MovieChat Forums > The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) Discussion > Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown

posted 18 years ago by Nikon11
12 replies | jump to latest

Anyone else wonder why he would be so stupid as to keep the guns in his trunk?

He wasn't going to make the exchange at the T station, but drive somewhere else. So, why didn't he hide the guns in the place he was going to take the buyers to?

The cops then would've had nothing on him. And we know that he was already suspicious and trying to be cautious about the guns and the people he was selling them to.

(And I know it follows the book. But I always wondered why.)

[–] allenrogerj 18 years ago

I don't think he had time to- it's pretty clear he's being run ragged trying to keep up the supply of guns.

[–] Nikon11 18 years ago

Yeah, I guess.

I love the book and the movie. It's probably the only flaw I see in the story.

[–] allenrogerj 18 years ago

If it is a flaw. If you remember, Brown's had to spend a long time getting Coyle's guns too at the same time. It fits together well enough. One of the virtues of Higgins is that he makes it plain that crime is just about as much hard work as any other job with thechance of getting killed thrown in.

[–] Nikon11 18 years ago

Yeah, you're right - it's not really a flaw. I guess it's just a minor oversight, by a tired guy - that turns into a major problem for him.

[–] thbryn 15 years ago

Yup the guns in the trunk while waiting at the station didn't feel right. But then again, he wasn't counting on someone ratting him out either. And even if he had them at a safehouse, the cops had the two "radicals" plates and could have got Brown through them. It was a mistake but it was in information that the cops had that croaked him.

Another quibble with Brown: driving around the new Charger or Road Runner (forgot which) and he should have gone for something a bit more low keyed. Not saying it had to be junk but a model that wouldn't attract attention.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mcintyro 15 years ago

Yeah the whole point of Brown's arrest was not that he was stupid, he was far from it, even though he drove a loud car in conservatively suburban commuter train parking lot.

With that said, he still would not have gotten caught as it was the middle of the afternoon. It was Coyle that did Brown in. Brown was smart enough to realize he was being 'set up' by somebody. The cops made the decision to take him rather than chance losing him 'in traffic' to another delivery spot.

And I feel the only reason Foley, abruptly, arrested him at the Sharon train station was to save his job, because at least something was better than nothing to give to his superiors. Foley had to produce or else it was back to 'busting pussy'.

[–] Nikon11 15 years ago

Yeah, I get it.

But my only real point is that the guy is very cautious about everything else. and he wasn't going to do the transaction in the parking lot anyways.

And also, he was suspicious of them, but probably more in thinking that they might rip him off, than he was about getting busted.

He thought that he had it covered, but screwed up.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Nikon11 15 years ago

Of course it's a screw-up.

He got caught. That's the definition of a screw-up.

If he'd taken more precautions, he wouldn't have. He was dealing machine guns, where you can get a life-sentence.

Not only Eddie, but the guys he bought the guns from, or the buyers, themselves could rat him out, or even be part of a sting operation.

[–] trob226 15 years ago

I think once you get the guns, you don't risk them being out of your possession until you get $$ for them. Where would he hide them? He thought he was safer keeping them in the trunk because he thought nobody was onto him.

[–] cthulhulurks 9 years ago

In those days it wouldnt be a problem, his trouble was that he always was out of time.

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