#thefalls

The role that the Church and religion in general has in these movies, for this point specifically, the third one, makes for a great opportunity to define characters based on their opinion on the churches teachings. When you put two characters in one movie, put them in the exact same situation, but give them different opinions and instincts on how to navigate through said situation offers, not only a great contrast of two characters but also a great conflict that cant and wont be easily resolved.

Also, this movie stands out in the way that religion is portrayed. Often times, religion is put in queer movies as an obstacle or something just 'bad' in general, but in the Falls trilogy, I think they do a really good job at accepting religion, mainly ones that restricts a way of living, and faith as a way of life that shouldn't be looked down apon just because it doesn't fit your idealistic.

When religion is portrayed like this light, its often light hearted and often just a one time thing but pure hypocrisy, nonetheless.

Extending on my second point, the specific situation in the first and second movie, is extremely unique which also makes for interesting conflict between 2 characters, even if not the two main characters, the two main family's, or the two main characters verses the church. As the 1st movie feeds into the 2nd one, often times it feels as if its one of the main characters verses the church alone. This is due to the character feeling so confined within the church that they become one in the same, preach becoming practice.

A second conflict I personally would've loved to have seen more explored was Chris's wife's opinion on the whole situation, and how she deals with it all. Plots like the 2nd movie are more common now a days, very few exploring the emotional distress of anyone but the two main characters. In the 2nd movie, during the confrontational scene, we see Chris's wife in more upset then we see any of the other characters that movie, but after that scene we don't see her again and her plot is sort of discontinued. This purely couldve been from lack of quality writing, which on a surface level, tends to be a very reoccurring thing for these movies, or it could be from lack of care of what really happens to her, which I find sort of upsetting mainly because I find the conflict of her and Chris and RJ a very interesting topic aswell as the fact we get to see Chris's family's, specifically his father explored a lot more in the 3rd movie. And also she had a kid with Chris, which I get we see he gets full custody of in the 3rd movie but like where'd she go??

Stereotypes, fortunately, fail to be something I came away from this movie, experiencing very frequently, expect the unexpected, obviously to an extent, considering the topic, is what I would recommend to anyone who wants to watch this. This goes hand in hand but by like halfway through the 2nd movie I stopped baking any bias opinions about characters because the character development in this movie is crazy.

Upstate🔆

:

Somehow the hardest times have made me learned to smile more. Appreciate the simple thing.

-          The Falls: Monster You Hired.

“Did her mom know about that? That you “do that stuffs” to her?”

I couldn’t stand myself for not asking him that question because well, I am a woman even I’m not a teen anymore.

“No. She wouldn’t dare to tell her mom about that. I’m sure about it,” he said in full of confident and he laughed too. Like he was really proud of himself.

--

Here is another story I’ve had with me for years.

Before I moved to Spring Hills I used to live in Indonesia with Sharon and her Chinese family. I worked as a financial accounting at north area. It took 45 minutes or even more to get to my workplace so instead of using public transportation which it could take longer and been so annoying lot of time I prefer to hire a driver to drop and pick me up every Monday till Friday office hours.

Then I met this person when the only one and my best driver suddenly quited from his job. And I met Robert to replace his seat to give me a ride every day. Except weekend.

For your info, I didn’t drive. Doesn’t mean I didn’t pass my driving license but I have my personal reason for not driving a car or riding a motorcycle here.

And back to my main story, it was about a girl, a young teenager girl, let’s named her Ingrid. Robert, my new driver at that time had a long weird benefits relationship with Ingrid’s mother. Ingrid was 16 at that moment. And Robert was 39 years old. He worked many type of jobs and was basically an online driver too. Every early morning he would have to up to help Ingrid’s Mother to push a cart from her flat to prepare her mini restaurant near my apartment. And it was pretty far from her place, to be honest. She rent a place near my apartment, a Chinatown area and was selling noddles with that cart. Robert helped Ingrid’s Mother with that stuffs also have to taking care of Ingrid at home. Babysitting her whole day until her mother comeback home.

Well, Ingrid even she is already 16 years old but she was still acting like a kid. She lost her biological father when she was 5 years old. Her mother had chosen not to marry anymore. So when Ingrid met Robert, she was really loved him like her own father. Even she knew that Robert actually married, has wife and two kids who was living in another town. Ingrid and Robert relationship was kind of bonded to each other for years.

I don’t think Robert’s wife know that her husband actually had a friends with benefits here in Jakarta while she was waiting for him to come home every night and days. Maybe she just know that Robert has been working as an online driver and he gave her money regulary and that is enough for her as long as she got money to live. Kind of wow to me. This is ridiculous and sad.

I know this little family and these people even they are not in my circle life or not my neighbors too but I’ve met them few times. I meant Ingrid and her mother. Me and Sharon ever visited her mini restaurant to eat her noodles. I was expecting it was a Chinese noodle which has a chinese flavor but it hasn’t. Instead it has a local noodle taste. Yeah, Indonesian food, my Dad’s favorite food all the time and that’s where Sharon came from before she met John Falls, my father. So I feel familiar with that taste too. Feels like home. And I was home at that time too.

