Making Waves: Exploring Stability and Chaos in the Movie Mermaids

In this episode of Wicked Psychotherapists, we dive deep into the 1990 movie Mermaids, starring Cher, Winona Ryder, and Christina Ricci. 

Join us as we explore the delicate balance of stability and chaos within a complex family dynamic. 

We discuss the emotional layers of mother-daughter relationships, coming-of-age challenges, and the psychological themes that make this film both heartwarming and poignant. 

Whether you're a fan of Cher’s iconic style or fascinated by the intricate psychological portrait of the characters, this episode offers a fresh perspective on a cult classic.

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Transcript

0:08

You are listening to Wicked Psychotherapists, a podcast where two psychotherapists show you that taking care of and learning about mental health doesn't have to be wicked hard.

Erin: 0:31

Hi everyone, this is Tanya. Hi, this is Erin, and welcome to Wicked Psychotherapist.

Tanya: 0:35

today we have an amazing movie, big shocker, that we're going to be discussing. this is a classic that, didn't get enough credit for its time, but it has an all star cast. it's just a really fun story with a lot of mental themes. So today we're going to be talking about the 1990 movie, Mermaids, with Cher, which is our favorite. We love, Cher we also got a little bit of a Winona Ryder theme going on here. Yeah. So we love everything about this movie. so let's talk about some of the things that make this movie or the things that really have it standing out as just a great movie. I already mentioned. the all star cast. there's also Christina Ricci, a very tiny Christina Ricci who was adorable and great acting, good storyline. this movie is also set and was shot in Massachusetts. I think it was a fictional town called Eastport. Anyone knows of that? Correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, I know I live here, but I've never heard of it. that also was a great tie there that I wasn't actually aware of until I was reading about it. but, yeah, it's set in 1960s, for the most part, the entire movie is in, Massachusetts. And there's a lot of mother daughter interactions, relationships, sibling relationships, themes of, coming of age, but also emotional, relatability, emotional, Intimacy, being able to, you know, express your feelings, be who you are in a family, intergenerational trauma. There's so many themes in here. It's packed. It's packed. But, yeah. And I also think this, like we were saying, we don't think this movie is very well known. Whenever I mention this movie, people don't really seem to remember it. Maybe they remember, oh yeah, I was in Cher in a movie, or Cher, that was one of her movies, kind of thing, you know, but they don't really remember it too much. So I think that's kind of a shame. we want to why not

Erin: 2:26

why not talk about a movie that nobody knows. Here we go.

Tanya: 2:29

you

Erin: 2:29

know,

Tanya: 2:31

I do think if you get a chance go back and watch this It's probably I don't know where it's at. But if you search for you can find it somewhere, you know I found it on

Erin: 2:38

prime. So I'm sure it's okay.

Tanya: 2:41

Most people are prime, you know, so yeah but I think CHer and Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci just make a great pairing in this. They all play, like, Cher plays the mother and, Christina Ricci and Winona Ryder play the daughters. And I, I just think their chemistry is really great together. They just really pull it off as like, a very connected, family, but kind of in a dysfunctional way with their coping skills. in terms of how you first experienced this movie, what did you think of it, when you were younger, and then maybe, kind of now, seeing it again, because you did rewatch it, I did not, unfortunately, but, you know, I have watched it as an adult, so has there been anything that's changed since that time, that you noticed more of, or? Any themes?

Erin: 3:26

Yeah. I honestly don't even know if I remembered the movie that much, except that the dancing in the kitchen and that Winona Ryder was in it and Cher was in it, I remember the costume that Cher wore for the New Year's Eve party, the, of course, the mermaid costume, the namesake of the movie, but I honestly did not remember. I feel like I've watched it a couple times as a kid because I know I've shared that my mom was obsessed with Cher and She just thought she was really cool. watching it again as an adult. Of course. I'm seeing it in a different lens. and I know I've said before like when you're younger You always find like one or two characters that you feel like you're like, you know, like I always was probably drawn to Winona Ryder, you know, like just all right. So she's very similar in age similar You know Attitude or whatever feeling in the family dynamic, and I still did feel for her watching the movie because you're thinking like what a selfish person, you know her mom is and But it's all slack. Yeah, mrs. Flax says she calls her too. She doesn't even call her mom She's like she because she's narrating this The movie and she just calls her mom, you know by their name but It's, yeah, I did like it, there was some parts I was like, you know, it's, it could have, the movie, it could have been a little shorter, I was thinking that while I was watching it, I was like, there was a lot in it, it was an hour and fifty minutes, so there were parts that I was like, this could have been cut a little, a little bit, maybe we don't need all of this, but, I didn't remember how

