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CalvinJarrett's Replies
Loved the party scene too. Done in a very cinema verite kind of way. I got a real kick out of the guy with glasses 'mansplaining' the rules of golf to a clearly uninterested female guest. He says something like, "If a player, his equipment, or [something else] comes in contact with the ball ... ," and the woman heads over to the buffet table completely unwilling to let this dork delay her from getting some of that carved ham (or whatever she had her eye on).
I think that's one truth that would not set anyone free. I think if she were to express that to Conrad it would only serve as an added impediment to their chance at a loving relationship. Conrad would always think that he is being loved by default and that if Buck were still alive she wouldn't give him the time of day. And he might be right.
They showed one scene in the beginning of the movie where Beth and Conrad tried to have a pleasant conversation with each other. Beth was wearing a brown suede jacket and she went outside to advise Conrad to put on a coat (or sweater) if he was going to relax on the patio furniture at that time of year. The two ended up having an awkward conversation mainly because they weren't taking the time to wait and listen to the other person or remember what the other just said. I always thought that the effort was there and that with practice they would end up not only loving but liking each other. They just needed practice. Sadly, with Beth leaving for Houston at the end of the movie, they may never get that chance.
You have to remember that Calvin's preceding line to Beth was, "He [Conrad] just wants to know that you don't hate him." Beth responds very defensively stating what she perceives as a truism, "Mothers don't hate their children." I think her brother was genuinely trying to support her. I don't think it was an "empty" gesture. He had the misfortune of choosing the wrong word "happy." Beth jumped all over that because she was feeling defensive again.
They may not "buy" that explanation, but they know enough about her personality not to pry any further and to accept her answer.