I have always harboured a distant crush for Ed Harris, and this scene makes me gloat because he turns what could have been a straight-cut "jerkass" character into a reasonably charismatic one.
I think the lines are written to make his character be conscious of what is happening. Where we would perceive Ed Harris' character as a jerk with no time for his family, it is actually the opposite.
He’s a lawyer, he needs to be able to sway a jury with his words. He was able to put Jackie in a bad light, in a seemingly light-hearted, disarming manner.
He's a terrible dad and husband, if you watched the movie at all he's a workaholic who doesn't take care of his kids and ruined his first marriage because he worked all the time. Hope your spouse doesn't end up like him if you have one.
He is a terrible father who dumps 90% of his parenting responsibilities his ex wife and the rest of the 10% on his girlfriend who never wanted kids. He is absent and negligent most of the movie
He was also good-looking and charismatic. Not everything is about money, and I don't think he was already a successful lawyer when he and Jackie had gotten married.
It has just dawned on me that Ed Harris’ character is the villain of this film. He is a trash father. His girlfriend has ZERO responsibility to parent his children. Julia run from this turd.
I hate this movie so much, especially the end where they just accept that the husband left this wife for a woman almost his kids age. Such a movie of its time and a toxic time it was.
That's called insecurities, she's afraid she would lose her children's attention and love over this new woman of their life's. It's not to be appreciated but understandable
