The Slap: Someone Was Bound to Get Slapped

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Oh, the woes of middle age and the letdowns of upper-middle-class life. That’s the essence of The Slap, a drama that debuted recently, exploring the existential struggles of people who seem to have it all yet find themselves unfulfilled.

Meet Tony (Jack Reynolds), a city worker who, on the morning of his 40th birthday, wakes up feeling defeated after missing out on a promotion. He craves the simple pleasures of life: love, jazz, cigarettes, and the occasional Valium—who doesn’t love a good smoke and some Miles Davis? He’s gearing up for his birthday bash, which promises to be more of an ordeal than a celebration, thanks to the arrival of his domineering Greek parents, his obnoxious wealthy cousin, a drunken artist friend who constantly provokes the cousin, and his wife Lisa’s friends, all of whom bring their own baggage to the party.

And what a chaotic gathering it is! The air is thick with barbs and passive-aggressive comments as everyone tries (and mostly fails) to keep their composure. Tony is battling his attraction to the babysitter, Chloe, while trying to keep his mother from stealing the spotlight from Lisa. Meanwhile, a mischievous child named Max threatens to ruin Tony’s beloved record collection. It paints a picture of a man juggling too many issues, with the kids seeming far more composed than the adults.

We’ve seen some of these character types before: the overbearing ethnic mother, the distracted wife, and the husband who can’t help but fantasize about a younger woman. In The Slap, Tony daydreams that Chloe is the only one who truly understands him. They bond over books and jazz music, and Tony describes Miles Davis’s music to her: “It’s so slow you think it’s going to stop, but it doesn’t.”

While the grown-ups bicker and yearn for something more, the kids are busy having fun, playing baseball in the yard and figuring out how to share an iPad. They attempt to explain the rules of the game to Max, the temperamental toddler, as tipsy parents hurl insults and sneak glances at secret romances brewing behind their backs. Eventually, Max’s behavior becomes unbearable, and when his drunken father fails to rein him in, another dad finally snaps.

When the slap finally occurs, it hits with the inevitability of a Chekhovian twist—the tension builds, and all these desperate characters, yearning for fulfillment yet feeling trapped, clash in a dramatic moment. The act of hitting a child sets off a chain reaction, transforming the backyard into a frantic arena of shouting adults, revealing raw emotions that had been simmering beneath the surface.

As with many stories set in the upscale circles of New York, it’s easy to get caught up in their material success: they have beautiful homes, enviable careers, and are all quite attractive. Yet, even amidst their advantages, the loneliness of strained relationships and personal failures looms large. Just like Miles Davis observed, it’s often what’s missing that truly captures our attention.

In conclusion, The Slap presents a vivid exploration of the complexities of modern relationships and the unfulfilled desires of its characters. It’s a reminder that even when we seem to have everything, the silent struggles within can overshadow our apparent success.