Essay Questions

What is the significance of Larry discovering that Sy authored the letters to his tenure board?

Larry's wife, Judith, tells him that Sy (her lover who has recently been killed in a car accident) was fond of him - that Sy even wrote letters to Larry's tenure board while Larry was being considered. Judith continues to believe that her lover was a wonderful man. In reality, the letters Sy wrote to the tenure board were aimed to defame Larry so that he wouldn't obtain tenure and remain exactly where he was in his position as a professor.

What is the meaning of the ending of the film?

We watch as Danny stands outside of his Hebrew school as a tornado forms in the sky in the not so far off distance. His teacher can't seem to find the key to the door in order to get the kids back inside to safety. This meaning of this is that life doesn't always give us blue skies and rainbows on our path ahead. Instead, we must face the reality of the things we cannot control and do our best to find safety until the storms pass. An inability to do so could mean complete ruin for anyone who tempts the storm.

What is a get?

A get is a document in the Hebrew culture that must be given to the wife from her husband. It allows the wife to legally be released from her marriage vows so that she can be with another man. Larry's wife Judith has asked him for a get in order that she can marry Sy Ableman, her lover and a widower.