# The Dilemma - Hollywood Gets It Right Right This Time



## lordmayhem (Feb 7, 2011)

Since we've been talking about Hollywood glamorizing infidelity, anyone catch the movie "The Dilemma"? Starring Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly, and Winona Ryder. Vince is engaged to Jennifer, while his BFF Kevin has been married to Winona for 20 years. In a nutshell, Vince accidentally stumbles upon Winona kissing her OM, and the rest of the movie revolves around Vince going through situations where he tails Winona, photographs her having sex with her OM, and Vince getting into a physical fight with the OM. All the while Vince is agonzing about trying to tell his BFF that his darling wife Winona is having an affair. 

An interesting scene in the movie is where Vince confronts Winona about her affair and that he plans to tell Kevin. Winona at first denies, then tells Vince how it is going to go down. She said she will deny the affair and basically gaslight Kevin into thinking Vince is hitting on her and tell Kevin about their ONS they had before Winona and Kevin got together. 

Winona gives the typical WS excuses such as they haven't had sex in 6 months, Kevin wasn't there for her, no communication, and supposedly Kevin going to a massage parlor once a week to get a "happy ending". 

In the end, DDay occurs during an intervention at Vince's apartment by his friends thinking Vinces behavior indicated he was sliding back into his former gambling addiction when in reality it was because Vince was torn up trying to expose Winona's affair and getting into a violent confrontation with Zip, Winona's OM. Surprisingly, Winona admits the affair during the intervention and Vince lets out that he slept with Winona before she and Kevin got together. In the end, Vince and Jennifer reconcile and decide to marry, while Winona moves out. 

I was impressed that this story's main point was about being honest and that affairs are wrong and hurtful. Haven't seen Hollywood come out with one of these in a while.


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## Indy Nial (Sep 26, 2010)

Interesting but I don't see how this ties in with star wars! 

Strange how now what film I watch now seems heavily reliant on how infidelity is handled.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Syrum (Feb 22, 2011)

The main thing I got from the movie was that Winona's character was demonized for having an affair, and it was portrayed as understandable that her husband may not forgive her, but IMO what her husband did was just as bad and unforgivable.


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## lordmayhem (Feb 7, 2011)

Interesting, demonized for having an affair. Lying, plans to deny, gaslighting, etc. Especially in an era where the media generally depicts affairs as OK and normal, I would say that's a step in the right direction. As for the Kevin James character, I didn't see anything definitive, whereas as Winona's character was full on making out in public and having a sex scene with the OM, who was a despicable lying scumbag. Even going so far as taking money from Kevin and going to the so-called intervention.


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## Syrum (Feb 22, 2011)

lordmayhem said:


> Interesting, demonized for having an affair. Lying, plans to deny, gaslighting, etc. Especially in an era where the media generally depicts affairs as OK and normal, I would say that's a step in the right direction. As for the Kevin James character, I didn't see anything definitive, whereas as Winona's character was full on making out in public and having a sex scene with the OM, who was a despicable lying scumbag. Even going so far as taking money from Kevin and going to the so-called intervention.


I am not against people being portrayed badly for cheating, however it was clear they were both cheating, he was just paying for it. That makes it more revolting to me.


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## lordmayhem (Feb 7, 2011)

Syrum said:


> I am not against people being portrayed badly for cheating, however it was clear they were both cheating, he was just paying for it. That makes it more revolting to me.


And how do you know he was cheating? Because Winona said he was? I didn't see it, did you?


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## Grayson (Oct 28, 2010)

I haven't seen this one, so I'll just bide my time til the discussion transitions into a comparison to another geek-fest. ;-)

However, from you description, lordmayhem, the most disturbing thing about the movie for someone like me who's had a "star crush" on Winona Ryder since "Heathers" is the idea that she can play a character who's been married for 20 years now.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Runs like Dog (Feb 25, 2011)

I expected to hate the movie. I figured it would be one of those sitcom miscommunication, hiding the truth, cross signals pieces of tripe. When it turned out the woman really was having an unapologetic sexual affair and was kind of a dark minded beotch, I liked it more. 

Anyway, the movie really wasn't about that, yes? It was about the deep friendship between the two men. He was angry because his lifelong friend didn't tell him what he knew, not so much because his wife was banging a loser with a smiley face tattoo on his butt.


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## Bigwayneo (Jan 22, 2011)

lordmayhem said:


> And how do you know he was cheating? Because Winona said he was? I didn't see it, did you?


Nope, as I understand it, it was a lie trying to gaslight her stupid ***** ass ways.


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## Syrum (Feb 22, 2011)

lordmayhem said:


> And how do you know he was cheating? Because Winona said he was? I didn't see it, did you?


I think most people watching the movie understood that that was what he was doing. It was discussed several times, he was followed by his friend who obviously believed it to be true. I'm pretty sure they didn't add that part of the plot to be secretive and confusing. It was a fairly basic movie.


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## borninapril (Jun 6, 2011)

I woould have to go back and see it again. My wife picked it for us as a "date night" movie to go to. The problem was she trolling around for guys on Craiglist at the time and I hadn't confronted her about it yet (meaning at that time). So seeing the movie was not an enjoyable experience for me, she just couldn't understand why I wasn't enjoying it and we argued that night. Maybe I should go back and rewatch it, but I doubt I will.


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## ahhhmaaaan! (Mar 26, 2011)

The main thing I get from this BS is that Hollywood is STILL making puns on infidelity- PERIOD! As long as this goes on, stupid gullible people are going to think having an affair is cool and hip. Not funny whatsoever.


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