Topic: Ennis' parents-in-law

[pierralex]

The other day, I was wondering: what kind of relationship did Ennis have with his parents-in-law?
We know Lureen's parents didn't like Jack. But what about Alma's parents, or family in general?

I tend to think they are more like Jack's parents: simple people in a ranch or in a small town like Riverton, as apparently Alma's sister lives not far away (Alma calls her for babysitting).

I think they did find Ennis to be a "normal" guy, I mean working in a ranch like many other young men, a bit rude, manly> So I guess they liked it. At least more than M. Newsomeliked Jack.

I still wonder what they thought about him at the moment of the divorce...

[chameau]

On this we could only speculate, I'm looking at the wedding scene and we could hardly figure who's who but maybe Ennis's brother.





My bet is they might have been mad at Ennis, Alma had to raise her daughters alone tough she remarried quite fast.

[pierralex]

I've always wondered if the girl on the right in the first pic was Alma's sister.

[Emzan]

I've always wondered if the girl on the right in the first pic was Alma's sister.

me too, I think she is....

[chameau]

So we could speculate her dad was dead at that time?  He should be standing next to his daughter, no?  Anyway this is just speculations.

[Emzan]

maybe he was dead and yes I think if he was there he should have stood there

[pierralex]

why should he be standing near us?
Personnaly in every wedding I've been, it is always the best man who is standing near the bride.

[Emzan]

why should he be standing near us?
Personnaly in every wedding I've been, it is always the best man who is standing near the bride.

I don't know, I have never been to a wedding that I can remember, last time I went I was about 1 year old

[chameau]

why should he be standing near us?
Personnaly in every wedding I've been, it is always the best man who is standing near the bride.

Actually the father walks the bride to the altar but sits next to his wife afterwards. 

[manhattangirl]

Alma's parents were never mentioned, they might have passed on, she might have been living with her married sister who was matron of honor, and her husband was probably Ennis's best man.  Do you think Ennis would have a best buddy to fill that roll?  Ennis's brother?   It's seems like when his siblings mate they move on.    

[chameau]

I'm quite sure the man standing next to Ennis is his brother and best man... more speculations

[tpe]

I had always assumed that Alma was also an orphan -- somehow, I thought it likely that both of them no longer had parents who were alive, and this may have been something that brought them together (along with church, of course). 

I guess I had always assumed this, because I thought nothing of it when there was no mention of Alma's parents or even family...

[Tony]

     The guy standing to Ennis' right is not wearing a suit, meaning, maybe, too poor to own one, which would fit the economic background
for Ennis' brother suggested in the SS.  Also, he looks like Ennis, with the same color hair.
    The others could be "church" people, as Alma had a church connection and they would have shown up for that reason.  Not many people
in those pictures, so, they weren't loaded with friends and family.
    This is an excellent topic, as it fills in some gaps, and makes you think about their actual lives before marriage.  Many thanks!

[welshwitch]

I'd assumed that since Ennis had lived with his brother until the latter married, then gone on to BBM because he had nowhere permanent to live. Presumably since their parents were dead, his brother would have been the only family member at the wedding and is presumably also his best man.
In English weddings the father of the bride accompanies her down the aisle then leaves her at the point where the bridegrroom is standing then sits down next to the mother of the bride. One can't tell whether or not this has happened in the short movie sequence here, but I'd have though that at some point after they were married Alma would have referred to, visited or even asked for help from her parents if they were still alive.

[jackster]

. . .  I'd have thought that at some point after they were married Alma would have referred to, visited or even asked for help from her parents if they were still alive.

I'm with you WW. After spying that reunion kiss, I woulda' expected Alma to get the kids and head to her mother's if that was an option. Seems like she was stuck too.

[tpe]

I'm with you WW. After spying that reunion kiss, I woulda' expected Alma to get the kids and head to her mother's if that was an option. Seems like she was stuck too.

Good point. 

[athena0204]

Good point. 

Yeah, that fact that she didn't confront Ennis about it until after their divorce got me thinking that too. I'd expected that she would have packed and left that day if she'd really had someplace to go.

[tpe]

Yeah, that fact that she didn't confront Ennis about it until after their divorce got me thinking that too. I'd expected that she would have packed and left that day if she'd really had someplace to go.

Monroe gave her a way out, and this would indeed imply that she had nobody else to turn to...

[jessicat80]

Yeah, that fact that she didn't confront Ennis about it until after their divorce got me thinking that too. I'd expected that she would have packed and left that day if she'd really had someplace to go.

I always felt like Alma's parents might be dead. It did feel like she was trapped in her marriage and only left when she had somewhere else to go. I believe she only divorced Ennis after she knew Monroe loved her, maybe something had even started between them. But it did feel like if Alma had a father, he would have been very angry at Ennis. Of course she might have just stayed in the marriage because of the times and the place she lived in. It was wrong both socially and religiously for her to get divorced at that time.

