Submitted by Lili_Danube t3_107c9p1 in movies
It's easy to side with the father because the movie is focused on his perspective. That's the big problem I had with the movie. If we have any sympathy for the mother, it's because of Meryl Streep's performance who makes the most of her limited screen time.
The title of the movie is deceiving, it seems to be about two opposing sides but only one side gets his story told. The father who has to take care of his kid after the mother abandons her family.
It doesn't show the mother dealing with depression, having a self-absorbed husband be all about his job while neglecting his wife and child. The mother states that she needed to leave because it was affecting how she treated her child and she didn't want it to reach to that point. And Streep is amazing at expressing her character's torment and doubt. So much so that even when she wins, she realizes that she's still not well enough.
I wish the movie had explored more of Joanna as opposed to it just being Dad learns to grow up and Joanna the crazy bitch who wants to steal the son from his devoted dad.