A funny thing happened on my way to visit my cousin, Dale. We went to the screening for cast and crew of SEX AFTER KIDS, at The Royal, a theatre on College Street, just west of Bathurst(in Toronto). The date was January 10th, 2013.
Dale’s son-in-law, Jeremy Lalonde, the writer and director of this film, had reason to be proud of this production; an insightful, sophisticated, even poignant account of how relationships are altered after the kids are born.
Jeremy, an endearing person, dedicated the film to his mother, who died of breast cancer when he was in his late teens and to his father-in-law, who has just passed on to cancer, this past month.
He stated that he wrote the scripts for the individual actors, knowing who they were as people, & drawing on their unique strengths. There are varied relationships, some of whom meet at a weekly parenting group, as well as an older married couple, whose daughter has left their farm to go to the big city.
Gordon Pinsent is the therapist, Dr. Keaton, who passes on his words of wisdom, speaking as a character, and narrator in his familiar mesmerizing melodic voice.
(to my Grand Falls-Windsor friends..this film and Tom Power on radio morning 2 fm cbc…remind me daily of how much I miss The Rock).
The actors, well schooled veterans of an art that takes us to another time/place/point of view; some having attended Oxford, England, were so commendable.
OK, What happens in the lobby after the film? I speak to actors, and because they were so professional and authentic in their characters..I found myself wanting to ask “How are you doing after the break-up?” or ” Have you connected with that lovely woman in the Parenting Group yet?”
So the images on this blog are not in the proper sequence.
January 12th, 2013 my sister-in-law and I go to the Toronto Zoo, and we wait inside the gates for my niece and her husband and children. Many “relationships” are walking throutgh the Admissions Entrance. (I keep thinking of Jeremy’s film). “How are they managing, now that they have kids? ” I wonder?
So many variations of parenting pass us by. There’s the arrival at Toronto Zoo Parking lot…the frustration of arrival..disembarking from the car, gathering strollers, knapsacks, etc–yes, general agitation prevails.
At lunch time there was a definitely different scenario; the weather was glorious: a quiet sun, no wind and for January it was a wonderful day. Children were free to wonder in a lyrical way around the picnic tables,(reminiscent of a Monet Painting of country picnics with wonderful light), or the “Relationships” continued to trek along a directive pathway from The Americas, the Tundra Trek to the Canadian Domain to the African Savanna to Indo-Malaya. There are other pavilions not mentioned and so so many animals not mentioned.
So at the end of the day, literally 20 minutes before closing, we heard an announcement over a loud speaker, and in synchronicity the babies and toddlers, even adults seem to have reached a melt-down.
Yet I did witness body language and a facial expression from one parent. It was an expression that took me back.
It said “Mission ACCOMPLISHED”.
It said “Gosh we’ve had a great day!”! Possibly those young married couples will say “maybe we’ll sleep tonight; maybe we will get things right.”
This Toronto Zoo Experience was meant to be —-after the film, “Sex after Kids”.
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