Tanya: 5:01

long

Erin: 5:01

it was,

Tanya: 5:02

oh wow,

Erin: 5:02

yeah, it was a long movie, Especially in today's standards. It seems like it's just as really but it was good and I did appreciate the dynamics of Like the, the two sisters and then the mom, the mom and there, there was a lot of different psychological themes I felt like with the relationship with the daughters and the mom and the mom and her relationships with men. And so then also the daughters of how they have to portray themselves or what they want to

Tanya: 5:35

be portrayed to be seen. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I, I think it's, I definitely experienced it as something like, ooh, that was kind of fun, but there was something I couldn't quite grasp that I really did relate to as a kid, and I was like, oh, I know I relate to this, but then as I got older, I started to realize, oh, okay. Yeah, Cher, Cher kind of, I, I can relate to some points in that with, share as, as my mom, maybe growing up, not in the same ways, but maybe with some interactions. And I can relate to the older daughter, Charlotte, and the younger daughter, Kate, like in various points in my life with wanting to rebel by being like very straight laced, because my mom was not straight laced at all. And, Also by kind of being an escapist like Kate, you know, and kind of being like, Oh, I'm going to be a mermaid kind of thing. And I'm, I'm just going to be sweet because that's kind of how I get by. And then I'm just going to escape and cope in other ways. Right. And it really is interesting to see the relationship with Charlotte and Rachel, the mom. how much, I think tension is between there because Charlotte is really just craving some form of stability to the point where she is like obsessed with Catholicism, which is like a very well established ritualized religion. And she's, mom is like, why do you even do that? We're, we're Jewish, you know, like, what are you doing? But she's really looking for that structure, for that stability because, you know, the mom has moved them around every time there's a problem or something where she feels like she's getting too close to somebody, she moves them immediately so she doesn't deal with issues very well. she kind of just avoids them. And then I think there's this desire for both of the kids to have roots and to just be stable. I think there's just so many telling themes in here. That are played out so well. and it's

Erin: 7:26

hard too as the kids who are always moving Okay. Well, are we gonna stay here a whole school year? Is mom gonna break up with somebody and then we're gonna have to move or we're gonna have to become the new kid? So the stability for both of them is like one is I'm gonna be just really pure and really learn everything you know because she always has a book about like the Saints or about you know religion that she's that Charlotte's reading and then You know, like, and then, you know, the little sister Kate, she's just always, she knows she's good at swim, so she's always gonna join a swim team or just do that. So that is her sense of normalcy and sense of belonging. No matter where they go, no matter how chaotic it might be, they might not know what state they're in, what town, how the high school or elementary school is gonna treat them, at least they have those things that, those are their identities. Because mom can be very chaotic.

Tanya: 8:19

And

Erin: 8:20

you don't know where she's gonna work. You don't know what she's gonna do. or, how that's gonna become, you know, affect everything.

Tanya: 8:26

Yeah, it amazes me the adaptability of the kids, you know, and actually even, even Rachel, the mom, you know, Mrs. Flack, she's, she does find stuff that works, but it's just kind of in the meantime, and not knowing what it is, I think is very destabilizing, and not knowing where they're going to be, and you're right, I think those are great anchors that Yeah. you know, Kate has swimming and Charlotte has this, like, obsession with religion, especially Catholicism. And, I really do feel badly for, for the kids, you know, when, when there's kind of a sense of when Charlotte's talking about, you know, we've had this many moves. In this many years and every time there's an issue we pick up and leave kind of thing. It makes you feel like oh These these kids really haven't known much in the way of stability at all. It's been really tough for them

Erin: 9:15

is difficult in real life, too Like when you see that, you know And it affects you know, like a lot of times people don't think that like oh well kids kids can adapt and But just think about how difficult it is always being the new kid how difficult, you know, like just trying to be like, all right Let me try to catch up what they've already been learning on this semester of this year or you know just every little thing it can be very draining and

