MovieChat Forums > The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) Discussion > RE: nascent creativity

RE: nascent creativity

posted 6 years ago by [deleted]
7 replies | jump to latest

What did you think about the movie's perspective on nascent creativity? Is it something that should be nurtured by family/ friends/ society in an individual's formative years? Or, should an individual feel free to develop and pursue their interests of their own volition and free will?

I don't think you can force someone to churn out poems, or read books, or do this or that... I used to be an English tutor, and I quickly learned that some kids had the desire to learn built into them, while others simply didn't. It didn't matter how much I encouraged them to read books or be creative. Some had the aptitude, while others didn't.

How did you feel about Lisa taking a shine to little Jimmy and motivating him to write down/ recite his poems?

I thought it was more about her own desire to be important in someone's life, seeing as how she had had zero influence re. the intellectual development of her kids. I think she got a sense of validation while taking care of Jimmy and helping him hone his craft. She clearly overstepped many boundaries, but was her heart in the right place?

What do you think?

[–] Dstamato17 (7) 6 years ago

Lisa’s heart was in the right place in the sense that she’s a good person and wanted good things for Jimmy, but this whole situation made her totally lose sight of her basic morals.
She definitely was working towards validating herself in some way. She felt like her creativity was compromised by life. She didn’t want the same for Jimmy, but also wanted to be part of his brilliance.
She definitely should have just let him live a normal child’s life, and not even kept him away from Becca and definitely not have taken him to the recital. Up until the point that she kidnapped him, I could relate however.

[–] goldgoldgold (84) 6 years ago

How did you feel about Lisa taking a shine to little Jimmy and motivating him to write down/ recite his poems?

I think if she'd just stuck to encouraging him the way a normal teacher should (helping him write down poems in class, letting him share his work with the other students, putting together a collection of his poems to give to his father/uncle as a keepsake, asking his father if she could submit his work to an anthology of children's poetry, etc.) there would have been no problem.

I wrote stories and poems when I was in elementary school. My 2nd-grade teacher invited me to stand up in front of the classroom and read my stories to the class every day. My 1st-grade teacher submitted one of my poems to an anthology and it was published. My parents were very happy with this and had no problems.

Where Lisa went wrong was doing things like sneaking Jimmy to Manhattan without his father's knowledge and trying to kidnap him and run away to Canada. She took it way further than she had to if her true intention was just to nurture his creativity. What she really wanted was ownership of his talent, and of him, which was just creepy and wrong.

I guess she felt like if she couldn't have any talent herself, this was the next best thing.

[–] Dstamato17 (7) 6 years ago

What will happen to Lisa after the movie ends? Why was she so okay with Jimmy calling the police? She didn’t try to reason with him at all.

[–] goldgoldgold (84) 6 years ago

She's definitely going to prison.

I think she gave up when she heard him tell the police he was being kidnapped because it made it clear to her that he understood the seriousness of the crime and could not be swayed by promises of swimming and ice cream like other five-year-olds may have been. He was too smart for her to reason him out of understanding that he needed to be protected from her.

[–] [email protected] (1358) 6 years ago

She knew she went way too far at that point. When she talked about crossing the border, he then knew he had to lock the door. She would have never hurt him. But kidnapping is kidnapping. And she was intently planning on it.

[–] [email protected] (1358) 6 years ago

Agree with your statement, Goldgoldgold.

[–] [email protected] (1358) 6 years ago

Well, I speak from my own experience... My mother was a shrew, and my father was my love. I practiced ballet since 6yrs old, it was my life. My father always beamed at me and encouraged me, and just loved the whole aspect of dance and ballet for me. My mother decides I can no longer practice at the age of 15, and that was that. Had I had her encouragement, who knows what could have been? Sure, I minored in dance at college, and sure I still practice ballet and yoga now, but I am no longer a child or 15 for that matter. The ship had sailed. Due to a mother that decided my fate for me.
The same for the child in the movie... If his father wont even recognize the talent, and guide him to pursue his dreams, it will probably not happen...OR he can grow up, and choose to chase the dream on his own. But the wasted years would be a shame. He will always have the passion, but it may never be realized.