Character Analysis
You're Next
Aww, poor Ma. We meet Teresa Piletti at the dusk of her life, as she watches the new generation wash over everything she knows. Okay, maybe this is a little dramatic… but it can't be easy to watch your own sister sitting there, just waiting for death. For now, Teresa's in a slightly more comfortable situation, still able to do what she does best—cook and clean—for her hold-out eldest son, dear Marty.
When Catherine warns that Teresa will be the next to find herself useless and alone, it coincides with Marty meeting Clara… and Teresa meeting Clara too. In desperation and fear, maybe, Teresa asks Marty not to see Clara again… even though she knows that Clara makes Marty happy:
TERESA: That's the first time Marty ever brought a girl to this house. She seems like a nice girl. I think he has a feeling for this girl. You heard him sing. He been singing like that all morning.
But her fear outweighs her maternal affection. She doesn't want to end up feeling old and useless like her darling sis.
What Age Got to Do With It?
Guys, Teresa's only in her fifties. And, after all, now sixty is the new forty. The brittle nature of the middle-aged in old, classic movies can make us do double-takes. Today older studs like Pierce Brosnan (who's in his sixties) and older foxes like Jane Fonda (who's in her seventies) both look like they're a generation younger than Teresa and Catherine.
Today there are yoga and spin classes, cosmetic surgery, and both male and female Viagra. Back then, though? There was just wrapping yourself in black veils, reading newspapers from the old country, and sobbing.
Teresa Piletti's Timeline