Tanya: 9:39

And not knowing if you can talk to these people when you move away because it wasn't, I mean, and this was set in like 1963 or so, like around when, the assassination of JFK, and so there was not really, I mean, maybe a phone number or something like that, but it wasn't really the same now where you can just kind of, you know, friend someone on social media and talk. And so there was a lot of things that were taken away from them that could have been helpful in them creating relationships and emotional stability. And, you know, and then I also think looking at Rachel, the mom, you also start to see a little bit of, her side as well, especially when, Kate nearly drowns, She is really trying to do the best that she can, but she has a lot of flaws. She hasn't been able to work through these things because she also had Charlotte at a young age, at 16, and it doesn't sound like she had much support from her own family. So this is what she managed to do. Like, okay, if there's a problem, we pick up and we leave and we start over. Right? Yeah. And she doesn't really, and

Erin: 10:35

there's no mention of Rachel, Mrs. Flax's family. So did they abandon her after she? Became pregnant at 16. is that part of why she constantly is on the move? Because she's trying to find that connection, trying to find that family. when we see that in the movie with, you know, when she starts dating the guy, Lou, who's very kind and fun and even questions when they're having dinner, when he's having dinner with them the first time and he's making this meal and doing everything and then they all just go their own places, no one's sitting at the table and he's, they're all separate. Yeah, and he's like, is this what you do? Is this, is this how you normally eat? And they're like, yeah, this is what, like looking at him, like he's nuts. Like, yeah, we always just have like little tiny pieces of stuff and nothing's ever a real meal because it's, you know, it's, and that's very telling too, because it's, Everything's portable. You can take everything to go. You don't have to, there's no huge commitment of setting, setting places and you know, like serving the meals and eating with utensils. You can just eat it with your hands and go, So that in itself too. Great connection there. Yeah. So it's, it was kind of interesting when he is like, what? and slowly wears them down You know, the kids are like this is awesome. We want a meal we want to sit at a table and Rachel is like this is so you know, like just even doing that she's probably like this doesn't feel right What if I have to escape what if you know this no So by just allowing that is just showing you that they're all starting to feel safe, and this is the normalcy too.

Tanya: 12:15

Yeah, the kids definitely do, but Rachel, the mom, Miss Cher, she is, I, it's so hard calling her Rachel, she's Cher, but, she, Is uncomfortable with it like and she kind of is like, what are you doing trying to take over like these are my kids kind of thing and she starts to see this whole of like, oh, they're being introduced to stability and I can't hold that. She kind of freaks out a little bit. Yeah, pushes him away. And that's because he represents this very stabilizing force this practicality of like family connection and they just I've never had that because of, all the dynamics going on.

Erin: 12:51

Yeah, there's one scene, I can't remember where she was, at work or somewhere, but they all decide to paint the bedroom, like Lou, at Lou's house. Oh yeah. And it's just like, beautiful, and it's under the sea, it's just so fun, and the three of them are having so much fun doing it, and then Cher's character, Mrs. Flax, comes in, and she's like, So unhappy about that. And that's probably the same time when she has that conversation too. Like, what are you doing? We're not going to have this room. This is, you know, these are my kids that you're making them feel safe and they'll want to stay. What if, what if, you know, and she's probably thinking four steps ahead about what if when we break up, because we're going to break up because that's what happens with every other person I've been with. Not realizing like, but what if we stay? What if he doesn't? What if we continued to stay a couple. She hasn't ever felt that. She's never, no, she's never been the person that people choose to be with.

Tanya: 13:49

And I wonder if that is maybe starting with, I mean, we don't know because she doesn't say much about, Rachel doesn't say much about her family, but maybe that's with her family. She felt very abandoned. And from that point after was like, I can't rely on anyone. No one is going to help me. And this is, was kind of like her motto that pushed her forward. it may not seem like it, but she also is not wanting her kids to get used to that so they can be like extra hurt in this. but also, she just, she, I think she also has this air of like, I need to have control over this because we all need to be a unit and nobody else can come in here because then you might have control. And I don't want that. I can't do that. I can't trust that. so a lot of trauma, a lot of things that probably likely happened with Rachel and her parents and their parents and like intergenerational trauma, right? and the themes are spilling out Charlotte was born when Rachel was 16 and, she didn't seem to have a lot of support. So she had to make do with what she had and the coping skills kind of picking up and leaving and saying, well, I got to rely on myself. And for her, that meant a new place.

