Saagar Kote
Directed by Rob Greenberg, ‘Overboard’ chronicles the journey of Kate Sullivan and Leonardo “Leo” Montenegro, who are two people from extremely different backgrounds. Leo is the son of a Mexican billionaire and the heir to a powerful corporation. On the other hand, Kate is a struggling single mother with three kids. While Leo spends time enjoying the luxuries and pleasures of life on his yacht, Kate works hard to become a nurse while working as a pizza delivery person. Fate leads to the two of them crossing paths when Kate is hired as a carpet cleaner on Leo’s yacht. Leo mistreats her, owing to his privileged attitude, and refuses to pay her.
Shortly after, he is involved in an accident, which causes memory loss. To get revenge and teach Leo a lesson, Kate uses Leo’s memory loss to pretend that she is his wife and takes him home. She intends to make him carry out difficult manual labor to get her revenge. However, complex feelings may test her like never before. In the narrative, Montenegro Industries and Birthday Present are two entities that play a pivotal role in driving the character arcs forward. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Montenegro Industries Determines Leo’s Fate Before and After the Accident
Montenegro Industries is a fictional corporation, headed by Leo’s father, known only as Papi. Leo, as the only son, is set to be Papi’s successor. Montenegro Industries reflects the emotional and financial reality of the Montenegro family. The family politics are mainly controlled by the kind of future that the corporation has in store for all three of Papi’s children. Leo is in a prime position to be the next boss, whereas his sister Magdalena intends to somehow become the boss by overtaking Leo. Sofia, Leo’s other sister, shows no real enthusiasm to take on a corporate role and works in the corporate social responsibility division of the company. Montenegro Industries, although imaginary, reflects the greed, desperation, and succession issues of family-owned businesses in elite settings.
Leo uses his corporate privilege to live a life without consequences. His position within the company makes him overconfident and condescending. On the other hand, Magdalena is so obsessed with being the boss that she refuses to identify her own brother at the hospital after his accident and subsequent memory loss. Papi’s relationship with his children is dictated more by financial elements than by his own humanity. Montenegro Industries is a symbolic commentary on how relationships can sometimes be shaped by greed and ego. Sofia is the only one who doesn’t let the company take away her humanity, as she still prefers music over money. She stands as a contrasting character to her family members.
Towards the end of the narrative, Leo understands that love is more important than status or power. After regaining his memory, he sacrifices his potential CEO position to be with Kate. Sofia, owing to her selfless presence, gets to be the next boss, and Magdalena is forced to be in the social responsibility division. In a way, Montenegro Industries directly changes the fate of the characters. All in all, despite being a fictional creation, Montenegro Industries represents the nature of the corporate world and the way it affects relationships and the behavior of people.
Birthday Present Symbolizes Leo’s Fall and Rise in Life and Love
One of the most significant parts of the story is the way in which Leo and Kate’s relationship is shaped by the yacht named “Birthday Present.” The yacht, although a fictional creation, shapes Leo’s fall and rise in the story. In a way, Birthday Present is an extension of Leo’s personality, symbolizing his privilege and isolation. Just like the yacht, Leo too is a wanderer. He has enough money and luxury to stop caring about his behavior and the way it affects others. Birthday Present is where the seeds of Leo and Kate’s relationship are sown. His distasteful behavior makes Kate angry. His accident and subsequent memory loss make it possible for Kate to plan revenge. So, the yacht, which is an extension of Leo’s ego, also becomes the reason behind his downfall. However, towards the end of the story, the yacht symbolizes Leo’s rise above ego and selfishness.
He gives up his corporate privileges to choose Kate and decides to marry her. This makes Papi disinherit Leo and give control of the company to Sofia instead. But fortunately for Leo and Kate, Birthday Present still belongs to Leo, as it was a birthday present. Since Leo owns it, he is able to sell it for a price above sixty million dollars. This makes it possible for Leo and Kate to live a life free of hardship and debt. Thus, the fictional yacht causes Leo to fall at the right time and also rise at the right time. It represents Leo’s duality, while also being symbolic of the way in which he transforms himself. Thus, both Montenegro Industries and Birthday Present are closely aligned with Leo and Kate’s relationship.
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