The Films' Couples are Inversions of Each Other

[IDreamtIWasABee]

The movies swap the characteristics of the kids in each couple. Oskar resembles Abby, Eli resembles Owen.

The symmetry isn't absolute; Abby is more confident than Oskar, and Eli is much calmer than Owen. But in each film, it's the damaged "boy" (Eli and Owen) who is the emotional center of the story.

I think one's preference for a friend/partner underlies which movie speaks to them more, with fans who want a "rescuer" preferring LMI and fans looking for someone to "rescue" going for LTROI.

(Or, rather, fans who wanted a romantic "rescuer" in childhood prefer LMI, while those who wanted to "rescue" someone special in childhood prefer LTROI.)

Thoughts?

[intrige]

The movies swap the characteristics of the kids in each couple. Oskar resembles Abby, Eli resembles Owen.

Eli : Abby | Owen : Oskar.. Duh.

The symmetry isn't absolute; Abby is more confident than Oskar, and Eli is much calmer than Owen. But in each film, it's the damaged "boy" (Eli and Owen) who is the emotional center of the story.

In both films Oskar and Owen are the emotional centers, Eli and Abby is simply coming into it, changing the emotion in the center.

I think one's preference for a friend/partner underlies which movie speaks to them more, with fans who want a "rescuer" preferring LMI and fans looking for someone to "rescue" going for LTROI.

(Or, rather, fans who wanted a romantic "rescuer" in childhood prefer LMI, while those who wanted to "rescue" someone special in childhood prefer LTROI.)

In both films Eli and Abby are both viewed as romantic rescuers, if there was to pick between the two of them not being that, it would be LMI which suggest much more spesific that Owen is just a nother link in the circle that Abby has created, raising a caretaker for her. This is only slightly hinted and not even intened in LTROI.
Most of us, myabe with very few exeptions, look at Owen and Abby's and Oskar and Eli's realtionship as romantic, and not only for Eli to save Oskar, but visa versa. Well you can mean whatever you want of course, but I find your opinions very missleading and kind of confusing. Where did you get that from?

[J.J.]

Mmm... I'm afraid I agree with intrige on this...

[jetboy]

But in each film, it's the damaged "boy" (Eli and Owen) who is the emotional center of the story.

I also agree with Intrige that both Owen and Oskar are the centers of the story.

If you think Oskar isnt damaged because he isnt always on the verge of tears I say thats sad because I think he IS damaged or on the verge of being. I feel LTROI is saying something because Oskar like many of us when depressed or stressed, HAS found an outlet for his frustrations. The problem is that his outlet is unhealthy and will only compound his problems in the long run not fix them. Isnt that the point of Oskar playing with his knife and collecting clippings? Its not to show his confidence.

I think one's preference for a friend/partner underlies which movie speaks to them more, with fans who want a "rescuer" preferring LMI and fans looking for someone to "rescue" going for LTROI.

(Or, rather, fans who wanted a romantic "rescuer" in childhood prefer LMI, while those who wanted to "rescue" someone special in childhood prefer LTROI.)

I think Eli plays the perfect rescuer while Abbey has this problem when her infection is at its worst and needs to be taken care of.

[EEA]

I agree with you about the two movies being about rescue. Both Eli and Oskar find each other and rescue each other from a place that is slowly killing everyone.
Now for Abby and Owen is more difficult since Abby is stuck in this cicle of finding caretakers. Owen has a difficult journey ahead since he could accept his role of being the new caretaker or fighting against it and prove to Abby that he is the one chosen to be with her.

[IDreamtIWasABee]

There seems to be some confusion.

Eli : Abby | Owen : Oskar.. Duh.

Well, obviously.

My point is that LMI flips the roles of the kids in the relationship, not their literal roles in the story. Owen goes through all the plot points Oskar does and Abby's a vampire just like Eli, but Oskar and Abby both fill the role of nurturer vis-a-vis Eli and Owen, who are the partners in greater need of healing.

In both films Oskar and Owen are the emotional centers, Eli and Abby is simply coming into it, changing the emotion in the center.

In each movie, the emotional focus is the damaged boy. Sure, Oskar and Abby are broken, but Owen's much more shell-shocked than Abby, and Eli (especially with the book's backstory) is far more psychologically devastated than Oskar.

Think of it this way: Eli prostitutes himself to survive, Abby arranges families for herself. If Owen was a vampire, he'd be far more likely to behave like Eli than Abby. A vampire Oskar, on the other hand, would behave like Abby: he'd be more confident, even emboldened by his powers.

In both films Eli and Abby are both viewed as romantic rescuers, if there was to pick between the two of them not being that, it would be LMI which suggest much more spesific that Owen is just a nother link in the circle that Abby has created, raising a caretaker for her. This is only slightly hinted and not even intened in LTROI.