Erin: 14:49

Yeah. So just even by saying that it feels like her parents or family weren't, nobody was there to really. Help her and support her and guide her of like, hey, this is what it looks like. So even the fact that it does not seem like she ever grew to Well, I have to cook my kids a breakfast. It can't just be a bunch of marshmallows put on a on a stick. For you know, like you can't have a marshmallow kebab every night. I forgot about that. And you know, like just and you know, it's fun to have like parties and dance and stuff, but you also have to like what are the What are the staple comforts and you know, it does seem like the kids were craving some kind of stability with that It also seems like Rachel was never taught. This is how you do it

Tanya: 15:37

Yeah, she was more kind of playing a bit of a friend role as opposed to a mother role because maybe she never really had that. Maybe she, yeah, wasn't really shown that, how to do that, and she just thought, well, we're a unit, we have to get along. And that can be really, again, you know, kids may feel like, oh, that's really cool, I wish I had that. But kids crave security. They need to have that in order to thrive as a base level. They don't have that. They are not okay. Yeah, they want the structure. Yeah, yeah, they may rebel against it, but like they know, like I remember as a kid wanting, craving structure and I used to say things because I'd hear my friends saying, Oh, I have to be home at a certain time. And I'd be like, Oh yeah, me too. I would make up that I had a curfew. meanwhile, nobody really knew if I was gone or not. what I mean? And like, that's not a great feeling for a kid. it doesn't feel good, there really is something. to say like, Oh, somebody wants me home. Even if it's like, Oh God, I got to go home. I can't have fun with my friends. It still makes you feel secure. Like I have a place to be and somebody wants me safe.

Erin: 16:35

Somebody is going to notice that I'm not coming home for dinner or these are the people I'm hanging out with or this, you know, like, so different things to be noticed and to be seen. It doesn't really sound like those kids were getting that with their mom.

Tanya: 16:47

Yeah, and I mean, it's funny because Charlotte shows in her immaturity with knowledge on, sexual matters, she doesn't understand that you can't get pregnant by a kiss and immaculate conception and, she ends up when she kisses the caretaker of the convent as a joke. Joe, is that his name?

Erin: 17:05

think

Tanya: 17:05

So Joe, and she goes to the doctor and she thinks she's pregnant and the doctor is like, you're still a virgin. What are you worried about? Like she doesn't have this, you know, her mom wasn't even informing her about sex, but here she is, she has these kinds of different boyfriends And she knows she got pregnant at 16, and it's kind of a little bit, maybe irresponsible, to not be informing her, I mean, because her daughter is now 15, and maybe she just thought because Charlotte was so, into Catholicism, and maybe she thought she just would never really be interested in that, there's just basics that are getting missing that you would get Hopefully from a healthy relationship with the parent. Well,

Erin: 17:40

even the mom after, you know, every, you know, after Charlotte and the caretaker, Joe, you know, like, and the, and the watchtower or whatever it is, she comes back and she's like, Oh, well, I guess I should have had the birds and the bees talk with you. But instead of just being like, Oh, you're 15 or, and with a 26 year old, something's, you know, It's not normal with this. She just makes a joke about like, oh, well, I guess I should have had the talk. But yeah, and there's so much to unpack here too, but again, she's emotionally immature and her daughter just about drowned. So the other daughter, you know, so there's a lot going on. But it's also she's not, you know, always the best, you know, she's not really always the best maturity wise for a parent.

Tanya: 18:26

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, that incident where Kate, the little sister almost rounds is there's so much to that because what, I was gonna say Winona, Charlotte is put in charge, the older daughter, to watch Kate because her mom is out. Charlotte is feeling like, I want to just let go, I don't want to be the responsible one, and they're dancing around in their mom's clothes, drinking wine, and Charlotte doesn't notice that Kate is guzzling the wine and getting drunk, not to say that this is all her, because she was only 15, but at the same point, she was entrusted with her little sister, then they go and explore the convent, and, Charlotte is irresponsible in that, she kind of mimics some of these things that, that, you know, almost gets her sister killed. And I also think there's another theme in there with the sister almost drowning and she's a swimmer and I know she was drunk and she was nine years old, She, I think it's kind of symbolic of like, you know, she thinks she's a mermaid, but really when, when the reality of, of the situation of what's going on around her and she doesn't have control over these factors, she actually couldn't even like swim.

