Introduction
Family is a complex societal structure with its own specifications, rules and principles, which differs it from ordinary society. For a family to be healthy and to function well, there must be family interactions and communication. Positive interactions and effective communication among family members foster emotional closeness, comprehension, and connection.
On the other hand, ineffective communication and relationships can result in misunderstandings, disputes, and disconnections. The main ideas of family connections and communication and their relations, as well as depictions of the “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” 2022 movie, will be covered in this essay.
Discussion
“Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” is an Oscar-nominated 2022 fiction-fantastic genre action movie. The plot of the movie is: Chinese American immigrant Evelyn Quan Wang, the main protagonist, learns during an IRS audit that she must communicate with alternate versions of herself in order to stop a strong creature from annihilating all of the universes.
Even though this movie is fictional and filled with unreal events, comedy, and surrealism, the depictions of characters’ interactions and relationships in the Wang family are imitating real-life communications accurately. The three main relationships in the movie are between the protagonist, Evelyn, and her daughter Joy, her husband, and her father. Watching this movie, we can observe real family interaction concepts depicted in these three relationships.
Cohesion and Emotional Connection
Cohesion is a fundamental idea in family connections. The level of emotional connection and unity among family members is referred to as cohesion. Families with high cohesion have a feeling of shared identity and share similar values, beliefs, and customs. Families with low cohesion, on the other hand, tend to lack emotional intimacy, individuality, and independence.
The degree of openness, warmth, and trust in family relationships is influenced by cohesion, which has important ramifications for family communication. Families with a high level of cohesion tend to communicate more honestly and openly, whereas families with a low level of cohesion lose the emotional connection between members.
At the beginning of the movie, we can see that Evelyn lost her cohesion and emotional connection with all of the members of her family. She did not want to understand her husband’s character and way of life, resulting in him issuing a divorce. Another instance is her connection with her daughter: Evelyn never properly listened to her daughter’s words and thoughts, which led to Joy’s decision to leave the family.
In the scene “JOY – Could we talk about…Evelyn begins ripping the googly eyes off.” we can see that Evelyn just breaks off Joy’s intention to talk and goes on with her chores (Kwan & Scheinert, 2022). Moreover, there is almost no cohesion between Evelyn and her father. Because her father is strict and traditional, she does not want to tell him that her daughter is of non-traditional orientation, which further widens the distance between Evelyn and Joy.
Family Conflict Resolution
Furthermore, the idea of dispute resolution is crucial to family communication. Conflict resolution refers to the ability to resolve problems in a healthy and constructive way that encourages understanding, mutual respect, and compromise. Family life naturally involves conflict, which may be a constructive approach to resolve issues and foster development. Unresolved disputes, however, can result in emotional separation, bitterness, and isolation. Active listening, honest communication, empathy, compromise, and forgiveness are all necessary for successful conflict resolution.
The central conflict going on throughout the movie is the relationship between mother and daughter, Evelyn and Joy. The daughter started to see the distance between her and Evelyn and wanted to talk to her about that. However, the protagonist does not pay attention and keeps their distance by saying, “I just want to say… Try to eat healthier. You’re getting fat” (Kwan & Scheinert, 2022).
Nevertheless, in this same scene, we can see Evelyn’s desire to talk, but she stops herself with the mentioned phrase. In the end of the film, the protagonist sees to how large the distance between her and their daughter is and tries to resolve the issue, even after causing destruction. We can observe that the reason for Evelyn’s detachment from her daughter is her past experience with the father: he let go of Evelyn when she was younger, leaving the protagonist with trauma.
Conclusion
In conclusion, communication and family connections are essential to the health and efficiency of any family structure. The degree of openness, warmth, and trust in family interactions depends on the emotional cohesiveness and connection among family members. The complexity of family relationships and the effects of poor communication and relationships are accurately shown in the film “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once.”
The primary character, Evelyn, struggles with past traumas and estrangement from her family, which causes misunderstandings and arguments. Her relationships with all three other family members are broken, showing the lack of the discussed family concepts. The movie also illustrates the possibility of development, rapprochement, and rekindled ties within the family. After major events, Evelyn sees the problems and tries to resolve them by talking and listening to others.
Reference
Kwan D. & Scheinert D. (2022). Everything Everywhere All at Once [Film]. IAC Films.