[athena0204]

I always felt like Alma's parents might be dead. It did feel like she was trapped in her marriage and only left when she had somewhere else to go. I believe she only divorced Ennis after she knew Monroe loved her, maybe something had even started between them. But it did feel like if Alma had a father, he would have been very angry at Ennis. Of course she might have just stayed in the marriage because of the times and the place she lived in. It was wrong both socially and religiously for her to get divorced at that time.

Yeah, that's true. If Alma's parents were alive, she would have definitely told them about Ennis, and would have packed up and left the day she say Ennis and Jack kissing. If Alma's father was alive, he might have actually killed Ennis if he knew his son-in-law was gay, so it's scary to think what might have happened if her parents had been alive. The fact that she stayed in the marriage really makes me believe that she stayed because he had no where else to go. Ennis was the only way she and her daughters could be financially supported. Only when she knows she can marry Monroe and he can support her, does she find a way out of the marriage and divorce Ennis.

[Matt Nasty]

Yeah, that's true. If Alma's parents were alive, she would have definitely told them about Ennis, and would have packed up and left the day she say Ennis and Jack kissing. If Alma's father was alive, he might have actually killed Ennis if he knew his son-in-law was gay, so it's scary to think what might have happened if her parents had been alive. The fact that she stayed in the marriage really makes me believe that she stayed because he had no where else to go. Ennis was the only way she and her daughters could be financially supported. Only when she knows she can marry Monroe and he can support her, does she find a way out of the marriage and divorce Ennis.

i think if almas father had been strongly homophobic even after her pain off seeing ennis kiss jack she wouldnt tell him on some level she still loved him, well IMO anyway

[athena0204]

i think if almas father had been strongly homophobic even after her pain off seeing ennis kiss jack she wouldnt tell him on some level she still loved him, well IMO anyway

Hmmm, yeah. She might have not told because of her love for Ennis. But I think she didn't tell because she had no one to tell and no way out, but I do agree that she wouldn't want Ennis being killed or anything like that. But in the Thanksgiving scene, she was about to say it in front of Monroe...that's why Ennis got so mad at her. He was so scared of what she was going to say out loud.

[Matt Nasty]

Hmmm, yeah. She might have not told because of her love for Ennis. But I think she didn't tell because she had no one to tell and no way out, but I do agree that she wouldn't want Ennis being killed or anything like that. But in the Thanksgiving scene, she was about to say it in front of Monroe...that's why Ennis got so mad at her. He was so scared of what she was going to say out loud.

hmmm true

[babytammy7]

We don't know anything about Alma's parents, so I think it's too rash and risky to say that Alma's father would have killed Ennis.

Not everyone back in the sixties was a killer. To think that is crazy and unfair. There are so many husbands being unfaithful to her wives. Their fathers obviously are mad but they don't kill their sons in law. Someone has to be a really bad person with very cold blood to be a killer. I don't think every father with a son in law unfaithful is a killer.

We don't know even if her father could be homophobic. Not everybody was like that back then. But if even he was homophobic that doesn't mean he was a killer. To think that is being unfair with the human beings, thinking that when anyone doesn't like something or someone the only human reaction is to kill. The reality is not like that. In that age, before, after, there have been gays and a lot of homophobic people have known that, but not everyone who didn't like that kind of people did something like beat or even kill. To be homophobic is one thing, a killer is other. There are so many things or people we don't like but we don't kill them, right? How many people has a friend or a relative suffering because of a unfaithfulness? And are they killing those unfaithful people?

Maybe Alma's parents were like Jack's parents. Religious people, unable to kill. Look at the old Twist. He hated his son and he knew the truth about his son, but he didn't kill him. And what about Aguirre? He thought that he has lost so many sheep because of Ennis and Jack f***ing instead of herding. He was sooooooo mad, and he was a homophobic man, but he didn't kill them, and he didn't tell someone to kill them. Even we said once that Ennis was homophobic but unable himself to kill someone. So maybe Alma's father could say horrible things to Ennis or maybe could beat him, but kill him? It's to judge someone without proofs. We didn't know him. Not everyone is a bad person, not here, not there, not always.

Not all the racist people kill, right? So not all homophobic people kill.

Where is our faith in the human being?

[Matt Nasty]

We don't know anything about Alma's parents, so I think it's too rash and risky to say that Alma's father would have killed Ennis.

Not everyone back in the sixties was a killer. To think that is crazy and unfair. There are so many husbands being unfaithful to her wives. Their fathers obviously are mad but they don't kill their sons in law. Someone has to be a really bad person with very cold blood to be a killer. I don't think every father with a son in law unfaithful is a killer.