Erin: 19:27

and I was thinking, I was seeing it differently too. I was seeing it, her sister, Charlotte, who's always taken this caregiver role, almost like a mother to her. You know, like, so, Charlotte and Kate have this very tight sister relationship. And Kate is looking for, she's like, I'm going to go look for rocks by the water. And you know, she's walking in this area and it's slipping and stuff and she screams a couple of times, usually Charlotte would probably jump up and get her, she'd be right there, but Charlotte's way up in the clock tower Doing her own thing, not paying attention to her sister and her sister's scream, she screams a few times And then she falls and who finds her but nuns who Charlotte has idolized and watched and probably wanted to be one for most of her life before this moment, of losing her virginity in the clock tower. So to me, I feel like there's a lot, a lot of different things happening in that one scene besides just her, you know, wanting to be a mermaid and a good swimmer. I think it's like Her sister her protector wasn't there and then the people that found her You know, it's the nuns and it's just like so many like the guilt the you know, it's a lot of things and again That's actually

Tanya: 20:47

Yeah, that's what I was referring to actually. I was thinking that's a part of it. Yeah. But it's, it is very much that the sister is, you know, who was overly responsible was not there. Yeah. Like there was, the reality of the situation was that there's two kids here. One is like so curious about sex and

Erin: 21:04

Yeah.

Tanya: 21:04

getting that talk is not really understanding and mom's not really taking it seriously. And then, you know, here's a daughter who's, you know, the younger one is, is drunk and is by a river and is, you know, screaming and everything. And they're like, it's the reality of the situation. They're not really in the mermaid.

Erin: 21:21

no parents at all. Like, you know, like it's, and that's also what I think is a lot of this movie. And I don't know if it was intended to, it's just like how these poor kids were just, So neglected, you know, by like how so many adults had let them down. So from the parent, the father that charlotte just idolized that Was never going to be around and never was there and who knows what what kate's dad is, you know they just referenced him quickly that he was also a swimmer, but it's the first adult they really besides their mom that was really let into this their sphere That didn't let him down with Lou and that's you know, like yeah But it's not his responsibility to at this moment because he's kind of like am I allowed to overstep? Yeah, no

Tanya: 22:11

not and she's kind of pushing.

Erin: 22:13

Yeah So it's weird because Charlotte is forced to be like almost the second adult in this family But she's also a kid and she wants to be It's too many roles for these poor kids, and it is very neglectful for them, and there is a lot of, like, abuse, but it, you know, it's, it's hard because, you know, Cher's character is, so emotionally immature and so selfish and just trying to survive herself.

Tanya: 22:39

Yeah, you see that with her. You find a likability with her.

Erin: 22:42

Yeah, you understand why She's do especially when she says I was one year older than you are now.

Tanya: 22:50

Mm hmm.

Erin: 22:50

You're like, oh

Tanya: 22:52

that makes sense. she's been just trying to get by and it really kind of confronts all these issues and Lou, the boyfriend really is, I think, part of the catalyst in that and kind of being able to confront it as opposed to just, you know, getting mad at each other and saying, we're going to move and this moves on you, you know, kind of thing after that happens. The whole town knows what you were doing up in the belt.

Erin: 23:12

I don't even know how that even happened. I'm sure the mom is just exaggerating with that,

