While the image of a "paper moon" conjures up feelings of fragility, I believe that the magical reality that Moses and Addie find themselves in is more powerful. Throughout the movie, Moses and Addie live in a bubble that is made up of small-town scams and the unlikeliest of partnerships. Perhaps from the outside, their constructed world looks flimsy and volatile, but throughout the movie, something lasting and real begins to take shape and bind them together.
The title of the movie, borrowed from the 1933 song "It's Only a Paper Moon," was written during the Great Depression, a time of intense uncertainty and fragility. The title choice highlights the message of flimsy illusions, but also that of a magical hope and the bubble that love can forge.
Although their relationship is not necessarily built on candor in any form, what makes their relationship "real" is the choices they make to protect and choose each other time and again. What I enjoyed greatly about this movie was that a seemingly fragile connection like the one Addie and Moses started with was forged into something authentic. Perhaps not a connection that will be long-lasting, but one powerful enough to mean something to them both. To give them both what they need: acceptance in a time of loneliness and uncertainty. Their time together may be an illusion, but it holds truth; whether or not they are blood-related, they are each other's family.
This a wonderful response to Paper Moon, thanks. Your comments were insightful and thoughtful, particularly considering the theme of a paper moon, something deceptive and counterfeit. Yet--as you point out--ultimately what is real and durable is the relationship between Moses and Addie.
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