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Love Transcends Time



This is not the first time that I've watched THE LAKE HOUSE but until now, I still cry whenever I see this film.

This film shows that indeed, love knows no boundaries. Well, the film is fictional. It's not gonna happen in reality. But the message is clear: LOVE CAN MAKE US DO THINGS WHICH WE THINK ARE IMPOSSIBLE.

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Communication theories in the film:

SOCIAL PENETRATION THEORY by Irvin Altman and Dalmas Taylor: Kate and Alex started exchanging information about themselves. This allowed them to develop relational closeness. Of course, exchange of personal information started with knowing each other's biographical information and the information becomes more personal and intimate as they develop closeness. Knowing each other, according to Altman & Taylor, is just like peeling an onion. The outer layer of the onion pertains to the biographical info like Kate being a doctor, working at Chicago, living in 1620 N. Racine and Alex being an architect who just bought the lakehouse. The more layers are peeled, the more intimate information is revealed, making them feel closer and closer. That's exactly what happened to Kate and Alex.

EXPECTANCY VIOLATIONS THEORY by Judee Burgoon: Kate and Alex met during her birthday. That first meeting led to Kate's "first kiss with a random guy." That incident was something Kate never expected Alex would do. For something unexpected, according to the theory, people can either assign negative or positive valence on the act. In Kate's case, she obviously assigned positive valence to the situation. And so Alex was encouraged to continue kissing her. As the theory says, "When the valence is positive, do more than what is expected."

INTERPERSONAL DECEPTION THEORY by David Buller and Judee Burgoon: Alex lied to Kate about PERSUASION, her favorite book. It's called concealment -- hiding some parts of the truth. He admitted having read the book but said that he got a copy from his friend. He didn't admit that he has with him her book. Buller and Burgoon say that lying becomes deception depending on the purpose. I guess Alex intentionally didn't admit the truth about her favorite book.

SOCIAL INFORMATION PROCESSING THEORY by Joe Walther: In this theory, Walther was referring to CMC or computer-mediated communication as equally capable of making relationships develop as it does in FTF or face-to-face communication. In the movie, it is not computer, but the letters (or the mailbox) which bring Kate and Alex closer. It took them some time to "nurture" their feelings for each other. It took Kate some time to tell Alex that she loves him. This love develops despite lack of face-to-face communication. A lot of people don't believe in long-distance relationship but this movie proves that indeed, love transcends everything including time and distance. It shows how "someone so far feels so close."

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY by Leon Festinger: Cognitive dissonance, according to Festinger, is the "distressing mental state" that people feel when their actions are not consistent with their belief or opinion. Kate couldn't believe she's falling in love with someone who's in another time line. Because of this "discomfort," she tells her stories and seems to get reassurance from her mom. She asks her mom to tell her if she'd written her dad letters. She seems to be looking for justification or explanation for what she feels so she "surveys" other's opinion to reduce the distressing mental state.

MEDIA EQUATION by Byron Reeves and Clifford Nass: Kate and Alex treat the mail box just like human beings. They look forward to looking at the mail box -- if there's a letter for them. They react, they become sentimental and they cry in front of the mail box, as if it can talk back and help ease the sadness or as if it can feel the excitement they feel when they get letters. Reeves and Nass explain their theory that people treat media the way they treat human beings. They may not think of the mail box when they conceptualized the theory but their theory can explain why Kate and Alex treat the mailbox as such.

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