Tanya: 23:16

it seems like a small town, but Well they might have been, cause they were kind

Erin: 23:20

of gossipy at the shoe store, weren't they? Yeah, yeah

Tanya: 23:23

yeah And I mean, you know, when they're telling the story, they were probably like, well, nobody was around and then they're like, why wasn't anybody around? Oh, her sister's supposed to be watching her. Where was her sister? You know, like, it kind of just unravels like that. But it kind of seems like a small town, like small town, Massachusetts, you know? And, I think, they're, you know, I was talking to Aaron before because I did not realize this. And this is probably so obvious to most people who have watched this or maybe just listening to this or like, yeah, they can connect this, but I did not, I never understood why it was called mermaids. I was like, Oh, that's like a fun title. Cause like you said, share dresses up as a mermaid and the little sister kind of wants to be a mermaid. And I see that symbolically and I love symbolism. So I'm always kind of drawn to that, but you know, I just realized probably recently. And I mean, very recently that mermaids are, you know, Kate, the sister is kind of trying to escape, you know, by saying like, Oh, I'm going into my own world. I'm swimming, but they all are in their own way. They all are trying to be mermaids in that way, right? Like not literally, but you know, like in their own way, they're all trying to make it and understand how can we get through this when there's so much going on? And how can we. You know, kind of, you know, these fictional characters, you know, or these, these, you know, fantasized characters that are kind of half human, half fish, how can we, manage, you know, and of course, I don't mean that literally, it's just very much What are the things that we can do because we're kind of, we're kind of weird. We have all this trauma, all this baggage, and now we've got to make this work in a world where people are people and we kind of swim in the depths, you know, and so that kind of, that made sense to me and that resonated, I think, better. And I just, it was like, oh, I never got that.

Erin: 25:02

I would have ever put that together. But it does make sense too. And it's almost like trying to pretend we're okay.

Tanya: 25:09

Yeah, definitely. And it's, you know, this movie is so fun though, too, because, I mean, okay, Cher, like, and she dresses up, and we love Cher, we love Winona Ryder, we love Christina Ricci, we love them all. I even love the actor who plays Lou, and I can't think of his name right now, but I like him, too.

Erin: 25:23

I think it's Bob Huskins or something like that. Yeah, yeah. But he was really good.

Tanya: 25:27

nice.

Erin: 25:27

something, too, I noticed, like, You know in the movie shares what in her 30s her early 30s supposedly, you know, like if she's

Tanya: 25:34

Oh, oh in the movie. Okay. I was like, wow, okay like in the

Erin: 25:38

movie because if she You know, the Lu character. Yeah, she's like

Tanya: 25:42

31.

Erin: 25:43

So the Lu character looks so much older than her and her other boss, you know, like other people like, you know, the boss in the old state that she was in before they moved also looked so much older than her too. I wonder if that's also like a self esteem, self worth thing with her. It's like, alright, but I mean, but Lu is just so kind and I don't think it's like, I don't think age or how he looked really mattered because he was just such a Light to her.

Tanya: 26:09

looking for like the superficial things. It sounds like maybe there was a part of her that was maybe she associated older men with being more stable. Oh, maybe kind of thought, you know, but like then when things would get too serious, she would run. Yeah, but we know that they do end up staying. you know, they, the Rachel, the mom agrees to stay for to try it out for a year because Charlotte gets really mad and is like, no, I like this place. And I think, you know, by that point, Rachel understands, oh yeah, maybe this is good for them. And I can't just run away based on my own feelings of how this needs to be. I have to consider their emotional needs.

Erin: 26:46

Yeah. Which is different, which she's never really slowed down to do that. Cause it's always like, all right, let's put everything, put all the luggage and everything on top of the car. They're still there. You know, they're yeah now making roots starting to make friends in high school just not being the new kids or in the elementary school and just having these connections and it just seems like that that's what they've been missing is the stability and Figuring out how to have a family outside of just the three of them

Tanya: 27:13

Yeah And how to just be themselves because they kept having to the kids kept having to bottle up this emotional Turmoil, and the mom was just, you know, avoiding it, Rachel was just avoiding it, and would get, you know, when Charlotte would say anything, Kate just didn't say anything, she was just off swimming, but, you know, Charlotte would be like, Oh, I'm the worst mom ever, and would kind of like, turn it around, so she didn't have to, face it, you know, it's like such an avoidance tactic. Yeah,

Erin: 27:38

well, because, then, no, no, you're not, you're so great. So then, you know, It makes you look like the bad person, like you're like awful. Yeah, it's very manipulative, yeah.