Abby is the "rescuer" because she has a self-confidence and inner strength that Owen doesn't have. That's why LMI is a film that appeals to people who identify with the "damaged boy" in need of rescue. Whether you think Abby's intentions are good or bad is irrelevant.

LTROI, on the other hand, stars a vampire whose temperament is more like Owen's than Abby's. Fans of this film prefer it because Eli makes the viewer sympathetic to him; the viewer in some sense wants to "rescue" Eli.

It's all about which vampire your childhood self needed.

Most of us, myabe with very few exeptions, look at Owen and Abby's and Oskar and Eli's realtionship as romantic, and not only for Eli to save Oskar, but visa versa. Well you can mean whatever you want of course, but I find your opinions very missleading and kind of confusing. Where did you get that from?

[/quote]

Oh, yeah, they all save each other. My argument is that Abby and Oskar are "saved" by being needed, while Eli and Owen are "saved" by finding the person they need.

Incidentally, if you don't prioritize the pairings, it's quite possible to identify with Eli as a damaged boy and love LTROI on those grounds. People who identify with rescuers can likewise identify with Abby and prefer LMI for that reason, though it seems less common.

[IDreamtIWasABee]

If you think Oskar isnt damaged because he isnt always on the verge of tears I say thats sad because I think he IS damaged or on the verge of being. I feel LTROI is saying something because Oskar like many of us when depressed or stressed, HAS found an outlet for his frustrations. The problem is that his outlet is unhealthy and will only compound his problems in the long run not fix them. Isnt that the point of Oskar playing with his knife and collecting clippings? Its not to show his confidence.

It shows us the roots of Oskar's behavior in his being damaged, but the fact that he "acts out" rather than withdraws is telling. That's why I align him more with Abby than Owen in terms of the role he plays in his relationship with Eli.

I think Eli plays the perfect rescuer while Abbey has this problem when her infection is at its worst and needs to be taken care of.

Eli would not have rescued Oskar if Oskar didn't have the inner strength to help him heal. Eli is strong, but he's strong in the way a survivor is strong just for surviving; beyond that, he's a delicate, messed up boy. If he isn't, why does he put up with prostitution? Why is Oskar the first friend he's made in centuries? Why does Lina's performance make us feel that she's resigned herself to always losing, to having accepted it with a bittersweet fatalism? When Oskar confronts her in her apartment, and Eli stands in his way, she looks like she has all the resolve of a scarecrow: if Oskar actually tried to fight his way past, Eli would fall right down.

Eli can stand up for Oskar in a pinch, but she's not yet healed enough to be able to do more than that. She can't nurture someone who's wounded and weak, though she might someday be able to with the help of people like Oskar. She rescues Oskar at the pool in grand romantic fashion, but in the grand scheme of the story, it's Oskar who really rescues her.

Abby and Owen just reverse these roles. Abby is strong enough to look after someone like Owen. Owen hasn't suffered as much as Eli has, but that's just a matter of degree. And he and Eli have a similar temperament. If Owen became a vampire, I could easily see him being like Eli after a century or two.

[intrige]

What I think you see is that Oskar is more.. Srong. Than Owen, that I have noticed too, but that doesn't mean that Oskar is the rescuer, and Eli is the one to be rescued.

[mackousko]

(Or, rather, fans who wanted a romantic "rescuer" in childhood prefer LMI, while those who wanted to "rescue" someone special in childhood prefer LTROI.)

Thoughts?

I think i understand what you mean. And it´s possible that some of the people / fans have chosen the prefered version this way. But it´s definitely not the ultimate answer to everything in LTROI / LMI universe. I for example don´t remember my childhood. I don´t know if it was good or bad time for me. Everything is covered in grey mist. Nevertheless, Eli has become the center of the universe for me.

[lombano]

I need to think about this more - I think both Owen and Oskar are the emotional centres here, but as for the rest you may have a point. I don't think Abby really rescues Owen, beyond the literal physical rescue at the pool.

Abby is the "rescuer" because she has a self-confidence and inner strength that Owen doesn't have. That's why LMI is a film that appeals to people who identify with the "damaged boy" in need of rescue. Whether you think Abby's intentions are good or bad is irrelevant.

LTROI, on the other hand, stars a vampire whose temperament is more like Owen's than Abby's. Fans of this film prefer it because Eli makes the viewer sympathetic to him; the viewer in some sense wants to "rescue" Eli.

It's all about which vampire your childhood self needed.

In my case I don't think my childhood self applies - I think I remember my childhood fairly well, but I'm not seeing this story via my childhood. I certainly felt during earlier days this wish to rescue Eli (and never to rescue Abby) but the rescue is in terms of an adult (me, now) being the rescuer.