MovieChat Forums > The Other (1972) Discussion > Confusion as to Ada's identity?

Confusion as to Ada's identity?

posted 12 years ago by Starseedsoul
4 replies | jump to latest

I'm assuming Ada is Niles' and Holland's grandmother? When she first appears, we hear Niles calling out "Babushka!" to her, which obviously is Russian for grandmother.. I find it confusing that she is called by her first name.. Most cultures find it disrespectful to address their parents and grandparents by given name rather than "mother" or "grandmother" Even Alexandra calls her "Ada" rather than "mother" There are some sites that refer to Ada as Niles' nanny rather than grandmother, which might partially make sense as both Niles and Alexandra call Ada by her first name. Is Ada the twins' maternal or paternal grandmother? In one of the scenes she tells Niles, "Child, I haven't loved your mother more than I have loved you" I'm assuming that makes Alexandra her daughter? Something doesn't add up.. Maybe Ada was a generational nanny? Was once Alexandra's nanny and then became the twins nanny after they were born?

[–] Starseedsoul 12 years ago

For example, this is one of the sites that refers to Ada as the nanny rather than grandmother http://iceboxmovies.blogspot.com/2010/10/other-1972.html

[–] AStrangeOldMan 12 years ago

Ada is the twins' maternal grandmother, an immigrant from Mother Russia - per the novel. The first-name use is probably a feature of 'New World' etiquette, and, though it may seem disrespectful (I mean, I never called MY grandmother by her given name at all - just Grandma) it's also more familiar.

"No fate but what we make." -Terminator II

[–] Starseedsoul 12 years ago

Oh I see now.. I have yet to read the novel. Can you fill me in on the concept of "New World" etiquette? I know nothing about it, never even heard of it.

[–] SuCue 9 years ago

She is Alexandra's mother, as the surname of the family is Perry, which is not a Russian name. It is odd to call your grandmother by her first name, but maybe that was a peculiarity of that particular family? Many of them seemed to have nicknames, like Aunt Vee and Torrie and probably Rider.

I love the way Holland keeps saying "Ada says, Ada says." Probably not as effective If he kept saying "Granny says, Granny says..." It makes the family seem all the more dysfunctional.