Tiny Furniture : Why dump Frankie?

As far as the story goes, it was pretty good, throughout most of the film. While I cant claim to really identify with Auras situation, she portrays it in such a way that I understood it. I felt her confusion and her frustration with a stage of life that doesnt hand her any easy answers.

On the other hand, some of her decisions were just so bone-headed that she lost my sympathy. Especially her treatment of Frankie - the one person in her life who really cared about her and really could have helped to set her on the right path. Her decision to break ties with Frankie confused me, Im not at all sure why she did it. She should have held onto that friendship for dear life!

When she dumped Frankie, the movie was spoiled for me. All of the rest of her decisions I could live with, but not this one.

You can read my full review here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Tiny_Furniture_2010_epi/content_5743551 81188

Thanks!

Completely agreeFrankie was the only hopeful relationship in Aura's life. To casually throw away the healthy intimacy shared with Frankie was bewildering.

i didnt get the impression she dumped him or that they were even together. he was just staying at her house and was going to leave new york in a couple days anyway. and the mom made her kick him out so she didnt have a choice.

You're referring to Jed, the video-guy. I'm asking about Frankie - the nice girl from college - the one she was supposed to live with.

Oh my bad. I think aura distancing herself from frankie was indicitive of her growing up and moving on from her college life. It was kind of sad but people move on from friendships at that age in order to reinvent themselves.

I guess so. But it seemed like Frankie was the only positive force in her life. She gave up the good, preferring to stay with the bad. But, perhaps you're right, perhaps she has to figure this out for herself.

I dont think the other friend was bad per se ( the blond with the accent ). She seemed supportive and fun. And she was helping her art career.

Yes, that's true. But she seemed to also be willing to take Aura down some bad roads, as well. Whereas Frankie seemed like she really had her stuff together and could have been a really good influence on all aspects of Aura's life.

She represented Auras innocent youth she was leaving behind. I thougt she came off as slightly needy too. Great movie.

I think some of you are looking too much into this. Aura used Frankie and then dumped her when the relationship was not convenient to her anymore.

You say that she was moving on from her childhood by dumping a college friend? Then what do you call moving back in with your mommy and little sister instead of actually looking for a job and getting an apartment of your own?

In my opinion she dumped Frankie because she did not have the money or her career together enough to afford to live on her own.

Aura sort of naively assumed she would be able to get her post-college life together in a matter of a few weeks so she made plans to live with Frankie.
But things were not going so well for Aura, she was only able to get a job as a day hostess and she did not seem to have any other prospects.

She needed to stay living at her Mom's house longer because she could not afford independent living yet.

Even though Charlotte, her english friend was a little wild in a way she was real and honest. She totally understood Aura and kind of was showing her to be more risky while Frankie didn't seem real, like too nice and typical. She seemed to have her stuff all figured out and Aura needed a messy person just like herself. I don't think though that she dumped her. I'm sure she'll call her and they'll work things out, but sometimes people need the kind of friends that just get them and are like them. That doesn't mean it's healthy or good but it happens.
I personally have a mix of friends, the *beep* but realistic and honest girls and the buddies I have met in school and don't really 'get' me. I need this to balance my life. Sometimes the ones who have their sh*t together, the healthy ARE the ones that help you move forward and see things in a positive light. I do agree, that Aura shouldn't have treated Frankie that way at the gallery, but I personally thought it was very realistic in the sense that you see how flawed and confused Aura was.

I'm confused by what you're saying, and I think it's because you're using the word "real" in a different way than its actual meaning.

If, as you say, Frankie is "typical", that means there are a lot of _real_ people who are like Frankie, making her more real than Charlotte.

To me, Charlotte's "real"-ness is more like "keeping it real", which does _not_ mean being honest. "Keeping it real" means saying whatever you think or feel like saying without consideration for the reality of the situation, nor for how your message is delivered, nor for how it (message or delivery) may be perceived or misunderstood by others. This type of "real"-ness is often accompanied by hypersensitivity and overreaction when the reality of the "keeping it real" person's situation is pointed out to them in return.

I disagree that Aura didn't dump Frankie, because she definitely did when it came to their living together. However, I think Aura refuses to see what she did as dumping Frankie, because Aura isn't adult enough to be honest about how poorly her treatment of Frankie reflects on her own (Aura's) character.

Aura will probably try to call Frankie, who will probably be struggling with issues related to the sudden loss of one income for paying for their planned NYC housing. Frankie will probably be a bit short or curt. Aura will then think Frankie is a bitch, all the while absolving herself of her responsibility in Frankie's problems.

I loved your answer. Thanks for the insight.

I don't think you were meant to totally root for Aura. I think you were more supposed to identify with her as she makes the sort of stupid decisions most young people make and laugh at the situations she gets into. Not laugh at her, but to groan and say, Yeah, I've done that.

