MovieChat Forums > Raggedy Man (1981) Discussion > Great until the last five minutes...(spo...

Great until the last five minutes...(spoiler)

posted 18 years ago by jimbogags
3 replies | jump to latest

This movie had it all--romance, suspense, mystery; but it seemed like toward the end, the actors were told they had only five minutes left to wrap up. The final scenes seemed like a speedy attempt to get done before another roll of film was used. It just seemed rushed compared to the otherwise deliberate, even-paced pattern of the rest of the film.

Perhaps I missed clues or other indicators that the raggedy man was going to be her ex---I assume maybe he went off to war, got wounded (makes sense because the movie empahsized her having to witness all the tragic news over the telphone about injured soldiers); but it just seemed like she suddenly recognized his dead and limp body on the porch and was like "Ohhh Harry!!"

It would have been far more poignant in my opinion if they even got to exchange a 20 second dialogue as he was dying. Those words would have been very effective in establishing what was up with him since the last time they were together. Why was he lurking in the shadows all that time?

It would have been better to establish this mystery man as an admirer from the beginning--maybe she could have continued finding fresh cut flowers on her window sill or something...I don't know--but I think they just put a tidy bow on the end and it didn't fit.

And poor Ted---what was the point of that 1.5 hour romantic interlude if nothing really came of that?

[–] finprw 18 years ago

Anita told Teddy that she had heard that her ex joined the army and the Doc mentions that the lawnmower guy has been around the town for a couple of years. I have seen this movie a few times and I think that they divorced because of his drinking.

It's never too late to make a difference.

[–] aimalasplace 17 years ago

I assumed that they divorced from the begining scene where she is holding the baby and walks to the bar and sees him dancing with the "Tramp"
When the cars horn goes off and they guys went driving away you could see Harry in the headlights. I could tell it was the husband then.
Loved this movie since I was a little girl and it was on HBO.

[–] mspacman75 11 years ago

See, I think if they would have had a conversation before his death, it would have ruined the whole movie. They weren't friends. Their marriage ended "messy" and she hadn't heard from him since. She'd never seen 'Baily's' face up close, until that night.

We can assume he felt some guilt for the failed marriage (due to his infidelity) wanted to keep an eye on his boys, but wasn't really part of their lives anymore. Plus, he was scarred up and scary looking... prob didn't want his boys seeing him like that. I like the ending. Any more would have been too much.