Short response to The Road Home

So, The Road Home, you're an interesting film. First you're all like 'I'm going to tell you the story of son who wants to get the heck out of this blizzard of a town, but first has to fulfill his god-ordained duties of burying his dead father.' But you trick us because about twenty minutes into the film you decide to tell us the story of how his mom and dad met (how the mom ran him down, actually), and fell in love. Not your typical love story, but, hey, that's okay!

Now allow me to touch on some symbolism that caught my attention: the barrette.  From the first moment the teacher gives the girl the barrette, I can't help but think of my childhood. My mom loved decorating my head with barrettes, but I hated them because I thought they were too flashy for my taste. Anyway, clearly the barrette is symbolic for childhood.  But then the girl loses the barrette, and just about kills herself trying to find it.  She finally finds the barrette outside of her home, near the fence that separates her home from the outside world.  My response: the barrette near the fence is symbolic for that transition between childhood and womanhood.  One moment we're in our parents home, the next we're out on our own journey. Pretty clever, I'll give you that.