Thursday, September 16, 2010

Remember Me Discussion Group


Why does Tyler smoke in the reception area of his Dad's office and irritate the receptionist?
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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It´s hard to say...uhm,maybe he thought the bowl was meant to be as an astray,really.But maybe he said to himself "Let´s try to irritate them and light a cigarette".Or maybe he was kinda nervous of meeting his dad..who knows...

September 16, 2010 at 3:24 PM
LTavares2011 said...

Misty, I agree with you but I'm more inclined to agree with this thought : "Let`s try to irritate them and light a cigarette", because I think that the way how the receptionist looked at him was enough to make him feel a bit uncomfortable and he loves shocking people that make him feel that way, beyond that Tyler loves to tease his father too. He knows that the receptionist would tell Charles about what he did.

September 16, 2010 at 8:37 PM
jessegirl said...

Actually, I don't think the receptionist would tell Charles, the boss, what Tyler did. That's why she takes that great intake of breath. She is powerless to do anything about it. Look how Charles treated underlings in that boardroom scene! The receptionist wouldn't dare approach him. She might talk to Janine or her own peers; Janine might intercede, but that's as far as it goes.

Funny though the whole scene is, Tyler probably knows he's not allowed to smoke there, (or maybe not, given 2001?). However, it might get back to his Dad and he would definitely want to push his Dad's buttons.
The reason I don't think it's Tyler's finest hour is because I think he knows the constraints the receptionist is under, that she has no power, but does have responsibility for keeping things nice there and that the rules are followed, and he doesn't care about the untenable position he's put her in.
That said, he does seem to be a chain smoker and be addicted enough to need a smoke, especially to calm himself down before meeting with his father. He's probably nervous--Misty I think that plays a part in it too--enough about that that he--young as he is--doesn't perceive the awkward position he's put the receptionist in.
That's my stream-of-consciousness take on it, but I could be wrong. I think it can be read in various ways. Which, actually, is why we love discussing this film. We seem to know the characters, we think, rather intimately and yet must, in many cases, speculate on their motivations.

September 17, 2010 at 10:44 AM
kat said...

I think this was another sign post of the times. Nowadays, Tyler wouldn't have even thought about smoking in an office building. But back in 2001, the Clean Indoor Air Act went into effect in 2003. Up until that point, I believe, it was voluntary. If you weren't sure, you would look for an ashtray. He saw what he took was an ashtray - "It was just here to tease me" and lit up. Not really thinking about it.

September 19, 2010 at 12:42 AM
Jen said...

I think Tyler walked into his Father's office determined he was going to pay for the lawyer and let him know he didn't call him to bail him out. He lit his cigarette to maybe calm down before he saw him. I think it was interesting that the receptionist wasn't more gracious to him as he is her Boss's son and I think most receptionist would of kept their mouth shut and when he left had the bowl washed.

September 19, 2010 at 7:56 AM
Anonymous said...

Sorry this comment isn't related to the topic, but I was wondering if anyone knew what the title of the piece of artwork is behind the door to Tyler's apartment? It is a picture of a guitar in a landscape. I'm not sure if it is a drawing, poster, or a print. Thanks.

September 19, 2010 at 10:36 PM
kat said...

For Anonymous~

Link to a screencap with the piece of artwork:
http://i539.photobucket.com/albums/ff358/kitkattz33/Remember%20Me/remember_me_4240.jpg

September 19, 2010 at 11:46 PM

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