Anyway Ingrid’s Mother was the one who introduced me with Robert when she met Sharon. They both have had a conversation and Sharon told her that I needed new driver because my last one already quited. So I thought Robert was good and at that moment I do really need a driver to work as soon as possible, so we made a deal and he got that job.

My first impression toward Robert’s personality, well, you won’t believe this but I could read people aura, their expression on their face, their body language, gesture, lip, also their behavior from the first impression. So when I met Robert he looked--- fine, good, normal but he has something in his eyes. Something tricky, playboy, pervert, like a typical of jerk behind his baby face. I surprised to see how young his appearance with that baby face, sweet smile and his tanned skin. That’s why he looked like a bit arrogant and pervert because he confessed to me after a week he had worked with me that so many young girls had been chasing him and wanted to be his girlfriend even he told them he married- twice.

I kinda like wow when he told me the fact about his life. He married twice, yeah okay that was his personal stuffs but he had shared lot of his personal stuffs to me along way from my home to my work place including his sex life with his wife, with some teens he had spent a night with etc etc. I was like “OMG, Can this man stopped talking about those stuffs and just focus with the road?  It was really annoying.” Very annoying and so disturbing me a lot.

He cheated on his wife with some teens he met on street. I meant, really?! It’s disgusting. He told me that and he was bragging himself about how famous he was in front of teenagers and some younger girls. That was his favorite so far, he said. And Ingrid was one of his favorite too. When I heard that, I felt suffocating and I wanted to puke on his face.

“Did her mom know about that? That you “do that stuffs” to her?”

I couldn’t stand myself for not asking him that question because well, I am a woman even I’m not a teen anymore.

“No. She wouldn’t dare to tell her mom about that stuff. I’m sure about it,” he said in full of confident and he laughed too. Like he was really proud of himself.

I had enough. Somebody just kick him out from my car, please! The way she treated her like that it was making me fed up. I was so mad at that time. And I think I had enough with this guy. I don’t need a driver like him. He was a jerk, a bastard, a pervert and all bad things on my mind I would throw into him.

I had enough. If Sharon knows this she would be worry about me. The worst part, if my Dad knows about him, he would put a gun into his dick and shoot that gun and he would be dead at the same day. That’s why I didn’t tell anyone until I got new solution with this stuff.

Somebody also told me that Robert had lot of friends with benefits before Ingrid’s Mom just to get money, wealthiness and sex of course. Seems like I knew all of his bad reputation now. And he loves Asian woman. When I heard this I think I need to save Sharon or just keep her away from that bastard.

Gosh, what type of driver I had this time?

So after month after month I’ve been trying to get a new driver, finally on February I got one. And I fired Robert with a polite statement after he came up late to pick me up to work. I almost lose my good reputation at work just because he came late to drop me at work. I couldn’t hold my anger toward him at that moment because he didn’t only once making mistake but more than once. So, it was the last time I saw him. I was too sick and tired dealing with him everyday. It was so stressful.

And my new driver that Sharon introduced me after I told her the truth because I couldn’t hold my anger any longer about Robert stuffs, he was so polite, neat, good attitude and humble. I like my current driver now.

About Ingrid. I know I should have reported Robert about what he has done to her. Or I should have told her mother about the monster she hired to help her and taking care of her daughter but I didn’t do that. I didn’t do anything to save her. It was too personal and Ingrid seems mysterious and I couldn’t talk to her anymore. She was with her mother or being with Robert 24 hours so I couldn’t get into her to get more evidence or even to ask her to report her issues towards Robert.

I couldn’t save her because she fell in love with him.

I couldn’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.

So I wrote this poem inspired by her incident.

I wish there is no such a thing like this anymore.

Please be careful and do not trust people so easily.

You should know how to protect yourself.

You should know how to say No and Stop!

Or do something about it.

-

You looked sweet and kind, people said.

You talked nice to everyone.

You looked so religious especially when you mentioned all good stories from your own book.

People would think that you were one of their best in your community.

Actually you were living in denial.

You were hiding with you mask.

You didn’t show them your real face.

You acted like you were a perfect person so they would think you were nice.

You were a fake one. A pervert and a predator for kids and teens.

You told me how religious you were.

But you were catcalling woman. You still talk dirty and watch porn after praying.

Then you told me how perfect yourself if you were preaching about others opinion.

You told me how much you loved you second wife wives but you still flirting with A then f*cked C.

You were bragging yourself about how good yourself with S stuffs and then you were into teens and kids.

You touched her. You ruined her life. An innocent young girl who supposed to be your daughter.

You sexually abused her and threaten her not to tell her mom about it.

Nobody knows what you did to her.

I’m sickened with people like you.

You didn’t think with your brain but your ass.

You did know what your religion had taught but you didn’t educate yourself with respect and good attitude towards woman.

