"If a man doesn't spend time with his family, he isn't a real man"

Vito said this to Johnny right before deciding to grant him the favor of getting him the part in Woltz' picture. Watching the movie last night, my wife pointed out that he was really talking to Sonny, who had just finished humping the bridesmaid at the top of the stairs. Vito turned around to look at Sonny right before he said it. I hadn't noticed in the umpteen times I've seen it before.

Is my wife correct?

Yes he was. It was a great scene showing how subtle Don Vito could be. He had been upset with Johhny for divorcing his first wife, so the comment wasn't entirely out of place, but it was made for Sonny's benefit.
I love the way Sonny looks at Tom immediately after Don Vito says that.

I also like how Sonny looked when Vito looked at him as soon as he entered the room. Somewhat embarrassed, and pulling himself together maybe. You know that look that only a parent can give you and still "get to you".

TIS

So did Tom tell on Sonny or what? Vito was in the room the whole while Sonny was skirt-chasing. Or did he just know his son well enough to know he was up to his usual antics?

As if to say, "you friggin' tattle tale!"

I don't know, I never figured that Sonny thought Tom was a tattle tale. I never thought of it that way. I just figured the Don knew EVERYTHING Plus I always thought that Sonny and Tom were too close to have any real animosity between them. But I'm also biased considering their my two favorites.

I always assumed Vito just knew about Sonny's infidelities. Remember, he had his ways of finding out these things. Then again, Tom was very loyal to Vito, but I don't know if Tom would consider telling him something like this.


TIS

The Don knew about Sonny and Lucy all along. After Sonny shot his mouth off at the Sollozzo meeting, the Don said, "I think all that comedy you're playing with that young girl has made your brain soft." I don't think Tom tattled on him--the Don was sharp enough, and Sonny obvious enough, for the Don to know without Tom.

Well, Sonny's wife clearly knew. When Sonny approached her at the reception and said, "watch the kids, don't let them run around" she said, "you watch yourself" or something to that effect.

I agree - Tom didn't tell on Sonny because the Don was sharp enough to figure it out. That was Vito's subtle way of telling Sonny that type of behavior would not be acceptable if Sonny ever wanted to take over the Family.

In the novel, it stated that Vito was straight-laced when it came to sex and frowned upon Sonny's behavior. Also in the novel, Sonny & Lucy had been flirting the entire week leading up to the wedding. And Vito was furious when he found out that Fredo was womanizing heavily while in Las Vegas.

Come on, everyone in that position, with power, had a mistress and everyone around them knew about it. Sonny was just the only one who was really exploited. Sure he may have been a little hornball but you know Mike did, Carlo, well enough said about him, Tom the most thought provokoing and intellegent guy but even he cheated on his wife. Now Vito, well I wouldn't think that Vito cheated on Momma Corleone, because he was older and more traditional but thats the only reason. Had Vito been younger and in the same position, even eith the same morals he probably would have had a mistress. It was no big deal to them, it was perfectly normal.

Sonny was probably the closest to Tom-if it wasn't for Sonny, Tom would not have even been there-so the look Sonny gave was probably just embarrassment. It wasn't like he was even thinking "Darn! Pop knows I'm cheating", it was more like "Darn! Pop is aggrivating me about cheating".

But even though Vito was very offended, that is just the way things were.

That is your interpretation, and a good one. To me, Sonny's look at Tom was "Oh sh__, how did Pop know? Did you squeal?"

yeah, Vito gives a quick glance towards the direction where Sonny is as he tells this to Johnny. Don Corleone knew Sonny was up to no good, and he didn't appreciate it when he needed Sonny to be here to listen to family business.

I never got the impression Tom told the don about
Sonny. The novel explains in more detail how
much Sonny helped Tom by saving him from an
unsavory street existence. Also, it would not have
been Hagen's nature to report this relatively "harmless" information. It would almost
be beneath him.

Yeah, Tom never told the Don, but Vito knew his children. He knew Sonny was doing something he shouldn't be doing.

Yes, but would he lie if Vito asked him where Sonny was? The only time I saw Tom break his robot-like demeanor is when he had to tell Vito about Sonny's death. I don't think he could easily lie to the Don.

I agree that the Don knew, but did Tom tell Vito exactly where Sonny was and what he was doing? No, but if Vito sent Tom to bring Sonny to the office and Tom returns without him...?? I'm sure the conversation between Vito and Tom unveiled Sonny's whereabouts. Not necessarily in explicit detail (Tom - "Sonny's bangin' Lucy, he'll be here in a minute.") but probably more like, "He'll be here in a minute." I'm sure a "look" passed between Tom and Vito that indicated what Sonny was up to.

You may be right, MaryCas. AT MOST, it would have to be something very subtle, like a look between Hagen and Vito.

Yes, your wife is right. That sly comment was directed at Sonny. If the don knew about the comedy he was playing upstairs with Lucy is a mystery. But it is clear that Sonny was paying a lot of attention to Lucy at the reception. Sandra noticed it and we know that Vito notices everything.

I don't remember any proof, or that matter insuation, that Michael had a mistress. We know that Sonny & Tom did, but nothing I remember from the films or the novel suggested that Michael cheated on Apollonia or Kay with another woman. He certainly lied to Kay on a regular basis...

This is usually the case.

In the book, it says that Tom thought about reporting it to the Don, but thought it better to not say anything. The Don had enough to deal with, what with consigliere Genco dying in the hospital, the upcoming meeting with Sollozzo, and whatever the hell Johnny was telling the Don in the room while Tom was away. Like someone above said, mentioning something like this would be somewhat below Tom.

Cool. I obviously need to read the book. The movie was directed at an audience that did not read the book, however. It is hard for a director to provide that type of backround info in a screenplay.

BTW, does the book take us through GFII? GFIII? Beyond?

No.. the third part of the book discusses some of Part II (the flashback scenes with Vito and how he rose to power), but that's all.

Bah, Vito didn't need any special powers. Any idiot can guess what happens when someone is gone for 30 minutes with a bridesmaid.