/Filmcast E-Mails

The Real Meaning of CERTIFIED COPY

On your blog, it says you may discuss Certified Copy on the podcast. If so, I hope you include spoiler talk because I’d like to contribute to that conversation.

SPOILER - SPOILER - SPOILER for Certified Copy

When I see all the “theories” about this movie, it baffles me that people are treating this well-made relationship drama like it’s LOST or something.

It is, to me, clearly a film about a married couple who go on a pretend first date, but their existing issues take over the narrative and ruin it. The place they go on their date is also where they were married and had their honeymoon, but the “copy” of their happy honeymoon phase turns out not to be as good as the original. They can’t go home again, as it were.

You see many times how perfect the Woman wants the date to be, as she hopes it will fix some of their problems, and how annoyed she is when people deviate from the plan in her head. She is annoyed with her son at the beginning who teases her about the date and “why won’t you tell him your last name?” because the son believes the pretend first date to be a silly thing to do, and is only just barely playing along. She is annoyed a second time when the Man takes her sister’s side during the car ride, which is probably something she’s vented to him about many times through their relationship. She is annoyed once more when he asks her about having been to this location before, or whether she was married there, because he is too close to the truth, and not acting as a “stranger” well enough. And finally, when he gives an opinion about being happy to live a separate life from his family, that is way too close to how she really thinks he sees their family relationship (with his too-frequent travelling) and she is unable to continue the game. From then on, the game is off, and they simply argue.

Every time I read a new “theory” about this movie, I reflect upon it again, but I can’t see how any interpretation other than this one can seriously be argued.

It’s not a terribly complicated idea, really. It’s the kind of thing couples do on sitcoms all the time, like Modern Family, for example.

It’s a very good movie, but, once you see what’s going on, and how the Man’s book about copies vs. originals is a metaphor for their attempt to relive the happiest days of their early relationship, it is not all that complicated.