It was the scene where they take Nell into the town, and they stop at the store to buy food. Nell grabs diapers, formula (how she would know what formula was, is anyone's guess), etc. and then you see them at the register checking out, but then the female doctor refuses to buy a candy bar? But, buying baby food, diapers, etc. for a non-existent baby is ok? Last time I checked, a candy bar costs a lot less than diapers!!
shareThe scene, it seems to me, is intended to demonstrate that the good female doctor does not understand Nell at all. She gives into Nell's choices UNTIl it conflicts with her own wishes--a typical liberal attitude.
So it was perfectly fine for Nell to want to buy the diapers and other things until she got to the candy bar. "I'm not going to let her buy candy," or something similar, was the good doctor's line.
Liam Neeson's character takes up for Nell--"She's a kid."
And hooray for Liam Neeson's character.
jporter-6 writes:
> "The scene, it seems to me, is intended to demonstrate that the good female doctor does not understand Nell at all. She gives into Nell's choices UNTIl it conflicts with her own wishes--a typical liberal attitude. "
Huh? That's the opposite of liberal.
Only a TYPICAL DUMB REPUBLICAN would come up with a STUPID comment like yours.
shareIts a typical *beep* thing to do, regardless of the wildly irrelevant topic of political standing (like, seriously, where the hell did that come in??).
Newsflash to all 3 above me: any political affiliation has its share of douches
When you're 17 a cow can seem dangerous and forbidden...am I alone here?
The reason Paula didn't want her to have the candy was not a price thing. It was that she thought candy was bad nutrition. She said Nell had never eaten candy and she didn't want her to. This is another one of Paula's prejudices, an assumption about Nell's "unspoiled" nature. I'm sure Violet wasn't above getting the girls a (yes, Dr. Paley) Hershey bar, maybe for special occasions like birthdays. Anyway as far as I can make out, Lovell was the one who contributed the Snickers bar, not Nell.
Nell got baby food, not formula, along with some diapers and wipes. These are things she would have seen or remembered from her own childhood. Probably still used wipes for housecleaning (many people do -- they're a common "hint from Heloise"). Elders often eat baby food so she might have seen it (and sneaked a jar or two for herself?) more recently. The diapers I can't figure. She also got a sack of dried beans (she smells them to make sure they're not moldy), and two cans of what are clearly Bush black beans. It did not look to me as if she were grabbing at random. I wish I could find the interview that Jodie and the production manager did where they explained how a huge amount of backstory is packed into tiny details in the film.
Nell had never been to a SHOP. Therefore, when she saw all of this food and all of those things in rows on shelves, she immediately probably inwardly thought, "I'd better grab as much as possible right now to bring back to the cabin". They probably lived rather frugally, and she was probably used to having to wait a while when the supplies ran out or ran thin until the next batch was delivered, therefore she was not thinking about what she was picking up -- she wouldn't even have known what nappies were -- she just wanted to grab as much stuff as possible to bring home; she thought that was the aim of the game. She probably wanted to strip that shop bare! And remember, the sheer novelty of being in a completely new place (to her) would probably have been overwhelming, and she was acting in the way a child might (i.e. "I want it all, NOW!")
sharePersonally I thought that the reason Nell went for so many of the baby-related products was also that they reminded her of her childhood and of her twin. Of course the whole store was new and exciting to her, but I think just seeing the baby images on the bottles of baby food and boxes of diapers probably stirred up happy thoughts in her mind of her sister and childhood, not necessarily even knowing what was inside these boxes.
shareI could hear it. When she looked around and said "Ohh..." she was plainly thinking "So this is where all the food comes from!" And then just what you said.
Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.
Basically Paula didn't want Nell getting sugar high.
"A boy's best friend is his mother." Yeah. Norman Bates needs a dog.
I think whats's more shocking about this scene is that they lose track of Nell. How the hell do you not keep a constant eye on her. She doesn't know crap from crap and you let her walk off?
shareEver turn your back on a child, even for a moment? They disappear just like that and that happened when there was the argument about the candy bar and unloading the items from the cart. Easy to take your eyes off of Nell, and she was probably right beside her but all of a sudden heard the music and followed it.
children do what children do.
And the baby food? Nell's mom was old...probably didn't make regular visits to the town dentist either. And probably had a few teeth problems if she had teeth at all by that time......so what do you orde that is nutritious, easy to eat, and hurts less than a T Bone steak? Baby food in jars of course. Or if you are real poor and living in America, it is canned pet food.....same principle.
And the diapers? Maybe (?) they felt feminine napkins were a bit much for an American audience to handle. Mom did the shopping via whatever means she had...and the rock was maybe only one method...who knows? But I'm sure f.n'kins were on the order at times as Nell was a young woman.
I like the reference to a kid in a candy store. Turn me loose in Target or some big box store and see what I might put in my cart as I rushed thru departments that I normally take for granted. Then psychoanalyze my choices to death...It wouldn't matter to me......