Me, You, and Everyone We Know

Time as it relate to partnerships is a central theme in Miranda July’s film Me, You, and Everyone We Know. We bounce back and forth between couples that are running out of time, rushing time, or wasting time.

Michael and Ellen are a prime example of running out of time. The two just recently met in their old age, and already their time is being cut short by Ellen’s impending death. Richard ran out of time in his relationship with his ex-wife long before he was ready. The gold fish chase is a metaphor used in the film to accentuate these relationships that are either dead or dying. Michael and Christine try to out run the minutes to give the gold fish a longer life but in the end the answer is the same; you can’t drive at a steady pace on a straight road for your entire life. Eventually you will run out of gas or have to change lanes.

The two teen girls, Heather and Rebecca, are an example of rushing time. This to girls don’t even know how to correctly apply make up and they are already trying to loose there virginity in a threesome with some creep who lives next to the bus they take to go to and from school. The Museum Director is also trying to rush time. The Museum director is so lonely that she is ready to jump head first into a relationship with a guy she knows nothing about other then the fact that he wants to poop back and forth. The metaphor used to demonstrate the rush of time is the last image of the movie; Robby taps the coin on the bus sign and makes the sun move higher in the sky. Yet no matter how many degrees the sun moves, Robbie’s baby smooth face is still what we cut back to. Rushing time changes where you are in life, but not who you are in life.

The main couple, Richard and Christine, is a suburb example of wasting time. They push and pull at each other. “I could just walk you to your car.” Richard says before they split ways. Then when they meet up again moments later “What are you doing in my car! … You don’t even know me.” He has a chance to make something happen, and he pushes her away. Or in the shoe department when Christine lets her mind fill in the conversation Richard has with his Ex-wife. Instead of finding out an answer she flees. The best line in the movie that sums up the relationship between these two is when Christine was on her bed looking at her phone. “ We could spend our whole lives together,” she says “but first you have to call.” The metaphor in this movie that best plays to wasting time is when Christine tries to give her art work to the Museum director in her hand, but the Museum Director tells her to mail it. The assistant director even has the tape in her hand at one point, but gives it back to Christine; why waste the time going the long route when they can handle it frankly by talking to each other and saying what they need out right.

Lesson learned from Me, You, and Everyone We Know: never rush, hold on to, or waste time. Just live your life. Things happen when they happen weather you need them to happen or not.