The Joneses, Essay Example

Movies watched as a way of having fun, and sometimes, to pass leisure time. However, some movies are just more than literal movies, and they leave one with lots of questions and imaginations, as one tries to figure out the deeper meaning of some acts while putting him / her self in the shoes of some characters. The Joneses is one of such movies. It is very enticing while it brings in a clear picture of the difference that lies in between the rich and the poor, and the secrets that hide inside the walls of a seemingly perfect family, the tricks that are so smart to be lies, among other things. The Joneses presents a smart idea of the modern lifestyle, developed to offer entertainment with many teachings in it. This paper analyses and discusses the literary elements in the movie, the Joneses.

The movie begins with a perfect family that moves into a palatial mansion in a suburb. The husband, Steve and the wife, Kate have their two children Mick and Jenn. The kids are intelligent and pretty. The home itself decoded with an entrance resembling the cover of pier 1 catalogue, not mentioning the inside. They live in an extremely wealthy lifestyle, possessing everything that everyone would desire. The Joneses’ happiness and lifestyle presents a dream lifestyle for everyone. They own gadgets, goods and all the wealth any person would want to own, and funny enough, they never stop purchasing prestigious stuff, yet they posses more than enough.

There is a lot of irony, lies and tricks inside the joneses’ family that the outsiders perceive as a seemingly happy family. First, Kate and Steve do not eat together, and neither do they sleep together and again, Jenn has a funny behavior and questionable close relationship with his father. She climbs into her father’s bed on the first night, which is questionable for a teenager. Steve has a shallow relationship with people such that even the closest neighbor does not clearly understand the Joneses family.  One would wonder what job that Steve does for a living to afford all the goodies. In real sense the Joneses is not a ‘real’ family. They form a corporate selling unit, who are supposed to entice and create envy to the neighbors to buy stuff.

The American consumerism is the question at hand. Can people really keep up with the Joneses? They purchase the flashiest cars, the best diet pills, and the latest golf clubs. Most interesting, is the Tokyo toilets, which become necessary (must have) accessory. People easily fall into the set trap of purchasing stuff unknowingly to fit into the standards of the Joneses. They do not have a clear conscious of defining themselves, living within their limits, and satisfaction of what they can afford to posses.

In conclusion, the Joneses is a film that brings into realities many hidden life facts. The literal meaning describes the proverb that not all that glitters is gold. The deeper meaning enlightens people to be careful not to fall into the trap of the influence to purchase stuff and being spendthrifts. However, whether a trick or in reality, people should learn to live within their capability, to live a life of satisfaction, and with the hope and dream of a better tomorrow.