There are a few Hitchcock aficionados around here, aren’t there? Could one of you explain Hitch’s reasoning behind *****SPOILER******!!! suddenly giving Blanche psychic abilities. I’ve never been able to buy it. That and finding the diamond just seem tacked on.
shareSPOILER
She doesn't necessarily have psychic abilities.
Hitchcock didn't WANT her to.
So he put in a line earlier. After Adamson has given Blanche the knock-out shot in the garage, he carries her up the stairs from the garage to the house and says to his helpmate Fran:
"Come on, Fran. Let's go get another diamond for our chandelier."
Blanche is in his arms, SUPPOSEDLY unconscious. Maybe yes, maybe no -- but either way, she probably heard Adamson say there was a diamond in the chandelier.
Hitchcock added this line late in production; William Devane had to come in and dub it. Hitch just didn't want a supernatural ending. (Note that Blanche winks at us after supposedly "finding" the diamond.)
The 1976 print ads for "Family Plot" said: "You must see 'Family Plot' twice!"
Why? To hear Adamson say that line, thus explaining Blanche's wink at the end.
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I always thought Blanche overheard Fran and Arthur talking about where the diamond was hidden. I thought she was just putting George on and the wink to the audience was to let them in on the joke.
shareI think the wink had several meanings:
1. It was to let the audience know that she's still a fake as she overheard the previous conversation about the diamond in the chandelier.
2. Like a Disney movie just in case it still was not light enough.
3. Alfred Hitchcock through Barbara Harris winking saying that's all folks, thanks for the good times.
4. It left you with a good feeling after seeing it.
I'm sure there are other reasons but this is my observation.
That's pretty comprehensive, I think you got 'em all...I sure had a good feeling after seeing it. I think John Williams music leading up to the wink is very good here, lush and light and uplifting and "happy making." Very odd for a Hitchcock movie, frankly, but it works.
Also: that Barbara Harris was dang cute. She can wink at me anytime.
P.S. Interesting you mention Disney. "Family Plot" is kind of like a Disneyish Hitchcock movie (past murders and cuss words excepted), cute and funny and cartoonish in its humor. And Barbara Harris moved on to a Disney contract, yielding possibly her most famous movie (with kids): the original "Freaky Friday."
On the docu on the dvd I think it was Bruce Dern who said he'd suggested Hitch should walk down the stairs and do the wink himself, but after 15min of considering it he didn't, but how it would've been great had they known it'd be Hitch's final film to have done that.
sharei was wondering about the ending myself, having just watching this last night.
i DO remember devane saying the line about the chandelier, so now this all makes sense... thanks!
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"I came here to chew bubblegum, and kick some ass, and i'm all out of Bubblegum."
Great ending, a (hitchcockian) blond winking at the camera, sort of a "goodbye Mr. Hitchcock". I can't believe this was his last film, my all time favorite director was giving us his last huge farewell...
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Do not forget that there is a love story between Blanched and George. They are both con artists. George and blanche each know it. This wink is Blancher's way of letting the audience know, that she has tricked George into believing that she is a real psychic because she divined the location of the diamond. We know that she overheard Adamson revealing the location. The trick on George cements their romance. They are definitely going to stay together now. That was far from certain at the beginning of the film.
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