Tanya: 27:45

yeah, it's that classic kind of case, you know, of like turning it around, I mean, it is really, nice, it's comforting to see them just kind of dancing, and setting up the kitchen table at the end, and you know that's so iconic,

Erin: 27:55

that last scene, I think, is like the most known scene in the movie, too, it's just very, it's fun, and it's like, okay, so no matter all the trauma that they've been through, all the stuff, it's just three people, playing Fun music and just making their silly little kebabs still, you know, just whatever they're doing. It's just fun

Tanya: 28:17

Mrs. Flax kebabs. Yeah But it is it's really nice like I really got a lot of comfort from that and knowing that you know it's not gonna be a boyfriend who's gonna be the main point of view in Rachel's life instead It'll be like if it's still If this adds to the family, but we're going to do the work here. And it sounds like Lou is a pretty force for that. So if you have this hope that like, okay, they're going to stay there and Rachel and Lou are going to make something work and yeah, some things will be repaired. And that's, that's a great ending. I love that. And I love the, the bathtub scene with the Cher dressed up as, as a mermaid and they all get in and just have fun. It's really cute.

Erin: 28:54

Well, and it's also kind of an ode to Cher too, with the big over the top the wig

Tanya: 29:00

and everything. She loves her headdresses.

Erin: 29:02

sees and recognizes Cher, is just she can pull off very extravagant costumes and wigs and headpieces and still look great. She doesn't look like she's like this crazy fool.

Tanya: 29:14

Yeah, she, she pulls it off. I mean, she was on a naval ship in, I'm gonna say, a thong bikini. I mean, and looked amazing, and everybody was like, holy crap. Like, she can, yeah, she can do that, and she can still sing. I mean, that's, that's, I always picture Cher like that, and in her headdresses. I'm like, that's, that's iconic Cher. But, yeah, so, anything else we want to add before we get to the fun question? Remember we're going to add in these fun questions. Oh yeah, this is new.

Erin: 29:43

Tanya has questions.

Tanya: 29:45

Yeah.

Erin: 29:45

So, no, I mean, I guess, I mean, I did like it. I mean, you know, film from 1990. And, I thought it was good. I, like I said, there was like some parts that, re watching, I was like, I didn't like it. I was like, oh my gosh, this is so long, but there was a couple like maybe

Tanya: 30:00

it needed A good editing because

Erin: 30:02

I did watch it at night So I may have fallen asleep and had to re watch the same scenes over a few times but That's dedication. That is dedication. yeah, I do think it's good I mean, I love the three Main characters and they're just really good good actors.

Tanya: 30:17

Yeah I do too. And they all kind of have, maybe it's just because they all have dark hair, but to me they all kind of, they just fit well together, like appearance wise, chemistry wise, and how they work together. I just love it. Yeah. but yeah, so I, same, to me it's a classic, I, I didn't get a chance to rewatch it again, but I know I will at some point in the future and I'll just love it again, but I, okay, so my fun question, I'll debate it, no, just kidding, debatable, but, so, if given the chance to live as a mermaid for, let's say, 24 hours, Okay. Versus being able to go up into space, which would you choose? Oh, a mermaid,

Erin: 30:54

I mean, space seems pretty awesome and enormous, and it just scares the bejesus out of me. You know, like, just like, what, you know, because they're so

Tanya: 31:02

Enormity.

Erin: 31:03

the ocean scares me too, but I think I'd be very, I think I would just stay by very bright colored fish. I wouldn't go too deep. I would just, you know, find all the coral and maybe a manta ray become friends with, but I would not hang out with the sharks or all the dark, dark, weird. Weird eyed fish at the bottom. Ha ha

Tanya: 31:30

The ones that's in the deep deep. Yeah, I would stay, I would stay, I would stay so

Erin: 31:33

I can still see in the light. It wouldn't be too scary. Maybe, you know, if I was in Florida, I'd hang out with a manatee. But, yeah, I would, I think it would be fun for a day. What about you?

Tanya: 31:44

I think I would also choose a mermaid because I've always wanted to be a mermaid. I think your plan of staying near brightly colored fish and not near those like deep dwellers is amazing. And I will copy that and say, yes, I would. I would be a little scared of like being eaten by a fish, but in this magic scenario, we would come back as humans anyway.

Erin: 32:04

and also on all the shows, anything like that. The mermaids always seem like they're friends with the fish, so I don't know if they can talk to them and say don't eat me Sharks, please.

Tanya: 32:17

That'd be amazing if we could just talk to them

Erin: 32:19

be friends with a whale, but then I'd be really cold So I'd rather stay in the water if I was a mermaid for a day

Tanya: 32:26

Yeah, no, some good points. No, that's really well thought out. I was just going to say, oh, it looks fun. And you were like, no, I would say you had a whole strategy. Yeah, well, I don't want

Erin: 32:34

to be too cold.

