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Ever watch a movie that makes you think: Where are the parents?

Yeah, this one made me think it repeatedly. Paul Thomas Anderson film meant to recount the sunny days of California in his youth. Dude's only 4 years older than me, and the movie is set when he's like 3 years old. But the main character is a 15 year old kid who does some acting, and falls for a woman 10 years older than himself (One of the sisters from Haim). Hijinx ensue. Where are the main character's parents? Well, dad is never in the film, iirc, and mom is... away? How do all these things happen for a kid who's 15 or 16? No idea.

Entertaining film, not really sure there's a bigger message or anything here.

I have heard of this film, but never watched it.

I was hoping it was about lesbians who ran a pizza place, but I guess color me disappointed.

As to your post, there are a LOT of movies with absent parents, and since Hollywood generally reflect their lives in their work...

My wife had a case last night of a teen who got into a motorcycle crash. Most of his body was covered in road rash. 6 months prior he had been in another motorcycle accident. She said to me this morning, "Where are his parents?" Too many parents being friends and not parents.

Leisher wrote: Tue Apr 07, 2026 10:37 am As to your post, there are a LOT of movies with absent parents,

Watch the movie, and this will take it to a whole new level though. Like, yeah, I get it, parents get in the way of things happening (see: Disney movies with no moms). But, like, seriously, how would these things happen?