Ending Possible Spoilers

That's too bad. The movie only has maybe 10 minutes more after that. This is all from memory, but it is one of my favorite films, so this is likely pretty accurate (though probably not perfect!).

Basie tries to calm Jim down, but Jim is kind of mentally removed from the situation, trying to process what just happened. Basie asks, "Haven't I taught you ANYTHING?" and Jim responds, "YES! Yeah. You taught me that people will do anything for a potato!" Basie's crew realizes Jim is kind of out of it at that point. Basie says Jim should come with him, and he'll reunite him with his parents, and they'll sit by the pool and eat three meals a day, like Jim told him in the hospital, but Jim pulls away. They exchange a look. The scene cuts to Basie's crew back in their car pulling up next to Jim who is walking on foot, dejected. Basie asks him, "Hey, kid, you wanna Hershey's bar?" Jim says flatly, "Yes, please, Basie." Basie tosses him a Hershey's bar and the car speeds off.

Jim makes it back to the Soochow camp. He spends his days riding around on a bike, like he did back at his family's home in Shanghai. While riding through a building, there is a sudden crash and one of the aid canisters comes through the roof, spilling food and supplies at Jim's feet. Jim starts laughing, almost hysterically, and catches some of the goods as they fall. The next few shots show Jim riding around the camp, smiling and laughing. Jim is so caught up with his good fortune he doesn't notice the American soldiers entering the camp. Suddenly he is stopped by the commanding officer, who gives him a stern look. Jim, surprised and a little embarrassed, pulls a canister of milk out of his jacket, hands it to the officer, and whispers "I surrender..." The officer takes a swig of the milk and gives Jim a small smile.

The action then shifts away from the camp to a building elsewhere; it looks like a very large greenhouse, though a bit run down with a few of the glass panels either broken or missing. Outside, nuns lead well-dressed people into the building.

Inside the building are dozens of children, Jim included. While the other children run about, Jim stands quietly, staring forward, a young man dramatically different from the one we met at the beginning of the film. A nun claps her hands and the children form a large group, all facing the adults who have been led in. The adults form their own group, staring back at the children. For several seconds, no one moves, and there is silence as both adults and children scan each others' faces, hoping to find someone familiar. Finally, a woman cries out, "June! JUNIE!" and rushes forward to a child who is rushing back to her, tears in her eyes. The groups suddenly merge as both children and parents wander the mass of people, looking for their lost family members. In the mass of activity, we see that Jim is standing still, not looking for anyone, not expecting to be found. Jim's father passes behind him, not recognizing his own son, but Jim's mother stops, takes a long look at Jim and says, "Jamie?" Jim looks up and stares back at her, his eyes searching her face, trying to tell if it is really her. Jim's father joins his mother and the two watch as Jim slowly takes off his mother's hat, and gently touches her face. He puts his hands on her shoulders and pulls her close in a hug. The camera shows Jim's face against his mother's shoulder, his eyes glistening, and slowly, he closes his eyes.

The final shot is of water, echoing the opening shots of the film, only this time a suitcase, the one Jim threw away when on the forced march from the camp, floats into frame. Fade out. The End.



It is really too bad when a movie viewing is interrupted so close to the end! I hope you get to see EotS again and watch it all the way through. It really is a beautiful film and I try to watch it at least once a year. Hope this summary helps!

Yes, Jim was re-united with his parents at the end of the film. He was hugging his mother, and closed his eyes with relief.