Yes, you're right, and that's a very good point.

Aura 'dumped' Frankie because she was desperate for a male to validate her worth. She was aware of the fact that the chef was willing to not only cheat on his girlfriend, but with one of her friends, adding insult to injury. Her desire to experience intimacy with a male was so present that she was willing to lower her moral standards in order to acquire it.

She mentioned that her ex was a male feminist, if she were attracted to that type of mindset, why would she sleep with a man who obviously used women for sex? Easy. She wanted to use the encounter to make her feel good about herself.

In the end, she realized that she wasn't going to 'change' the promiscuous chef and that she wasn't 'good enough' for him to settle down with. She realized, like many girls who go after bad boys, that she was merely used as a tool by him for sex. End of story.

Frankie should never speak to Aura again and for good reason.

I seem to have a completely different read than almost everyone else here.

I took Aura's dumping Frankie to be a sign of how badly she was regressing into infantilism and degradation.

Like an irresponsible child, she didn't reply to Frankie's benign voicemail messages.

She didn't have the balls to be upfront with Frankie about her misgivings and second thoughts until the day before Frankie was to fly out.

She gave Frankie a complete lie of an explanation about her mother and sister needing her, when it was pretty much completely the other way around.

After the art show encounter with Frankie, she allowed herself to be mounted like an animal (doggy style, hair pulling, getting bossed around), without protection, in a cast off sheet metal pipe in a parking lot, by a guy who had no respect for her, who wasn't even physically/sexually interested in her, and who wanted her to hide behind a car when his "boy" was nearby. (This whole sequence was simultaneously the funniest and most cringe-inducing in the entire movie, and most demonstrated the character's self-loathing.)

After all this, she wanted to sleep with her mommy in her mommy's bed, like a small child does.

Nothing about her dumping of Frankie signaled a break from childhood into adulthood. If anything, it was a refusal to break away from childhood, and a continued evasion of adulthood by staying in the womb (her mother's apartment and bed). Moving out into her own place (even with an old college roommate), paying her way, and paying for her own food (instead of mooching all her mother's frozen entrees) would have signaled a transitioning into adulthood.

I didn't get why she ditched Frankie either - when I was watching it. But after thinking about it, I agree with @dump123456789. Maybe she THOUGHT it was a move to grow up or move on, but it was definitely going to keep her from moving forward. Just like quitting her job and pursuing the chef.

I totally agree with your assessment - you're spot on.

I agree with your assessment, but UGH, does your final line take Aura even further down. (I hate the religious hypocrites who condemn others who don't follow their religious "beliefs", all the while sinning away themselves, just because Jesus forgives them as long as they "believe".)

I think this is a pretty good insight; however, I don't think she fully intended to "dump" Frankie. She was engaging her in conversation (and not just small talk) until Frankie insisted she deal with explaining why she had not returned messages, etc. I think Aura had been avoiding confronting the fact that she couldn't handle moving out, but was still willing to be friends with Frankie.


See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

I think we've been using "dump" to mean "not move in & share certain living expenses with", not "break off all friendship with".

Aura's behavior suggested she thought her treatment of Frankie would not result in blowback. That's a result of either her self-centeredness, or denial. Either way, yes, she was probably willing to be friends, but she wasn't prepared to accept the consequences of her own actions. (If she had wanted to continue being a true friend to Frankie, Aura would have had a more honest conversation about her reasons for backing out of the agreement at practically the last minute.)

If the question is as narrow as you are framing it, the answer strikes me as pretty straightforward: she was newly unemployed and nearly broke, thus she could not afford to move out (accepting the loan from Frankie's dad would only kick the can down the road).

Why she was so squirrelly about facing up to her change of plans is a more complex and interesting question, one you allude to in your answer. But if we simply substitute "dump" for "not move in & share certain living expenses with", as you suggest, the answer to the question seems clear and self-evident. To not move in with Frankie under those circumstances was actually more responsible than one might expect from Aura given some of her other actions. After all, moving in with her would most likely have ended up putting Frankie in a bad position eventually.


See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

Exactly my reading too. Spot on. :-)

You're spot on.

@dump123456789: Very well-stated! In fact, instead of the protagonist moving forward in a positive direction as we usually see in films with strong character development, Aura did the opposite and regressed. She negatively evolved from the promise of a hopeful and successful student/graduate who has self-respect and is excited about independence and young adulthood (like Frankie)to a very physically and emotionally dependent, purposely unemployed, careless parent-moocher who's terrified to move forward as an adult.

If Aura doesn't reverse course, she will likely end up much like a female version of her new free-loading, YouTube "friend", Jed. While he may talk-the-talk of a man who is in demand by television producers, it became clear that he was not the success he wanted Aura to believe he was. Who knows what he really did in NY all day, but it wasn't really about work. Any legitimate special meetings/talks with television producers would have had him in hotels and with some meals. His stay dragged on in sync with how long he could mooch his way into someone's generosity. This is not unlike what Aura was doing with her own mother in a way.

