Movie Nights, Acrimony, and the Lessons That Stay With You.
REFLECTIONS
Prince Leunado
7/18/20252 min read
Life’s been busy lately; I travel a lot, and moments at home are more precious than ever. Like yesterday, I spent the whole day waiting for my wife and daughter to return from work. When they got home, we didn’t just settle in; we made the most of it, playing, laughing, and catching up on the days I had been away.
We have movie nights, not on a fixed schedule anymore, but whenever I’m home. So last night, my wife mentioned she’d never seen Acrimony, and just like that, we queued it up.
But truth be told, I wasn’t really watching the movie, I was watching my wife.
From the beginning, she was angry at Robert. Everything he did annoyed her. I was trying not to laugh too loud. Midway, I said, “Sometimes people only watch one side of the story; let’s keep going and see if your opinion changes.”
And then, she started noticing patterns.
She pointed out how Melinda always leaned on her sisters’ voices, unable to form her own opinion. That observation stopped me for a second; she was seeing beyond the drama now.
Then came the part where Robert offered Melinda $10 million and signed the house deed. My wife was surprised. Even then, Melinda insulted him and made it clear they’d never come back together.
When the stalking scenes began, her reactions mirrored the emotional tone of Melinda’s sisters. At one point, we both laughed and said, “We need to find a day and beat Tyler Perry; why is he playing with our hearts?” 😂
After the movie, we sat down and had one of those real, reflective conversations.
💬 Here’s What We Took Away
📖 “They were both naked and were not ashamed.” — Genesis 2:25
Marriage means protecting each other’s nakedness. Beyond physical, it’s about shielding one another’s flaws, fears, and vulnerabilities. If there’s no abuse, which is a deal-breaker, your role is to cover, not condemn.
💡 Everyone has dreams, but while waiting for them to materialise, do something. Don’t leave your partner to carry all the weight. People get tired; help them.
⏳ When it gets hardest, breakthrough is often closest. My spiritual father always says, “When everything tells you to give up, that’s when you must press on.”
🎓 Marriage is not for children. If you can’t form your own opinion or make solid decisions, apply to seminary; not matrimony.
🔐 Don’t give your spouse reasons to doubt you. Broken trust is harder to rebuild than we often admit.
🧠 Control your emotions, whether you're the man or the woman. Someone once said, “Only dead men become husbands.” Maybe it’s time to say the same for wives; emotional maturity matters.
🗣️ I told my wife this:
Most men honour the promises they made when their dreams come true. But if you’re not present when it happens, someone else will live in that dream.
And yes, deep down, Melinda was angry because Robert succeeded.
If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have cared, but success without her involvement made her bitterness louder.
Final Thought
“He that endures to the end shall be saved.” — Matthew 24:13
Whether in marriage, life, or purpose, endurance matters.
If you’ve read up to this point and feel a stirring in your heart to get things right with God, here’s a simple prayer:
Father, help me; a sinner. I acknowledge my wrongs. I ask for Your mercy. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Help me to live for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
If you said that, welcome to the greatest family on earth; God’s family.