Olives mom in Spelling Bee

[Alex M]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 10:25pm

In The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is Olives mom really in india? I always thought her mom had an affair and is pregnant and wants to hide it from Olive. She is in india for 9 MONTHS and her dad is very angry about something. Maybe im thinking to much into this....

Updated On: 5/21/15 at 10:25 PM

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 10:30pm

I don't think the specific length of time that she's been away is ever mentioned, and her father's anger can probably be related to her absence rather than a secret pregnancy.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 10:35pm

I don't remember a 9 months thing either. 

There used to be a long-ass Bee thread on this board (it's probably somewhere) and there were theories that was actually in rehab and that Olive's dad had told her she was in India.

[Alex M]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 10:37pm

Rona says  "Ms. Ostrovsky's mother is currently in India on a 9 month spiritual quest"

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 10:41pm

D'oh. Of course!

[pinoyidol2006]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 11:27pm

I have a similar interpretation, but I thought she left to be with another man. She just told Olive she was going to India.

Updated On: 5/21/15 at 11:27 PM

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 2:55am

You know I never thought about any hidden meaning. I honestly thought she was just on a trip!

That song is so amazing though UGH!

[Fantod]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 2:57am

Not a huge fan of the score, nor of power ballads, but the I Love You Song is pretty amazing.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 7:54am

"The I Love You Song" is definitely not a power ballad...

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 9:25am

 

This is one of the few songs -- from theater or not -- that makes me cry every single time I listen to it.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 9:28am

I always took the story of Olive's mom at face value, just because it's so specific.

And "The I Love You" song will always make me teary, too.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 10:32am

I always took the story at face value, too, but now that it’s been pointed out, the inclusion of saying that the spiritual quest is 9 months does seem a bit pointed.

The other possibility of specifying her 9 month leave is the school year is usually about 9 months – perhaps putting even more of a focus on Olive’s mother missing out on all of her daughter’s academic excellence.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 10:35am

It's been a long time since I saw Spelling Bee, but I really don't remember the joke being delivered or landing in a way that suggests pregnancy (compare to the joke in Hairspray, about the Corny Collins girl who takes an absence of 9 months).

[Alex M]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 12:07pm

"It's been a long time since I saw Spelling Bee, but I really don't remember the joke being delivered or landing in a way that suggests pregnancy (compare to the joke in Hairspray, about the Corny Collins girl who takes an absence of 9 months). "

 I don't think the line was ment to be a joke.

[tazber]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 12:20pm

Like Gilmore I never considered she was pregnant.

I've seen the show about 5 times and never picked that up.

How interesting.

And The I Love You Song is just....there are no words.

It's kind of similar to You Can't Let Romance Die from Romance in Hard Times.

 

 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 12:23pm

I've seen five different productions (most recently at Ford's Theatre) and have never seen it delivered as a joke.