We don't know even if her father could be homophobic. Not everybody was like that back then. But if even he was homophobic that doesn't mean he was a killer. To think that is being unfair with the human beings, thinking that when anyone doesn't like something or someone the only human reaction is to kill. The reality is not like that. In that age, before, after, there have been gays and a lot of homophobic people have known that, but not everyone who didn't like that kind of people did something like beat or even kill. To be homophobic is one thing, a killer is other. There are so many things or people we don't like but we don't kill them, right? How many people has a friend or a relative suffering because of a unfaithfulness? And are they killing those unfaithful people?

Maybe Alma's parents were like Jack's parents. Religious people, unable to kill. Look at the old Twist. He hated his son and he knew the truth about his son, but he didn't kill him. And what about Aguirre? He thought that he has lost so many sheep because of Ennis and Jack f***ing instead of herding. He was sooooooo mad, and he was a homophobic man, but he didn't kill them, and he didn't tell someone to kill them. Even we said once that Ennis was homophobic but unable himself to kill someone. So maybe Alma's father could say horrible things to Ennis or maybe could beat him, but kill him? It's to judge someone without proofs. We didn't know him. Not everyone is a bad person, not here, not there, not always.

Not all the racist people kill, right? So not all homophobic people kill.

Where is our faith in the human being?

i agree i mean look at aguirre he found out he didnt kill them, he didnt harm them and as far as we know he just kept quiet.

[lancecowboy]

why should he be standing near us?
Personnaly in every wedding I've been, it is always the best man who is standing near the bride.

I just found this thread, and I am glad.

I've always wondered who are all the people in this scene.

It makes sense that the maiden of honor, the girl on the right, is the sister.

I think, having read all your insights here, that the man on the left is either someone from Ennis' ranch buddies, or Alma's sister's husband, i.e. Ennis' brother-in-law. It could be Ennis' brother, but he was suppose to be like quite a bit older than Ennis. The best man looked about the same age. Also, his brother would probably be able to afford a suit.

Alma's parents probably live a few counties away, as it would not be unusual for girls to marry away from home, especially since Ennis had to go where there is work. It makes sense that her sister is in Riverton, no wonder she tried so hard to get Ennis to move there. They would be simple town folk, and Alma would never confide in them about Ennis and Jack. She may have told her sister, though, so I am fairly certain other people in town knows.

It would be in character with Ennis to be stand-offish with his in-laws. He is like that with everyone, even Jack, until Jack made the break through over the long summer of '63. Ennis is not someone easy to open up.

I agree with Tony. This is indeed an excellent topic, and filled in many interesting gaps.

 

[babytammy7]

Thanks Matt. It's only that sometimes I get the impression that brokies thinks that EVERYONE in the film, and in real life back then was a killer or a bad person except Ennis and Jack. That's unfair.

[Matt Nasty]

Thanks Matt. It's only that sometimes I get the impression that brokies thinks that EVERYONE in the film, and in real life back then was a killer or a bad person except Ennis and Jack. That's unfair.

hmmm i think in away its a little easy to adopt ennis attitude and fear of society, but i think alot of people may have knew lureen for one possibly LD i dont know... and we know alma new she posssibly told munroe but no one hurt either of them until jacks death but that was just one group of individuals so...

[lancecowboy]

hmmm i think in away its a little easy to adopt ennis attitude and fear of society, but i think alot of people may have knew lureen for one possibly LD i dont know... and we know alma new she posssibly told munroe but no one hurt either of them until jacks death but that was just one group of individuals so...

Most people who knew Ennis and Jack accepted them as eccentric, just like Earl and Richard. People are tolerant when it is not rubbed in their faces.

But there are, of course, a few sick ones who killed Earl.

By the time Jack died, it was only the really sick ones who go out gaybashing. This was in the 80's. The deleted scene seemed to imply that Jack's killers were strangers that he picked up along the highway. I  don't want to speculate too much because we don't really know.

I think the lesson to remember is that we can let a few sick individuals have power over us through fear, or we'd be like Ennis, losing out on the opportunities for true love when it comes along.

[Matt Nasty]

Most people who knew Ennis and Jack accepted them as eccentric, just like Earl and Richard. People are tolerant when it is not rubbed in their faces.

But there are, of course, a few sick ones who killed Earl.

By the time Jack died, it was only the really sick ones who go out gaybashing. This was in the 80's. The deleted scene seemed to imply that Jack's killers were strangers that he picked up along the highway. I  don't want to speculate too much because we don't really know.

I think the lesson to remember is that we can let a few sick individuals have power over us through fear, or we'd be like Ennis, losing out on the opportunities for true love when it comes along.

good point especially by the 80's you would think most of this activity would be gone and the killers were probably such a tiny minority.
i dont know when homosexuality was legalised in the us i know in the uk it was around 40 years ago or something in the late 60's i would imagine it would be similar in the us.