Tennessee Williams' play made into a film is the story of Brick and his inability to deal with the truth of his life. He is broken down by his past. It also tells the story of Maggie, a once poverty stricken woman who desires to never be poor again. In order for this to occur she and Brick need to inherit Brick's father's (Big Daddy) money. But, Big Daddy won't give them a cent unless Maggie is pregnant. Thus, the major obstacle in the film is that Brick wants nothing to do with Maggie.
The journey of Brick is one that is deeply rooted in the father-son relationship: one in which the son desires the affection and love of his father over any money amount that could be given to him. It is a journey of Brick walking out of the pain of his past which is crippling his ability to live now and create a future for himself and his family. Brick must confront the haunting memories of his glory days as an athlete, the suicide of his best friend Skipper and the unrequited love of a father he desperately wanted as a boy.
The film shows the patriarchal hierarchy of the Old South and how Brick and Maggie must navigate Big Daddy being the one who makes all of the decisions, and Brick's reluctance to become anything like his father. It is also about lies and the secrets we keep in order to keep up appearances. How we pretend to love one another while underneath we all have a distorted understanding of the pain that has been inflicted upon one another by never truly acting with love.
