The Squid and The Whale is a semi-autobiographical film based on filmmaker Noah Baumbach’s experiences as a child of divorce. It’s also a good reference point for divorcing couples who may have questions about joint custody schedules, cat custody, and other pertinent divorce matters.
While we don’t have any personal stake in the romantic relationships of celebrities, seeing them play out in gossip columns and entertainment news outlets is grotesquely satisfying. Admit it: it’s a guilty pleasure to know who’s dating who, who’s single and searching, who’s married to whom, and who will soon become available after an oh-so-nasty divorce.
Celebrity worship syndrome is an actual mental disorder that afflicts many people. Some extreme cases involve stalking a celeb, which may result in restraining orders and/or arrest warrants. We’re clearly no psychiatry experts, but we’ve read about deranged behavior.
Surely, we place celebrities on pedestals. We celebrate them for their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and tal–- wait, that’s RuPaul’s line, sorry. But you get the picture. They’re on TV, the radio, the silver screen — it feels like they’re very much a part of our lives.
“A civilized divorce is a contradiction in terms.”
In an era of conscious uncouplings and gentle separations, does this line from the 1989 film The War of the Roses still hold up?
If you believe that divorce is an inherently nasty battle between ex-spouses who are reduced to fighting for their lives to claim a house, then you agree with the above quote by Gavin D’Amato (played by Danny DeVito), the film’s omniscient narrator.
They say the practice of medicine is an art. They don’t say that about the practice of law, but the two are closely intertwined where malpractices are concerned. In medicine, as in law, malpractice may result in serious consequences, lawsuits, and reputational damage.
Having lots of money solves lots of problems. One of the few exceptions is when you’re dividing substantial marital wealth. Or when you and your ex can’t agree whether a $150K footwear allowance for your child is reasonable. That said, having lots of money also solves lots of divorce-related problems.
A house, a car, and cash are some of the assets that never escape the scrutiny of divorcing spouses and family law attorneys. It seems easy to divide them, but dividing and settling them in case of a divorce is an exact science.
On the other hand, settling intangible properties — patents, trademarks, copyrights, royalties, and the like — is something else entirely.
Boyhood is a remarkable, moving, and very long film about divorce. Children of divorce can relate to it, and divorcees think it’s made especially for them. It’s like a documentary about a broken family, but with incredibly good-looking actors.
We may not be giving legal advice in these pages, but we thought we’d give you some tips as to what movies get things right about divorce, child custody, child support payments, and the like.
Many consider grocery shopping therapeutic. In fact, there are studies that prove that “retail therapy” is more than just a fun catchphrase about burning cash on shopping sprees. Really, who needs a shrink when you can stroll along the biscuit and ice cream aisles in your neighborhood Target?
As with all forms of therapy, getting injured is not something one anticipates while “undergoing therapy.