MovieChat Forums > Drop Dead Fred (1991) Discussion > Elizabeth's dad

Elizabeth's dad

posted 11 years ago by babyjade22
14 replies | jump to latest

She clearly has no relationship with her father. Her mom even says something like "more than your father did when he walked out on me". (when Lizzie got the letter "from Charles")

Knowing how horrid the mother was, how could he abandon his daughter? He seemed to care about his daughter in the flashbacks. Yet he could just walk away from Lizzie & move on simply because he couldn't stand his wife/her mom?

People keep referring to the father as the "good guy". But no. He's actually the worst. Good dad's and good men don't leave their child to be raised by a woman who is emotionally abusive.

I know this is getting deep lol..and I've loved the movie since I was a kid...but it's really bugging me now.

Basically,
Elizabeth's dad = Deadbeat

[–] kaydie-fee 11 years ago

Did the movie say when he left? Maybe he left when Elizabeth was an adult

[–] Mhjm6 11 years ago

Did not specify when he left so you're probably right.

[–] Cosmic_Cre 11 years ago

No, he left at the same time the mother taped Fred in the Jack-in-the-Box.

The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated.

[–] Mhjm6 11 years ago

I thought he just left at the spur of the moment's argument.

[–] bgva 11 years ago

That's the way I saw it too. More of a "screw this, I'm going to the bar" type reaction. I was under the impression he walked out when Lizzie was older too...he seemed to care about her way too much to abandon her. And her mom was so self-centered she made it seem like it was all his fault.

All that being said, knowing Lizzie's mom, she could've blocked any contact Lizzie's dad tried to have with his daughter.

Oh stewardess...I speak jive.

[–] Mhjm6 11 years ago

Right, at the end she says, "He left because of you." When really he left because he couldn't have a say in it because she was overbearing.

[–] IndianaDoctor 11 years ago

I actually thought the father had died!

[–] cdz6969 10 years ago

Didn't he end up shooting the cop? Remember he thought it was a burglar in the house and he wrestled with the cop and the gun went off, then they cut to a scene where he was arrested.

Jesus would support Universal Health Care

[–] Acceler8 10 years ago

The main things I remember about the father were that:

1. He was very subdued under the domineering mother.

2. He rarely spoke, but the few times he did you could tell he was English, which would explain Drop Dead Fred's accent and how he became a father substitute.

[–] lulany 10 years ago

My exact thoughts as well. Funny I just noticed that your comment was posted yesterday which is when I got the movie. I saw that Rik had passed away in the news and had only known him as Lord Flashheart in Black Adder but I so enjoyed that character. So when I noticed this movie in the list of his works I remembered hearing of it but never seeing it so I decided it looked like a nice way to remember him. I'm glad I did.

[–] pypsqweek 10 years ago

I think he was a good father but given how the mother was it wasn't a stretch to believe that the mother did something to block contact with her father. According to the courts she was a good mother. She took care of her daughter while the father worked. I can see her making life difficult for him and her daughter to the point she may have pushed him out or feel he had no other recourse but to leave and feel he couldn't take care of his daughter properly. I think good fathers fight and I think some leave depending on the circumstance or choices that they have avaliable to them.

[–] FireMinstrel 10 years ago

I disagree. Like others here, I imagined he walked out with Lizzie was older. Lizzie turned out to be a warm caring type, which she had to have gotten from her father. I don't mean in terms of genetics, I mean in terms of nurturing. Children pick up the behavior they're taught, and since she was obviously averse to her mother, that leaves her father, which also had to be an influence on Fred, given the fact that they had the similar accents.

[–] chime1985 9 years ago

"more than your father did when he walked out on me". (when Lizzie got the letter "from Charles")

Yeah, but she was twisting the truth on that one. While she was technically correct, her claws were digging in Lizzies spine on that one.

Why, thank you, Thing!

[–] MikeHunt1075 9 years ago

I used to think the same thing... But the movie doesn't actually indicate that he left and has not spoken to Lizzie since.

The story is about her mother being a mega beast and it was her that she was using Fred to get back at.

Her father only leaves the house in that scene, and her mother mentions he left her (the mother) because of Lizzie. But Lizzie pretty much shrugs it off like "your bitchyness and cold hearted words do y effect me anymore"

But there is no indication that Lizzie doesn't still have some sort of relationship with her father. Its just the film is focused on the mother and not what became of him. So it's only speculation and theory that he left both Lizzie and the mega bïtch.