The Beach Bum: 10 Tricky Philosophical Questions It Raises
5. Have We Forgotten How To Respect Our Elders?
The Beach Bum's first depiction of elder abuse occurs when Moondog shows up late to his daughter's wedding with a wheelchair-bound woman in tow. After making a quick joke about her being his mother - which she thankfully isn't - he pushes her into a wall.
It's never explained where this woman came from, why she was late, or even if she was supposed to be at the wedding in the first place. For all the audience knows, Moondog may have abducted this poor woman. It may sound strange to question the legitimacy of her appearance at the wedding, but there's a simple reason for that - nobody reacts to seeing her.
When Moondog pushes this random woman into a wall, nobody expresses concern. Nobody leaves their seat to see if the woman is okay. A conversation between Heather and Millie reminds us that Moondog is basically a genius from another dimension, and everything he does is justified by his neo-hippie brilliance. Not once, however, does this "Moondogs will be Moondogs" conversation directly mention the woman in the wheelchair. Her existence is completely ignored.
The next scene of elder abuse occurs after Moondog meets Flicker, Zac Efron's unfortunately realistic portrayal of a South Florida rehab client. Shortly after they leave rehab, Flicker runs up behind an old man in an electric scooter and bashes his head in with a glass bottle. Moondog is initially shocked, but has no problem helping Flicker spend the money they steal.
And that's where it ends. As soon as the film's most violent scene has passed, its elderly victim is completely forgotten. It's hard to tell if Korine is making a statement about the anesthetization of our sensibilities, or if he simply thinks old people are funny. Either option makes a statement in and of itself.