Wouldn't you kill the cat? (SPOILERS) - The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) Discussion

[–] martymcsly2k1 16 years ago

Those are some excellent points. Come to think of it, the authorities (let alone Lou) would demand a full investigation. "The cat got him" just wouldn't fly.

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[–] dcabigail 16 years ago

I think that is the true question.

if your husband were the size of a mouse, dont you think its time to get rid of the giant moster house cat? If you dont, well you are asking for your husband to wind up as cat food.

i think louise has no one to blame but herself. She should take scott with her wherever she goes and its her job to make sure hes safe. The cat saw scott as a rodent and even though she did not eat him, she would have continued to track him until he became a tasty snack.

would it have been so hard for lousie to pick up the little man and put him in her pocket or purse when she went out?

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[–] ghostfan 16 years ago

You know, I have thought about that idea, but the problem is, small as he was, even then, she was still dealing with human pride. Maybe she thought he didn't want to be treated like a pet, as it were -- bounced around in her handbag, or pocket. When I was a kid, I used to have rats as pets. I wouldn't carry them in my pocket, just for fun or to keep them safe. I think she should have put the entire dollhouse on a higher shelf where movement inside wouldn't attract the cat's attention,

Gotta admit though -- I love cats, but if one of them ate my husband, even if I understood why, I don't think I could keep that kitty -- and probably would insist on putting it to sleep and looking for the (ulp!) remains -- if only to give him a decent funeral.

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[–] dcabigail 16 years ago

I hear what ghostfan is saying but Scott needed louise to look out for his best interest and safety, even if she was thinking that he wouldnt like it. Clearly, scott would have been furious being bounced around in louises purse or pocket. I am sure any time Lousie picked him up, Scott was furious with her and embarrassed at his predicament at the same time.

At one point, Louise said to Scott that the doctor wanted to see him in the morning.... I Suppose that each time that scott went anywhere, Louise had to put him somewhere in order to carry him to his destination. I'm prety sure that Louise was not considering scott's safety in question when she went out and that was foolish. I doubt she worried about how he felt or else she would have got rid of the cat sooner, before she became a threat to her husband's life.

In the book THE SHRINKING MAN, Scott and Louise had an arguement about the cat where scott demanded Louise should get rid of her. Louise argued that the cat was confused and didnt understand and didnt mean to scratch him badly. Scott said he was going to kill the godamn creature but Lousie overuled him and the cat stayed. I think the cat terrified scott but he could not make Louise understand what it felt like for him so she did not act and left Scott in jeopardy. I feel if she was going to keep the cat in the house, it was her job to carry Scott wherever she went to keep him safe!

Ghost fan- as a child you may have had rats as pets but that was their normal size and rats are used to surviving in a world of giants. Scott was unable to function when he became 2" tall as he was used to being 6 feet tall. No one is saying she should necesarilly treat her husband like a pet, however, for his own safety, she needed to carry him around with her when she left the house either in her pocket or purse for his own good.

The only other alternatives would be even more damaging to scotts pride. Louise could have got an aquarium tank or a cage that would keep things from getting to scott while she was out and about. I suppose she could have hired someone to look after Scott in her absences, like a babysitter. Certainly this too would have been preferable to becoming cat food. ( of course Scott would have hated either the babysitter or the cage idea)

In real life, i think most women would not hesitate to keep their husband safe by carrying them wherever they went. ( even if the husband resented and objected to this sort of treatment) Its not as if a 2" tall person can really debate the issue anyways, right?

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[–] ghostfan 16 years ago

You have a point -- he really couldn't fight with her if she wanted to take him with her when she left the house -- and certainly he wouldn't try to avoid her, if she insisted, the way my cat :-) does when I give her medicine! Aquarium would make a lot of sense, or a higher shelf, the way people do with keeping bird cages away from cats (Sylvester and Tweety) but face it, if she hadn't left him at home, and then thought he was killed by the cat, there wouldn't have been a second half of the story, where he tries to get back upstairs where she can see him.

Thinking him dead gives Louise a release, maybe marrying again some day, etc. In other words closure. If he had been kept safe, not been attacked by the cat and thought dead, I have to wonder how long he and Louise would have remained married in the eyes of the law. Would she have felt guilty divorcing him, do you think? Sorry, Can't remember the character name, but the guy who helped her pack up the stuff, fix the basement drain, etc. Was he a relative? I wondered if maybe they eventually got together.

I just have to find this book. I haven't read it. Amazon, here I come.

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[–] dcabigail 16 years ago

I like your comments ghostfan!

In the movie- the character you are referring to is her brother in law Marty. Marty is scotts brother and he helps Louise when the basement gets flooded. I dont think Terry, Marty's Wife would have aproved of Louise taking up with Marty after Scott's death!!!

You really should read the book Ghostfan. Its better than the movie in my opinion. Sadly, both deal more with the battle with the spider than with the logistics of someone shrinking and living in a dollhouse. I wish both the book and movie dealt with the day to day reality of a tiny man living in a world of giants.

