Huh. The movie made it seem like Neil and Eric had known each other for a little longer than a few months, which I think I like better (or possibly that wasn't the movie, just me missing a few details). And they definitely would've had to support each other as much as they could, as well, because even if they didn't see anything wrong with prostitution on its own that's still a lot to deal with for them. I don't even feel capable of writing fic about this movie, but if I did I'd totally want to explore that.
And I see, yeah, that sounds like a better handling on the movie's part. (And I definitely got the sense in the movie that by the time he actually talked to Neil he was at the 'aware this is not a UFO thing but hiding from the knowledge' point, but it probably had much more of an impact to see him actually reach that point.)
And I just... given how differently people are wired and respond to things, I hate the idea of ranking different levels of abuse or trying to portray 'proportional' damage to a certain degree of abuse. What happened to the two of them is different, and Neil's recovery is going to be a whole lot more complicated (if he doesn't try to bury everything or ignore it or just go on with his life - which, between the rape and Brian and the guilt that's hitting him like a freight rain, is unlikely to be possible) but any degree of COMPLETELY FUCKING AWFUL is still, well, completely awful. So I'm glad the movie didn't try to set things up as Brian being relatively undamaged.
no subject
And I see, yeah, that sounds like a better handling on the movie's part. (And I definitely got the sense in the movie that by the time he actually talked to Neil he was at the 'aware this is not a UFO thing but hiding from the knowledge' point, but it probably had much more of an impact to see him actually reach that point.)
And I just... given how differently people are wired and respond to things, I hate the idea of ranking different levels of abuse or trying to portray 'proportional' damage to a certain degree of abuse. What happened to the two of them is different, and Neil's recovery is going to be a whole lot more complicated (if he doesn't try to bury everything or ignore it or just go on with his life - which, between the rape and Brian and the guilt that's hitting him like a freight rain, is unlikely to be possible) but any degree of COMPLETELY FUCKING AWFUL is still, well, completely awful. So I'm glad the movie didn't try to set things up as Brian being relatively undamaged.