Farmer\'s Wife the Documentary Film,

¶ … Farmer's Wife

The documentary film, Farmer's Wife, tackles family life in a way different from what the norms dictates and distinct from our ideals.

Culturally speaking, Family is composed of father who heads the unit and gives income to sustain their primary needs, mother whose main role is support and facilitate her husband's career, do house chores and guide the development of children in terms of values and morals.

Buschkoetter's family lives in contrast with the general perception of what family life is about: Family's haven which is one's refuge from outside world, as an encumbrance which either makes or breaks an individual and as fulfillment which supplies what is needed and missing in social arrangements.

Juanita Plas and Darrel Buschkoetter's married young, shortly after they met. It was love at first sight and they seem compatible having fun and enjoying talking to each other. Juanita was 18 and Darrel 24 when they married.

Years after having three kids and getting the hang of living together, fate has given them storm of family issues and external factors that would test their strength and partnership.

In Buschkoetter's household, Darrel whose work cannot sustain basic needs of the family has to work in an irrigation factory and tend on the farm at the same time and considering their land is at stake of being taken away, Juanita is forced to work in town and clean houses. Thus, she cannot stay at home to take care of her three daughters while she is away.

Family as haven has two distinct themes, love and protection. However, the couple feels strangled by tension and stress in their family. Juanita, wanting to help the family survive, decides to take classes and finish college. Darrel doesn't feel good about it. He is afraid that one day she may get too educated and feel too good for him enough to leave him. Juanita, on the other hand, feels stress with financial problems and suffers with verbal abuse. But she wants to live a good life and to finish school like her siblings, thus she still continues to study while working in the city. Through time, Darrel and Juanita's relationship were strained because of theses and other family problem that they fight a lot but too tired from work to hold it up that they find it hard to communicate.

Family as an encumbrance is a family image that connotes a negative meaning. For what an individual does, that makes or breaks him, is reflected on what family he/she is from. A person who has a clean heart and good intentions of pursuing a girl may have tainted his image if his father is a gambler or has a brother in jail. The parents of the girl might disapprove their relationship because of his background. In this context, we can say that his family's life, even if he has values, moral and is hardworking, may make or break his future relationship with the girl that might have future with him. In relation to Buschkoetter's family, Juanita's parents' don't want to see her marrying so young and more so to a farmer. Her parents were judging Darrel based on his economic position and background. Meanwhile, Darrel's parents aren't happy about their marriage also. They didn't think a city girl would make a good farmer's wife. But test through time, Juanita is able to prove her worth. She greatly contributed in the survival of their land. She made good financial decisions which Darrel has little knowledge of.

Family as fulfillment is an ideal in the family too that doesn't seem to apply in real life. The problems they are facing don't brighten up their social landscape but has family problems are source of their gloomy day. Having to think of what lies ahead of them, uncertain about their future, their land at stake of being taken by government and barely enough food to pass the day, Juanita and Darrel spends their day mostly wondering and working so hard to get them by and sustain their family.

Family is also connoted as sanctuary, an escape from outside world. However, true life dictates that family is expected to adapt to conditions of work, socialize to children. With so much desire to make family life live a healthier way, emotionally, physically and financially, husband and wife think on how to live life that way. It has become the cause of dilemma and sleepless nights worrying on how to make it through the day. The family shapes itself in response to the demands of jobs and present situation. The myth of "Family as Separate World" overlooks the economic conditions, unemployment and downward mobility or threat of it, inequalities and other factors.

The norms and standards of a family with husband and wife living together with children, the father as head of family, mother as supporting wife and guidance in children's development, is a blind paradigm leading us to think this is what family life should be. However we should consider the change over the years, economically and culturally speaking. For some, like the Buschkoetters, it is not possible for the wife to stay at home or the husband do all the work and decisions. Juanita, as earlier mentioned, has to work to help her husband satisfy their needs and Darrel, who has limited knowledge on handling finance matters, has to leave decisions to her wife.