The main difference in the book was probably that scott had a 9 year old daughter who teased him when he got really tiny. Beth's babysitter Catherine was also a character in the novel and was cut in the movie due to the need to get to monster spider. Yuchhhhhh. I hate giant spider scenes.

Interesting question you pose about how long they would have stayed married if scott had not gone missing in the basement. Let me ask you this: if it happened to your husband, would you divorce him to get on with your life? However small he got, I doubt a loving wife would ever divorce her husband. I might be wrong. And I am not saying that she would not eventually take up with a normal sized guy but would she ever divorce him? Hmmmm. As to what shed do with him, thats a different question altogether. I think she'd always be a presence in his life but perhaps shed let someone else look after him most of the time and just peek in at him now and then for old time sake. Perhaps shed find someone to take good care of him and that person would do a better job at protecting him then she did!

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[–] ghostfan 16 years ago

I'm going to go by the library tomorrow and see if I can find it. I see this movie once a year at least and I keep telling myself I am going to get the book, and other things keep cropping up.

Nope -- Marty won't work then -- but thinking him dead, DOES give her a release...

He had a daughter? How sad. Especially if she teased him. Louise better watch her around pets!

I'll be back once I start the book!

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[–] dcabigail 16 years ago

Yes in the novel, Scott and lousie had a preteen daughter named Beth and yes she played with her dad when he was doll size. She wasnt awful to him but she did hurt him. Scott was unable to do anything but beg her to put him down. To her defense, she was just 9 and her actions were not really unexpected of someone so young. If scott had kids older, they might have really teased their dad but in the end, i bet they would have taken care of him too. I bet he would have had a hard time telling his teenaged kids what to do for him though! Imagine a dad that size trying to make rules for his children?

I think you should get the book ghostfan. you will enjoy it. I cant say it was a perfect story but it gets into some things the book doesnt. Even though it deals far too much with spider too!

As to louise with another man- Marty would not be that man but i do think if scott had not been lost, he would have reamained with Louise for a long time. And she would have eventually wanted to date again. It would be interesting how she would have dealt with having a tiny husband hanging around in the cage on the table!

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[–] ghostfan 16 years ago

I am going to go looking for it Monday --Or maybe tomorrow if I can get to a book store.

I was thinking about what you said -- another option for Louise, sadly, had the cat not 'killed' him, is he would have had to divorce her, or she him, and get something through the courts quickly while they could still see him. Something that would officially release her as well as his supposed death did.

Guess that's why the author opted for the cat. the other gets detailed and kinda sticky!

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[–] rricci 13 years ago

If a remake is made, I sincereky hope they explore this avenue. Ti me, this would be more interesting than the spider scene. Just my 2 cents.

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[–] rricci 13 years ago

This is where the movie falls flat for me. If I was the film maker, I'd would have shown how things changed for Scott as he swindled in size. Things such as picking up Beth, his 5 year old daughter in the novel. How it gets difficult as her size is changing relative to his. Or how kissing his wife on the lips is getting hard as her lips are rising higher and higher with each passing day. Or how one day, Louise absent mindky asks Scott to get something out of the cupboard only to have our vertically challenged hero unable to reach said and to make matters worse, to see his wife who is becoming more and more of an amazon everyday get the item easily.

I remember the 1st time I saw this movie, Scott was already 36 1/2 inches in height. I had to wait until they rebroadcast the movie to see the beginning. I remember being disappointed how they went from 6'1 to 36 inches.

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[–] CptHowdy87 13 years ago

This is where the movie falls flat for me. If I was the film maker, I'd would have shown how things changed for Scott as he swindled in size. Things such as picking up Beth, his 5 year old daughter in the novel. How it gets difficult as her size is changing relative to his. Or how kissing his wife on the lips is getting hard as her lips are rising higher and higher with each passing day. Or how one day, Louise absent mindky asks Scott to get something out of the cupboard only to have our vertically challenged hero unable to reach said and to make matters worse, to see his wife who is becoming more and more of an amazon everyday get the item easily.

I remember the 1st time I saw this movie, Scott was already 36 1/2 inches in height. I had to wait until they rebroadcast the movie to see the beginning. I remember being disappointed how they went from 6'1 to 36 inches.

You're really asking for too much. For the time, the movie really pushed the limits in how they were able to portray Scott shrinking. Maybe today with CGI they could accomplish the things you're talking about but not back then.

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[–] rricci 12 years ago

No, I believe they could have done that back in the 50's. I don't how it's done and I could be off base, but have a film of Louise at normal range and hace Scott's at various wide angles as he's getting smaller. I honestly believe this could be done without CGI.

As to when he's omly 2 or 3 inches shorter tham Louise, she could stand on something that boosts her height. The cupboards could be built higher than normal so Scott has a hard time reaching

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[–] Ten-Inch-Toni 11 years ago

Yes... yes, I would do exactly that. I'd want to know for sure that cat ate my husband. The sos is a great idea also. Something to show I was still alive.

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[–] cookiela2001 10 years ago

The wife doesn't even yell at the cat, or smack it! She just looks woeful!

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