You only see woman as a sexual object. You think woman are all weak so you can play your game and used their money for your own sake.

You probably forget, your mom also a woman.

You probably forget that you has a 16 years old daughter, also a teenager.

I wonder what God would have thought about you.

I wonder what would be the best shit hell would give you as a punishment.

I don’t blame religion. I blame to the people who used it wrong way.

--

By. Vivian Lin

It supposed to be a normal day for me while I was sitting at the coffee shop near downtown, enjoying my summer in Oregon. Actually everyday was the same, like a same ritual for me except when my dad, John Falls, visited me. It would be a different life of me as Tiffany Falls.

Well I was 28 and working as an online writer. I travel a lot to write good and bad stuffs. Now I was at Spring Hills, Oregon. And I have no idea where my Dad is because he always gone.

Bipp bipp. I received a text message from the unknown number. I opened it.

Beirut. Working.

I exhaled and sipped my coffee from my glass. I know it was Dad. That was his way to tell me where he was, simple, to the point and no more explanation whether he was working or on a vacation. But most of the time he was working or being excomunicado. So I typed him back.

Spring Hills, Oregon. Coffee and writing.

With?

With a hot guy. He is sitting in front of me.

Give me his ID now.

I laughed. I’m kidding, Dad. I’m alone by myself like always. I miss you.

Don’t play that joke, Tiff.

I’m sorry, Dad. Why so serious?

Working. Ciao.

End of our conversation.

All right. It was always been like that for years.

--

 I put my phone on the table and ordered some sandwich for lunch. Then I saw a couple was fighting each other across the street. I could read and understand their conversation through their lip so I know they were fighting about money and someone else. But it wasn’t them who caught my attention instead of that little girl who was standing besides her mother. She dressed so girly with a sad expression on her face. She was scared and shivering. She looked at her mother and her father many times to get their attention but at the end she looked down on the ground. Desperately disappointed.

Then I saw her mother asked that little girl to go to the coffee shop and order some food. She would pay the bill later after she is done with her issues with her husband. Her mother pointed the coffee shop with her finger for her daughter to see the direction.

That little girl nodded. She obeyed her mother’s instruction pretty much like me when Dad asked me to do something he asked for. I would obey him. If I misbehave he would punish me with his belt. When I saw that girl, I remembered myself when I was at her age. No choice except have to obey whatever they have said to you.

Poor Dad, you’re not a good father for me but Sharon helped you a lot about parenting stuffs. She gave me a mother figured I’ve been missing the most in my life. Enough about my story now back to that little girl named Anna. She crossed the street and now she was sitting on the chair, looking at the menu on the table. Then a waiter come to her.

“Excuse me.” Anna said. She didn’t want to look at the waiter and kept her head down on table. “Can I order my menu first and pay later after my mom finished with her conversation with my dad? She told me she will pay the bill later.”

The waiter didn’t say anything and made an ugly face to Anna then walked away from her. I thought the waiter would comeback and give her a drink or just a simple menu for her because she looked starving. But lot of waiter and waitress just passed her by and didn’t want to give a service she offered before.

I started to get mad.

Don’t make any trouble, Tiff. Don’t put yourself into trouble. Be a good girl to me.

That was my dad told me many times when I started my first day at daycare, playgroup, elementary, high school until I finished my study at Lincoln. He was always said those same words which made me so mad to myself and him but I couldn’t do anything to change that.

I saw Anna. She started to get anxious and almost crying. I took my bag and come to her table. Pulled a chair in front of her so I could see her face.

“Hey, what’s going on? Do you need help to order food here?,” I told her and gave her my best smile ever.

“So maybe they don’t understand what I’ve said earlier,” said Anna. I can see she was holding back her tears.

“It’s okay. I’ll help you to order again. I’ll treat you because you’re a good girl.”

“How do you know I am a good girl?”

“You obeyed your mother.” I smiled at her, patted her and asked her to wait for a while.

I walked to one of the guy who was refused to help Anna and speak right through his eyes.  “Could you please bring the menu and give what she wants to eat? She’s been waiting for 20 minutes since you left her and didn’t comeback to give her what she wanted.”

“Are you her mother?”

“No. But unlike you, I’m a human with a good heart and moral. Now say sorry to her and give her what she wants. She’s starving.”

“Who will pay her bill?”

“So it’s just all about money?”

“Yeah. Because if she lied to me I would be the one to pay her bill from my weekly salary. Well, I’m not a rich guy, Miss. I still need lot of money to pay my debts for collage.”

“I will pay her bill then. Put it in my bills. Mission complete, right?”

“Okay.”

“Anyway her parents still have fight across the street under the street lamp. So, be nice. A chocolate would be nice for her.” I reminded him to act nice toward Anna.

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Table 22 and table 25. What’s your name, Miss?” Another waitress asked me while she was trying to find my bills on the cashier table.

“Tiffany Ann Falls.”

By. Vivian Lin.

That first kiss as husband and wife thoooo ♡