The best thing to come from Fifty Shades of Grey was one of Christian’s one liners, which I can’t repeat, but summarised the movie perfectly!
I had read most of the book and told my husband that when the movie came out, we should go see it. He thought he was being a good husband and booked tickets to the opening night which included a glass of champagne and other gifts. What could go wrong?
I found us a babysitter and off we went to see the much talked about movie! Champagne in hand, comfy seats, a bit of chatter and the movie started. For me, it started off a bit slow. All I could think was how far into it will all the “stuff” happen!?
There were a few laughs in the beginning as there were some witty lines but then as it went on, the mood seemed to change for us.
My husband asked me a couple of times throughout, is that a good thing to say? My answer – NO WAY!! But each woman is different – so perhaps it just isn’t what I WANT.
Anastasia was very plain and naive – I had formed this view of her when I read the book and as for Mr Grey, well, he wasn’t as HOT as I had expected. Perhaps this was part of the let down?
We started to look at each other and question parts of the movie like, is this really happening as I don’t think that is quite right. Neither of us could get our head around the whole agreement and what Mr Grey was expecting, not to mention that Anastasia would even be considering it!
The worst part was towards the end. My husband looked at me and asked should we go? My first response was to leave as I was finding the movie unenjoyable but curiosity also got the better of me in wanting to know how it finished. Could it really be this awful?
As it drew to a close, I held my hand over my eyes as it was just too uncomfortable to watch but I did see the agony on Mr Grey’s face as if he himself was questioning what he was doing and I saw the tears in Anastasia’s eyes which made me wonder what on earth she was still doing there.
The only positive after that unbearable moment was when Anastasia told Mr Grey not to come near her….however, is that only until the next movie?
We left the cinema and my husband apologised for taking me to see it….our car ride was silent as we were deep in thought. We just didn’t understand. He offered up that perhaps we are too serious & boring? Perhaps it is because of the line of work we are in?
Being in family law, we hear of tales that make you feel uncomfortable and leave you with a feeling of unease. To see it for your own eyes absolutely horrified me. We, of course, went back over the whole thing and when you look at it closely, there are hints of paternalism, stalking, emotional abuse and physical abuse. To think that this is what some women endure is terrifying.
Was it a romantic night out? No. Did it make us want that in our relationship? No. Do we want to see such behaviour for our clients, friends or family? No. Did it make us want to support and fight for others who find themselves in such situations? YES.
It certainly made me appreciate my relationship even more and also thankful to be a strong woman – I realise not everyone is so fortunate.
If you are experiencing any form of abuse in your life, emotional or physical, make sure you reach out. There are people and services there to help. If you don’t know where to go, please just ask.
