Temporary Suspicion

In this movie, Marketing guru Robert Holdings life takes a dramatic turn after everyone forgets who he is. In the beginning of the film, Robert is at the top of his game. He’s successful and respected, and in high demand by both clients and colleagues. His career has him traveling all over the world, and although this means he spends little time with his wife or daughter, he seems to have it all.

Everything changes when the people around him forget him entirely. His wife thinks she’s divorcing him when she’s actually divorcing someone else; his daughter doesn’t know him as her father, only as a man who lives with her and her mother; his colleagues think they’re working with a new employee because he’s so forgettable. The movie asks us to feel for this man who thought he was loved by many but finds that he’s practically invisible.

The message here is that sometimes we think we’re happy but we’re not really happy at all—we simply fall into a routine where we keep focusing on achieving external goals instead of appreciating what we already have. Robert was successful at work but neglected his family. He was on airplanes from city to city but wasn’t really living anywhere. He thought he was loved by everyone but suddenly realized that no.

When you see the movie, it’s clear that Robert Holdings (Steve Carell) is on a downward spiral. You’re not quite sure where it will take him, but you know that he’s not going to get out of this unscathed. As the movie progresses, and his situation becomes clearer, you find yourself waiting for the moment where the good Robert comes back. He doesn’t.