Tanya: 32:35

Come on. No, that's, Good. You got it planned out. I absolutely would love to go to space too, but I think that may be a reality in our lifetime. So I'm kind of going to choose the mermaid experience because I don't think that would necessarily be something, but I would love to go to space too. Like, I would actually love to do both, but I think space is actually more, like, I don't know. Yeah. It may be coming up in our lifetime. It might. And I'm just, we're on a mermaid theme.

Erin: 33:01

so I mean, like, yeah, space, I mean, I love anything sci fi, but I just, I don't know, the uniform just seems so heavy. So.

Tanya: 33:08

Yeah, and it's probably not pleasant living, and those astronauts that are stranded up there right now are eating so bad urine. Oh my gosh, you feel so bad. Oh my god, those poor people. I know, I feel really bad for them, and it's scary to think about that, but I would still go up on like a recreational

Erin: 33:23

Yeah, if you knew you weren't being stuck there for years.

Tanya: 33:26

Yeah, and I mean, I guess you take a risk, but I don't think those are designed for like the recreational ones, it's just designed to like come right back. I would do that a second if I could afford that. So if anyone wants to loan

Erin: 33:37

half a million dollars for Tanya's dream.

Tanya: 33:40

Yeah, or just gift it. That's amazing. Yeah. but yeah, no, that sounds fun. Yeah, so, now, you know how we feel about becoming mythical creatures and space But yeah, we hope you enjoyed this. This was really fun. This is, you know, one of those fun movies. We hope you watched this or have seen it. If not, please go watch it. it is really, really amazing. Especially if you relate to some of these themes. or just curious about sharing a mermaid outfit. Go for it. Yeah. Or, um,

Erin: 34:11

don't be confused though. Thinking it's gonna be, she's gonna be a mermaid the whole time. It's

Tanya: 34:15

yeah, that's I think I did think that when I would see the previews when I was little I was like Oh, she's on it. Like

Erin: 34:20

she's all like, you know mermaid ish like on the cover Yeah, I was like when you all decked out when you went to blockbuster to rent it

Tanya: 34:28

Yeah, yep. Oh my god. Yeah blockbuster. I think there's only one in the country. I think it's closing Yeah, I think it's in like it's in Bend Oregon

Erin: 34:36

I watched one of those Documentaries about it. What a weird documentary.

Tanya: 34:40

And, and it's like not for, you can't rent movies, it's just like a museum, right? Like, kind of, you can just go and I don't know. Or can you? I don't know. I don't know, maybe you can. But, yeah. That would be interesting. But now we have, I mean, we have so many different things

Erin: 34:52

now to rent movies.

Tanya: 34:54

I wonder if there's people that are you know those

Erin: 34:57

still have their old school technology

Tanya: 34:59

or the classics, but to me they were a pain in the butt They used to get eaten up and you'd

Erin: 35:03

rewind it you get charged Oh, what a 90

Tanya: 35:07

fee or something on come on blockbuster. Yeah. Like, we kind of, we felt bad for you a little bit, but now we kind of know. Yeah, now we're mad at you. So, yeah.

Erin: 35:15

but you don't have to go to Blockbuster to watch this. You can go on Prime or something.

Tanya: 35:20

definitely, definitely in many other places. but yeah, we hope you enjoyed our discussion. Let us know what you think. if we forgot anything or if you want to add in anything, any suggestions, we love Hearing from you guys, you've been so great.

Erin: 35:35

Or if this made you think of a different movie, if you're like, hey,

Tanya: 35:39

Speaking of

Erin: 35:40

Cher, you guys haven't done Masked yet, or you haven't done this Winona Ryder movie or whatever. So, let us know.

Tanya: 35:47

Yes, absolutely. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram at Wicked Psychotherapist. We're also on Facebook at The Wicked Psychotherapist. Subscribe, follow us, write us a review, give us five stars and don't forget stay wicked. And

Erin: 36:02

keep your mind well.

Tanya: 36:03

All right, have a good week. Bye bye. Bye guys. See you next week.

36:07

We Wish You a Merry Christmas And, uh, I'll see you next time.