When Aura was confronted (rightfully so) by her mother about the consumed wine, food, and use of her bed by an unapproved guest, Aura deflected blame and shame to her mother, much in the way Jed did when he was trying to guilt Aura into making it all her fault that he had no free place to stay when Siri demanded he leave. Both felt completely entitled to the fruits of other people's labor and would not accept personal responsibility for their actions or lack thereof. Jed saw an opportunity to mooch while Aura got her ego stroked by caring for him with her mother's resources nonetheless. Similarly, her mother feels a continued sense of responsibility to her adult child who still needs to learn to "fly"/become independent, but Siri also wants to be loved and respected as a parent too. Aura knows exactly what buttons to push to get what she needs from Mommy, while Jed did something similar to Auraeven the creepy way he manipulated himself into her bed (for his own comfort), then made her feel guilty for wanting closeness and supposedly sweating in it. It's her bedroom and bed for Pete's sake! He should have shown respect, and Aura should have done the same for her mother's home, food, and bed too.

Lots of growing up and/or reality checks needed by young adults in this film. Like many graduates, I was totally psyched about independent life. Even though things could be a bit daunting at times, I pressed on to find an awesome job, purchased a home within a couple of years, and met my "good guy". None of that would've been possible had I decided to become fearful and regress, and not work toward my goals. That doesn't mean I didn't hang out with my parents sometimes. In fact, with my independence the relationships actually became extra special with deeper connections and more fun. :)

A well-thought out response. In fact, your analysis makes me think there may be more to this movie than I'd walked away seeing in it.

i identified with this, when college ends you frequently have to choose between different social circles as far as which one you spend the majority of your time with. it was cold the way she dumped Frankie, but most of the time friendships generally fade out via unreturned phone calls like this.
and it makes sense that she chose her new york friends over her midwestern friend considering she's living in new york.

"most of the time friendships generally fade out via unreturned phone calls like this"

Not between people who have concrete plans to live together, and who have a timetable for doing so. There was much more going on there (on Aura's part) than just friends drifting apart over time.

because lena (bleep)ham is a self loathing lesbian piece of (bleep) who hates other women probably because she looks liek a man

If I had to say, I would assume this decision was based on fear.

Mostly a fear to grow up and move on. Life is easier with her mother because she doesn't have to take care of herself. She can also use the 'my mom needs me' excuse to tell herself she's making the right choice.

I had a friend who literally did this in real life to someone. The weekend they were supposed to move into an apartment together, she called her friend and told her she couldn't make the move.

If these two situations are as similar as I believe them to be, it is because Aura was not ready to be a responsible adult. Not having money is a cop-out, Frankie offered to pay for the first month and deposit. This problem was solved immediately and proved that Aura was looking for excuses to not move.

And look at Frankie as a long distance girlfriend. Aura came home, met up with some old friends, and no longer needed the emotional connection she created with Frankie to sustain her college lifestyle. As soon as Aura got home she slipped right back into her old toxic relationships with her friends, her mother, and her sister. Frankie is the long distance g/f who calls and wants to talk but it only pushes Aura away further (evidenced by Aura deleting her voicemails). It's a relationship Aura doesn't want to tend to anymore, and the harder Frankie tried the less Aura wants it.

Honestly I think Frankie is better off without Aura, Aura has a very co-dependent relationship with her mother and the only way to get out of it is to nut up and move on. I felt that any love story in the movie was between Aura and her mother, this was the source of the largest emotional struggle in the movie, and it was also the only one with a 'positive' outcome. At the end, Aura chooses her relationship with her mom over all the other relationships in the movie.

Frankie was no longer necessary :(

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Mostly a fear to grow up and move on. Life is easier with her mother because she doesn't have to take care of herself. She can also use the 'my mom needs me' excuse to tell herself she's making the right choice.

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You're absolutely right. She even told Frankie that her mother needed her to take care of Nadine. As though Aura could take care of herself, let alone her younger sister.

She was afraid to be seen with a queer. It's quite common. You get munched out in the hay, while staying with your aunt in Idaho, but once you get back to the big Apple, you don't want nothing to do with it. Sad really.

I'm better than you.

Aura is pathetic, narcissistic, insecure & lazy. That's why she broke up with Frankie - Typical of many 20 somethings, I'm the same. I don't think we are supposed to sympathize with Aura; her decision to move away from Frankie helps solidify that.

actually "dumping" frankie was what made this movie different form any other indies,where the protagonist has "all the right side" and the others just plain suck .in this case in that peculiar scene we see that also aura is not this victim of everything that she also makes people sufffer

The heroine is so flighty, it's entirely possible she'd change her mind and get an apartment with her college friend the next day.

But yes, that was an odd development.