Who is to blame for the break up in "The last Five Years?"
Who is to blame for the break up in "The last Five Years?"
sally1112
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/13/04
#1Who is to blame for the break up in "The last Five Years?"
Posted: 5/17/08 at 6:27pm
My Sherie Rene Scott obsession led me to "The Last Five Years." I love this cd.
My question is, who do you think is to blame for the relationship ending? Who is more at fault? Is there a certain line or lyric that helps you make that decision? (I have a theory but I want to read other answers before I weigh in)
#2re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 6:31pmits all Jason Robert Brown's fault
"The theatre is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life." - Arthur Miller
#2re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 6:37pmThe hard part about this show is that immediately we get Kathy's side of the story, making Jamie the bad guy from the beginning. I think it is Jamie's fault, but it does take two to make a relationship.
Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone
amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
--Dave Berry
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#3re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 6:50pmIt's mostly Jamie's fault, IMO.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
#4re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 6:55pmIn my mind, we get Cathy whining from the beginning and Jamie being excited about their relationship, which made me immediately biased in favor of Jamie. In the end, if it's anyone's fault, I think it's Jamie's. However, their whole relationship is one that was doomed from the beginning (or end, if you will), so I think it's really just a case of two people who shouldn't be together fighting against that reality and losing.
"Why, I make more money than... than... than Calvin Coolidge! PUT TOGETHER!"
~Lina Lamont
My name wasn't, isn't, and will never be Scott.
~Lina Lamont
My name wasn't, isn't, and will never be Scott.
#5re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 6:58pmI don't think there's just one answer. Every time I listen to the show, I try to look at it from a different perspective. Sometimes it's Jamie's fault, sometimes it's Cathy's, and others it's both. It also depends on how it's played out, or what the directors intention is. Also, if I see a performance where one actor is a thousand times stronger than the other, then I'm going to lean with their character.
TooDarnHot
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/08
#6re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 7:09pm
theatreguy - LOL! loved your answer. just blame it on Jason. 
it IS based on his own first marriage.
I'm not really sure who's fault it is, though the show mostly points to Jamie. the material implies that Jamie cheated. is there reason to think that Cathy did the same?
#7re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 7:38pm
I don't think Cathy cheated, well thats not the impression i get. It seems like Jamie leaves Cathy, in 'still hurting' shes looking for answers.
They're a frustating couple! If they sat down and talked it would all be okay!
"Cathy, stop moaning."
"Jamie- i'm jelous"
"don't be jelous, i'll be here more for you"
"Okay"
the end....
"I trained as a classical actor at Juilliard. I jump at the opportunity to do classical text...But I never in a million years guessed I'd get to play Juliet!"- Michael Arden
#8re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 8:59pm
They both could have worked harder to save their marriage. Jamie was more aggressively to blame, as he actually went out and cheated, but Cathy didn't exactly make it hard for him to resist by wanting to be independent but also demanding attention and being jealous. Both of them, certainly they both contributed. Just in different ways.
I second the JRB answer. ^_^
I'mseeingbraille57
Chorus Member Joined: 12/25/06
#9re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 9:55pmPerhaps if there had been a few more duets they could have worked it out?
#10re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 9:57pmI'mseeingbraille's got a good point. It's both of their faults. They never talked to each other.
"You mean what was the best picture of the year or what did they pick as the best picture of the year?" - California Suite
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#11re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 10:19pmJamie's incredibly selfish and self-centered. As someone else on this board once said, even his love songs are just about how good Cathy makes him feel.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
#12re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/17/08 at 10:29pmAll of Jaime's songs about Kathy are really about himself. And I think we are supposed to empathize more with Kathy because in Still Hurting she seems completely shocked he left her and in See I'm Smiling she is still very clearly in love with Jaime and trying to make their relationship work. Kathy understood that marriage was hard, and Jaime was whining about marriage in A Miracle Would Happen and about how he couldn't sleep with other women. But at the same time, it takes two to tango. Kathy can't be totally happy for Jaime's success while she is still struggling to make it in theatre.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention...I'm the good cop, he's the bad cop.
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#13re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 2:12am
My theory is that Jamie got married before his success and was therefore not being able to enjoy all of the perks of fame, such as getting hot women. He may have rushed into it; he even admits that "things are moving too fast."
I'm just going off of the show, btw, not JRB's life because I know very little about the circumstances there.
Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!
TooDarnHot
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/7/08
#14re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 3:16am
you know more than you think!
just see THE LAST FIVE YEARS and theres jrb's first marriage... for everyone to see!
he's got no shame baby.
#15re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 3:22am
It is currently play here in Denver at the Galleria Theater and I am seeing it as a birthday gift to myself. Can't wait.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder
Updated On: 5/18/08 at 03:22 AM
#16re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 5:34amI don't think there's any question about it. Jamie's not the one still hurting - it's him.
Faced with these Loreleis, what man can moralize!
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#17re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 12:43pm
In fact, the original version of the show that premiered in Chicago (Skokie, actually) was TOO close to his actual marriage. His ex-wife sued him because there was a clause in their divorce agreement that said he would not use specific elements of their marriage in his writing. The only thing he really had to change was to turn the Irish Catholic "Kathleen" (the ex-wife was Irish Catholic)into the W.A.S.P. "Cathy". That way he could say, "See - it's not about you!"
The change meant dumping the original opening number, which was full of Irish references (Riverdance jokes, etc.). "Shiksa Goddess" was the replacement.
You can also still hear the Irish influence in the accompaniment of "Climbing Uphill". He also had to cut a very funy section of that number, in which Kathy sang:
I PRAY TO THE HOLY TRINITY OF IRISH-AMERICAN ACTRESSES
MAUREEN O'HARA, MAUREEN SULLIVAN...
...AND MAUREEN McCORMICK
sondhead
Broadway Star Joined: 10/25/06
#18re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 1:26pmIsn't the whole point of the show that both of them did things to end the relationship, that two people got in the relationship and two people ended it?
#19re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 1:31pmagree with sondhead. the point of the show is that they're both terrible at relationships because they're both ridiculously selfish. and this is why the show rarely works, because there's never any hope for the relationship, and even if there was, they're both really unsympathetic in terms of the material. The two actors need to be unbelievably charming to make them likeable whatsoever.
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#20re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 1:35pmI just want to see the gay midget play Tevye!
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#21re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 4:27pm
Actually, the original lyric was "A gay midget named Carl playing Stanley Kowalski."
Yes, "Tevye and Porgy" is funnier.
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#22re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 4:28pmOh, that makes me want to see the gay midget perform even more!
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
East Village
Leading Actor Joined: 9/23/07
#23re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 7:16pm
I think the best answer is Sherie's. "Leave me alone, get off!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k29wSSs7Taw
TheBoyDownstairs
Featured Actor Joined: 10/10/07
#24re: Who is to blame for the break up in 'The last Five Years?'
Posted: 5/18/08 at 10:07pm
Jamie obviously is the one who put the final nail in the coffin by actively cheating on Cathy, but it was definitely doomed as soon Jamie became successful.
It seems she would never really be able to get over the fact he found success so young and she was still struggling. I can totally understand that from her part, it would be very hard to deal with, but the resentment would build up to the point that things would end, cheating or no cheating
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