“Getting By”

I recently saw the new movie with Vince Vaughn called “Couples Retreat.” Although this film will not be nominated for an Academy Award, there is a worthwhile message in its script.

There is a scene in which Vince Vaughn’s character and his wife are in a therapy session while at a couples resort. The therapist spends a few minutes digging into their relationship. Feeling a bit pressured and poked at, the husband, declares somewhat indignantly, “We do okay in our marriage. We get by.” The therapist jumps on this declaration with a fervent response by saying, “Get by? You get by? Marriage is for more than just getting by!”

My interpretation of the therapist’s response is that marriage or a committed relationship is not something you want to simply survive on, like a salary that just lets you exist rather than live. A life-long partnership is something you want to nourish and raise so that it allows you to be the best you you can be, as individuals, and as a couple.

The movie provides a few insightful moments, but unfortunately less laughs. My recommendation is to wait until it comes out on DVD, then rent it.