In the final scene, when Sonny is looking sorrowfully at Ruth and she says, "Never mind, never mind," does that mean she has forgiven him and they will resume their affair? Or is she just trying to soothe him regarding Billy's death?
shareI believe it means that she has forgiven him, but not necessarily that their affair would continue. I think it is over at that point.
-"fuzzy"
She is saying "Never you mind" in a comforting way. I thought it was obvious the affair would continue.
"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."
Yep. I think both of them had their issues by the time that scene played out and she saw that his issue was more important than hers, which made her see him as more than just afternoon meat. Her maternal instincts came out so she was able to forgive him and comfort him in a way other than sexually.
that was a pretty powerful scene between the two of them. Bottoms did that whole scene without saying a word. very intense. and the whole coffee cup scene...wow.
Swing away, Merrill....Merrill, swing away...share
Yeah, it's a great closing scene in a movie. I agree that Cloris/Ruth is, though upset about the way Sonny has treated her, has realized what he has just gone through and seeing that she is the more mature/wiser of the two, she takes this moment to comfort him, putting her own feelings aside for the moment. It is a very tender, touching scene.
shareThe ending was touching. Sonny wanted to leave that town but figured out he was trapped. Then when he came back to town he went to the house of the only person that showed him some kindness.
share[deleted]
[deleted]
If you read all of the books that come after Last Picture Show, Sonny and Ruth Popper continue to be very close until one of them dies.
shareIt’s unclear - left to the viewer’s guess as to whether she was just soothing him or resuming their affair
shareTouching ending. I agree that it's left to the viewer's interpretation.
This scene reminds me of the one with Sam The Lion when he enters the cafeteria and gets angry upon seeing Sonny. He begins to soften once he realizes that Sonny is a good person who takes care of Billy. The same applies to Ruth. They both come to realize that despite his thoughtless behavior and irresponsibility, Sonny is just a teenager good heart doing his best he could. I believe the message of both scenes is something along this line: "Go easy on them, remember that they are ultimately just confused young people trying to find their place in a society in decline.". I think the message is appropriate because initially, people in the town didn't stop insulting and laughing at them for losing the game.