The Ballad of Jack and Rose

The Ballad of Jack and Rose is a 2005 drama written and directed by Rebecca Miller, and starring her husband Daniel Day-Lewis. It also stars a plethora of talented actors including Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano, Ryan McDonald, Jason Lee, Jena Malone, Susanna Thompson and Beau Bridges. The film tells the story of an environmentalist and his teenage daughter who live alone on a secluded island commune, and grapple with the limits of family and sexuality and their complicated relationship as a heart illness brings his life to an end.
Jack, the title character, lives on the site of his abandoned island commune with his 16-year-old daughter Rose. Jack has sheltered Rose from the influences of the outside world, but now Rose's emerging womanhood poses troubling questions about the days ahead. A man who has lived a life motivated by environmentalism and other altruistic causes, Jack now rages at those who do not share his concerns, like developer Marty Rance, who is building a housing tract on the edge of his property. When Jack invites his girlfriend Kathleen and her sons Rodney and Thaddius to live with them, Rose feels betrayed and the situation quickly becomes precarious. Rose acts out wildly, like cutting her hair and sleeping with her new step-brother, creating chaos. As everything flies out of control, Jack finds himself trapped in an impossible place and is forced to take action. After Rose runs away Jack returns to Rose's hideout, and she is overjoyed with the news that Kathleen is gone. That night, Jack and Rose share an incestuous kiss. Rose sees nothing wrong, as she has never had anyone to love but her father. Jack breaks down in guilty tears. Jack's heart condition is worsening, and he decides to let the builders destroy the wetlands. He and Rose return home, and Jack dies within a few days. Rose had originally planned to kill herself when her father died, but after setting the house on fire and lying down next to Jack's body, she changes her mind and escapes. Two years later, Rose is shown living in Vermont and working in a greenhouse.
This is easily one of the most beautiful and tragic love stories I've ever seen. The fact that they were father and daughter didn't detract from their love, it enhanced it. Normally i wouldn't advocate incest, i mean there are reasons to shy away from the idea other than simple social convention. But for this story, in this specific circumstance, it makes sense. I've never seen two people more perfectly suited to one another. One of the major themes of this film is jack's inability to come to grips with his desire, impending death and uncertainty of Rose's ability to cope without him. Jack had lived so much of his life outside of the box, raising Rose in virtual isolation and with unconventional ideas about society and what it means to live independently in the modern world. The real tragedy is his lack of courage to let go of that hideous constraint wrought of a catholic upbringing, social taboos, and unwillingness to redefine what his relationship to his daughter is SUPPOSED to be. To see her with new eyes, as she really is: no longer a child but a beautiful young woman who (ironically, because of the way he raised her) has an open view and capacity to embrace her burgeoning romantic feelings. Jack's character is ridden with guilt over his desire for her and his seeming failure to guide her to emotional maturity as a parent should. But I think he failed on one hand and succeeded brilliantly on another. while Rose might have trouble functioning in normal society, she is a free spirit with incredible strength of character. As shown by her decision to live at the end of the film, and in perfect tribute to her father and the wonderful person he helped shaped her to be, by staying true to the hard-working, serene ideology of commune life. I think it was sad that they didn't have more time together. In the end i believe Jack would have resolved his inner demons and embraced their love for what it was.