“The Oranges” staring Hugh Laurie and Leighton Meester is a new film from ATO Pictures that explores Hollywood’s views of family and argues that an amoral society devoid of any rules would be an overall benefit to everyone involved.
Nearly every element of this film is loaded with promise. The cast is superb, and the production value is award worthy. The close relationship between the two families, the Wallings and the Ostroffs, is what immediately engages the audience at the opening moments of the film.
However, the plot and the overall message force “The Oranges” to fail on nearly every level. David Walling (played by Hugh Laurie) begins having an affair with his best friend’s daughter, Nina Ostroff (played by Leighton Meester). This forces David’s wife Paige (played by Katherine Keener) to leave. David’s daughter, Vanessa (played by Alia Shawkat) witnesses her family being torn apart by her childhood friend.
At every opportunity to rectify the situation, or when David feels remorse for his actions, Nina reassures him that their relationship, viewed by others as wrong, is perfectly fine as long as it makes him happy. The word “happy” is what the entire film revolves around and questions. In a crucial scene where David is about to end the relationship, Nina asks him if kissing her would make him happy if there were no rules would kissing her would make him happy. Eventually David says that if there were no rules, if society would not view their relationship as wrong, being with her would make him completely happy. Nina responds that there are no rules and the couple continues their relationship.
This is the entire message of the film. “The Oranges” argues that society actually does not have any rules and the people in our said society are only denying themselves happiness if they follow these faux rules. After all, happiness , of course, is what human beings require to survive, right? A person who commits any act, whether moral or not, cannot be blamed or punished simply because that act is what makes him happy.
These ideas are supposedly the justification for David cheating on his wife and destroying two families. Honestly, what 50-something heterosexual male wouldn’t be happy being involved with a beautiful college-age woman? The problem is that David’s and Nina’s actions are never truly questioned or challenged by society. When Vanessa accuses Nina of being selfish, she responds that Vanessa is the one who is being selfish by attempting to deny her father and Nina happiness.
The film tries to show the destruction of each relationship in a lighthearted manner, and by the end of the movie every character is somehow better off and even grateful for what happened. “The Oranges” closes by showing how each character has become a stronger, happier individual simply because David and Nina were brave enough to be with each other despite knowing how society would view the relationship. In this fictional universe, a man can have sex with his best friend’s daughter and the friendship can still continue. In this fictional universe, adultery and divorce are acceptable as long as everyone is smiling in the end. And finally, in this fictional universe, the audience is shown that a personal pursuit of happiness without regard for anyone else is noble and ultimately rewarding. Clearly, “The Oranges” appreciates the qualities of good, old fashioned divorce, adultery and deception. Thank goodness for that. Finally! Proof that Hollywood hasn’t lost its heart.
Consider if the situation was slightly altered from David’s perspective. What if Nina was 10 or 15 years younger? What if Nina had a learning disability? What if Nina was the Ostroff’s rescue Dalmatian? David’s relationship with Nina would still remain pure as long as it was his and Nina’s happiness that were the overall goal. The film’s overall message would also remain intact and be theoretically stronger simply because those situations are viewed even more distastefully by society.
This is what makes “The Oranges” such a disappointing piece of cinema. It drowns a message of social Darwinism in an attempted sweet, sugary story with a happy ending. Unfortunately, the message and the film itself are simply acidic and unfulfilling. “The Oranges” is completely devoid of main characters who care for anybody other than themselves. This makes it nearly impossible for the audience to care about the characters or the outcome of the story at all.
Final Grade: F