondered that myself. Esp when he just packed up and left. We never saw him, say, coming back on the weekends or anything. I'm sort of glad they didn't reveal that he was...it would have dragged the movie into cliche territory.

Butchaknow, I have known more than one person who had a spouse that remarried within a year of their spouse's death. So I imagine it's not all that uncommon.

[–] Cali7 9 years ago

Yes, I totally thought the same thing!! All those late night work sessions, the abrupt phone call at the dinner table, missing her speech at the Alzheimer's Association...definitely seemed like something was up. I was pleasantly surprised when that didn't happen, though. Although I still feel like he was a bit of a dick for leaving his ailing wife to pursue that job in Minnesota. In a way, you could say he was cheating on her with his job!

[–] sassenach43 9 years ago

I didn't see the film, but in the book he did not miss her speech, and it wasn't clear if he was cheating or not--they never came right out and said it, but as the story was strictly from Alice's POV, it's possible he WAS she cheating and she just wasn't aware of it.

Jena

[–] jwisa 9 years ago

As I understand it, he was an ambitious medical doctor and a college professor at an Ivy League school (Columbia). The movie implied that he was very successful in these endeavors, since he received an appointment from The Mayo Clinic. People in that position often legitimately work late and often have to take important calls for which, if they're polite, they would leave a dinner table.

She was also an ambitious researcher and college professor. She, no doubt, lived and understood these things.

Granted, these are almost cliched ways in which cheating spouses cheat but they wouldn't be effective if non-cheating spouses didn't often have to face the same challenges.

I empathized with him and never suspected he was cheating. Perhaps I'm naive.

[–] Kariann1964 9 years ago

I didn't think he was cheating while they were together. Many research and science investigators get obsessed with their projects. However, I thought he might cheat when he left and was living in another state.

[–] paxtonaddleman 9 years ago

Although, at that point, I don't think it could be considered cheating. His wife is gone - he will likely never again be able to have a real conversation with her about their children, their careers, their future plans together. When your spouse doesn't even know who you are, you get a pass.

Of course, you still have an obligation to your spouse's care, but I assumed he (and their insurance) would pay for home care and then a nursing home.

But you simply cannot have a real marriage with a person whose mind has regressed to the knowledge and understanding of a small child, and I don't know anyone with a debilitating and degenerative illness who wouldn't tell her/his spouse to start moving on.

[–] clever-username 9 years ago

That depends on your vows.
Most still opt for the 'better or worse' 'until death' version.
This is a great example of the types of 'worse' that are realistically common over a lifetime.

But if you've opted for the 'while still convenient' version, you're right.

[–] paxtonaddleman 9 years ago

It's hardly about convenience. How can you have a marriage with someone who is no longer legally a consenting adult?

If you were in Alice's condition, would you expect your spouse to live alone and abstinent for years until your body finally gave in and died?

Most marriage vows are still "til death do us part", but death is not always a clear, discrete moment in time. Sometimes the process of death takes years, and pinpointing the moment when a person's life has effectively ended is not easy.

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 9 years ago

I agree with you. I can't blame him for pursuing his work, or another relationship.

The one thing that really angered me was his blowing her off when she desperately wanted her phone.

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[–] taxvictim 9 years ago

If the husband had not been played by Alec Baldwin, you may not have thought it. This was a very straight role for him, but with Baldwin you always suspect the hanky panky...

...ever since he cheated on Melanie Griffith in Working Girl.

...ever since he cheated with Nicole Kidman in Malice.

...ever since he cheated with Elle McPherson in The Edge.

...ever since he cheated with Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Stiles in State and Main.

...ever since he cheated on Meryl Streep with Lake Bell, and vice versa, in It's Complicated.

etc.

[–] mcattell9507 9 years ago

I agree. Alice's husband was married to his work, and another actor may have portrayed that better. Alex Baldwin always gives off a shifty vibe.. in my opinion.

[–] saucygurl 9 years ago

I agree - I was very disappointed to hear that he had been cast as Alice's husband. NOT who I would have cast after reading this great novel. I had pictured a more subdued scholarly-looking not so famous actor.

[–] Aim-JE 9 years ago

I was very disappointed to hear that he had been cast as Alice's husband.

Funny thing is Julianne Moore suggested the role of Dr. John Howland to Alec Baldwin because they wanted to work together again. They played a couple on 30 Rock.

"Well, you're dead now, so shut up."

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 9 years ago

Don't forget just recently, in 2013, playing a wealthy husband who cheated on the Cate Blanchett character in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine.

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[–] Prismark10 9 years ago

I also think Baldwin's casting makes people think he was cheating.

It's that man again!!

[–] TxMike 9 years ago

All who have responded ... you DO realize the characters are fictional? You DO realize it is about Alice beginning to fictionally develop dementia? Whether her fictional husband was fictionally cheating or not has NO relevance to the story. There is nothing specifically in the movie to indicate that he was.

Why do people waste time thinking about something which is totally irrelevant? In a fictional movie? It seems to me you are getting out of touch with reality.

..*.. TxMike ..*..
Make a choice, to take a chance, to make a difference.

[–] alexdengland 9 years ago

It's art bro, that's how you engage art. No reason to try to *beep* on everyone that enjoys this sort of thing.

[–] GuyOnTheLeft 9 years ago

No doubt! "Reading between the lines" is what engaging with art is all about?

Every so often I run into people who make these kinds of arguments, and I wonder why they are even on an IMDB board...? I mean, what other point is there to these boards?

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[–] Helenlaurence 9 years ago

Hahaha, good point! ?

[–] Mithol 9 years ago

Just because he was working all the time doesn't mean he was cheating. That's a tired cliche.

[–] bwilliam45 9 years ago

John Howland was a busy professional engrossed in his work.

[–] lizcarlo87 9 years ago

His character was not cheating. I'm glad they did not take that path in the movie. He had job that requires a lot of hours of work.