Roughly Speaking (1945)

“Every time I get my ship on an even keel, something goes bang!” 

            That quote seems to be the motto of my life. I am sure it is the motto of so many people. Within the past few months there have been so many things that should have been on an even keel in my life and then they made a very loud bang to the point where I am still working putting myself back together. Roughly Speaking is one of those films that I was perfect for me to see at the time I did. It lifted my spirits and gave me hope.

            When Louise Randall (Rosalind Russell) was younger she was close to her father. She never wanted to be a lady like her mother had wanted her to be. Louise wanted to be her own woman be independent. When her father dies she promises she will aim for the stars as he had always told her to do. Her father left the family in a lot of debt and the mother had to sell their beautiful house.

            Louise went to high school and then onto a college that taught girls how to make their own living, aka, a secretarial school. She does well but the dean does not know why Louise constantly goes against tradition. The dean sends Louise to a shipping company that only hired men. The boss was fresh with her. Louise asks him to take his hat off in front of her and he replies with something snarky. She kicks his hat off and goes to leave. The boss likes Louise and decides to keep her on.

            Louise gets to go to New Haven with her friend Alice. At the time she wants a career and no man to get in the way. She does, however, like a man named Rodney. Louise and Rodney spend a lot of time together and he eventually proposes to her. Rodney does not like the idea that Louise wants to work after they are married. Over the years Louise and Rodney have four children together and she becomes a house wife. During World War I Louise does all the work she can to support the war effort. After the War they move out to the country with their kids. Everyone loves it out there the kids have room to play and they all work to take care of their small farm.

            Rodney is fired from his job. Louise thought something awful had happened she is not upset. She tells her husband to go back to school to be a surgeon. Rodney gets mad at her for not seeming to be upset. Louise tells him she is a bit upset but she is determined. She says she will get two jobs to keep up with the house and children. A few weeks later Rodney gets a job. He comes home one night and tells Louise he met another woman. He did not want to be pitied he wanted to be admired. Rodney thinks they never understood each other and that their life together was a lie.

            The following year Louise goes to a party. At the party she meets Harold (Jack Carson). They have a great time at the party together. Harold asks Louise to marrying him after only knowing her for two hours. They both have the same outlook on life.

            Harold and Louise are happily married and have a son Frank. They are very successful together in their business of growing roses. All the children are happy which makes Harold and Louise very happy. Unfortunately they lose their business but their outlook on life gives them the knowledge that things will get better. Harold wants to buy a plane and fly again. Louise is not thrilled with the idea at first but then gives in. All the children get a job to help buy the plane. They almost come into a lot of money until they read the stock market has crashed.

            Throughout the years John and Rodney Jr. graduate from Yale, Barbara gets married, and the only children who are home are little Louise and Frank. Harold has taken up selling vacuums but he is not very enthusiastic about. Louise finds Harold sitting in a pool hall. She confronts him and is not outright mad. She stays calm and talks to her husband.

            The World’s Fair comes to New York City. Harold has won the bid to plant the flowers at the fair. Their house is not far from the fair. Louise comes up with the idea to use their driveway and backyard as a parking lot. Not long after World War II interrupts peace. John joins the Navy and Rodney joins the Army. Frank is now seventeen years old. He wants to follow his older brothers and help fight the war. He asks Louise and Harold to sign a paper to let him fight at seventeen.

            Louise and Harold sit alone in the station after saying goodbye to their sons. They both plan on owning a farm.

            Rosalind Russell was the perfect choice for the part of Louise. Russell always seemed to play the tough ladies who face life head on. Louise is the type of woman all young women should look up. She was strong and unapologetic in everything she did. Jack Carson I am not a huge fan of. He tends to get on my nerves. I enjoyed him as Harold he was perfect. Russell and Carson had fantastic chemistry you could believe they were two people who loved each other very much and who shared the same outlook on life.

            Roughly Speaking was such a fantastic film. Not for moment was I bored with the story or thought all their ups and downs in life were annoying after a while. I liked how the characters would go through all these hardships and ups and downs but always had each other and their love and knew that things would get better. I like to keep reminding myself that everything I have gone through was for a reason. It sucks like hell going through it but in the end you learn something and you move on you put the past behind you and that is exactly what Louise and Harold and their family did they just went through things and moved on to something else. I would recommend Roughly Speaking to anyone especially to those who need a pick-me-up and a little boost to know that everyone goes through hard times and they manage to survive.