MovieChat Forums > Mermaids (1990) Discussion > The Lost Conversation

The Lost Conversation

posted 19 years ago by Thatguyphil
12 replies | jump to latest

Did anyone else feel like there was a huge opportunity missed
in the movie?

I felt that there should have been more dialouge between Charlotte and Joe
when they set out on their fishing trip.

It was funny enough hearing her thoughts when she did talk to him.
I think it would have been great to get more of that...esp since they seemed
to have spent that whole day together.

Maybe this was all in the book (there is a book, right?), but i think there
was definately a missed opportunity there in not exploring that scene, bringing it up to it's full potential.

Anyone know what i'm talking about?

It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.

[–] iluvme 19 years ago

I thought the same thing. Their whole relationship felt shut away all of a sudden.

[–] He_Y_ou 18 years ago

Yeah it happened very fast.
And ended quite suddenly

"I’m curious – after killin’ me what was it you plannin’ on doing next?"

[–] kjaunt 18 years ago

Likely there was no conversation. He was 26, she was a 15 year old with an obvious crush (that even Joe must have noticed outloud by this point) who invited herself along. His line of thought must have been something like, "...tread carefully, jail bait, ect..." I seriously doubt their fictional conversation in the boat would have went beyond any of her ramblings as echoed in the forest while walking to the lake. It was probably a very dull and quiet day on that boat. Nothing beyond the occassional "Pass me another worm" or something like that.

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[–] TedSalad 18 years ago

Could be just that Michael Schoeffling is/was a really horrible one note actor....but probably a really good furniture maker....nothing wrong with that...

[–] Jetta91298 18 years ago

Ehh, I don't think it was so much bad acting as much as there was nothing really written for his character. His lines would've been pretty one note anyway. Granted he could have done more with his facial expressions, but then again he could have been directed that way. As another poster already said, it's much easier on the viewers this way, since he moves to CA in the end. Since the relationship between Joe and Charlotte wasn't the main plot point, they probably didn't want to develope it much more. Or they had to edit for time and that's what got cut.

I agree that there should have been more development in that story and in the Joe character. For instance when he is talking about how she's living in his old house, you go to see a little bit of him, and then that part's just done. Even if they couldn't put in more, the transitions could have been a bit smoother.

Who knows, maybe one day the director will decide to release a directors cut version with all of Joe's deleted scenes in tact. Maybe it'll flow better then.

http://www.edun.ie/

One vision, one opinion can change the world

[–] SenoritaTorres 18 years ago

I think the movie worked fine with Joe's scenes as they were. He was just a small part.

'Wendy, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just gonna bash your brains in!'
-Jack Torrance, The Shining

[–] netsetter 18 years ago

In the book that did have many conversations. He told her alot about his family and upbringing, and random thoughts. When they had encounters, he did most of the talking while she had her hilarious "thoughts" about kissing him/touching him, etc. Also sometimes when she asked him questions, he seemed to ignore her at times and continue talking about whatever he was talking about. But he seemed really sweet. Also he was 29 in the book not 26 like in the movie and the book sorta alluded to him being a virgin.

[–] hillbrian2005 17 years ago

Why was he so much older than her in the book and movie? And in the book if she was 14, and he was 29 that way more than twice her age. Also, he never called her by name. He would just say one or two things to her. Also, what if she had gotten pregnant by him at the end?