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commitment issues

AlexanderIII

Senior Member
Russian
Dear all,
this is from a novel by CHRIS COLAMBUS CLASH OF THE WORLDS. The Walkers move from one apartment to another. Mrs. Walker helps to unload the truck with their belongings. Her son and daughters have just returned from the book (another, unreal) world. They have just come up to the truck to take part in unloading.

“Wow, kid, your family sure has some commitment issues,” the guy said...

I guess commitment issues means commitment problems. The guy means their family is not united one. Is this correct?
Yes, he means they have some commitment problems but there isn't enough detail in your post to understand why he's saying that or what he's referring to.

Is there anything in particular that might have made him say this? What was said or done just before this?
In my experience, commitment issues means not wanting to be tied down to a relationship with a particular person, viewed as a psychological disorder. Usually it is the person who wants to tie you down that makes the diagnosis. It is not clear how this fits your context.
Is there anything in particular that might have made him say this? What was said or done just before this?
I guess it looks surprising to the guy that children do not take active part in unloading the truck or that they came to take part too late.
children do not take active part in unloading the truck or that they came to take part too late.
That doesn't sound like the sort of thing that might provoke such a remark. See #3 for how the term "commitment issues" is usually used. In your example it's probably used more lightly, perhaps to mean that the family finds it difficult to commit to a particular course of action.
The Walkers move from one appartment to another quite often. The guy who speaks of the commitment issues takes part in these removals as a mover. He could mean the family do not fulfill their commitments to the landlords. Does it seem probable?
I think he means they can't commit to living in a single apartment/locality for too long.
That's what I tried to say.
Are you referring to your statement that they couldn't fulfil their commitments to their landlords? That's different. The sentence refers to commitment to the place, as in developing a connection with the apartment. Commitments to the landlord are different things; those refer to the obligations tenants have to their landlords, like paying rent on time, keeping the apartment in good condition etc.
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