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One of the most successful things about the movie is that after all we've seen Otto go through, when he's presented with a major fork-in-the-road life choice, the viewer may still wonder which way he'll go. The scenes with Otto and his daughter were most affecting. The daughter is the most fully-realized female character; the other women are there for Otto to bounce off of, literally and figuratively. I found myself thinking about Otto after I'd seen the movie, recalling the lows he endures, the conversation in the back yard where he confesses his feelings of being adrift, and then how he ultimately responds. For me the statement made might be summed up as "a meaningful life derives from doing your duties and paying attention to others."