MovieChat Forums > Just Cause (1995) Discussion > Can anybody help me please?

Can anybody help me please?

posted 21 years ago by Zim_Babwe
28 replies | jump to latest

I didn't understand a major part of the movie. Can somebody help me out? Why did Bobby Earl rape and kill the little girl? What had happened between him and Mrs Armstrong long time ago since when he claims his life changed? Why did Blair Sullivan took the blame on himself regarding the Joanie Shriver case? Why did Sullivan kill his own parents? Why was he acting dramatically with Professor Armstrong? Why did Sullivan agree to testify against Bobby Earl in the end? Why did Bobby Earl wait 8 years to get to the Armstrongs if he wanted a revenge?
I would really appreciate if any of you on here can explain these things to me.
Thanks in advance.........

[–] fabio_leone 21 years ago

yours aren't questions but blames, are them?

[–] yohan_nl 21 years ago

Blair Sullivan didn't agree to testify. He was already dead. The professor bluffed about that when he talked to Earl.

[–] Vassago 21 years ago

The movie is pathetically ludicrous... read the book.

[–] perseus71 21 years ago

I have Questions of my own but I will try to answer some of your questions.

>Why did Bobby Earl rape and kill the little girl?
Oh well ! just because he is a psycopath I guess. No particular reason.

>What had happened between him and Mrs Armstrong long time ago since when he >claims his life changed?
Well she was public prosecutor when he was on trial for Date raping a girl. Although that case collapsed on technicality(she went with him on prom), he claimed his life was ruined. Mrs Armstrong held herself responsible for ruining his life.

> Why did Blair Sullivan took the blame on himself regarding the Joanie Shriver case?

No Idea. I think he was helping Bobby get out. The two plotted carefully their strategy over 8 years I think.

>Why was he acting dramatically with Professor Armstrong?

Oh well just because he was a psyopath.

> Why did Sullivan agree to testify against Bobby Earl in the end?

I didnot understand properly but I think Armstrong tricked him somehow. OR Armstrong lied to Bobby that Sullivan has agreed to testify.

> Why did Bobby Earl wait 8 years to get to the Armstrongs if he wanted a revenge?

Mind of a Psychopath I think..

> Why did Sullivan kill his own parents?

Sorry I have same question.

Now come my questions.
Why did Sullivan ask Arstrong to go and check out his parents ?

What was he asking after Armstrong about it ?

Biggest and most Important Question is that the said events in the movie are supposed to have actually happened. Is that correct or not ? I remember reading that somewhere. Can someone put light on that ?

Thanks in advance.

[–] driver_8 21 years ago

He asked for him to check his parents to confirm that they were murdered. Seriously, guys, this movie was fairly simple. I am amazed at these questions. Did you guys see the edited movie on TBS or something? That might explain your confusion. Every one of these questions was covered in the theatrical relased movie. Go rent it! The castration, etc..

Salvation is free

[–] Gabe1972 19 years ago

Blair Sullivan took the blame so Bobby Earl could get out and kill Sullivan's parents. Sullivan basically used Bobby Earl. Once he had done Sullivan that favor in return for "getting him out", then he could go after the Armstrongs. Sullivan was going to die anyway, so taking the blame wasn't going to change anything for him....

[–] mordred-5 20 years ago

Now comes the most important question of them all:

How did he rape the girl if he was castrated???????????? ;-)

[–] yohan_nl 20 years ago

You think that raping isn't possible anymore after castration?

[–] kmdw 20 years ago

Castration doesn't mean he got his penis chopped off, just his nuts, which I guess explains why they didn't find any of his "evidence" on the girl.

[–] bheyer 20 years ago

Gee, I'd like to thank everyone on this thread for clearing up this movie for me. I just got finished watching it on one of the premium channels, and afterwards, I realized there were a few "loose ends." You see, this was just a straightforward, by the numbers, "whodunit" UNTIL Ed Harris'
"Hannibal Lector" character was introduced in prison. Then it took a bizarre twist. Apparently,
from what I have gleaned on this thread, Harris' character agreed to take the blame for the rape/murder of the little girl, so Blair Underwood could act as his agent and kill Harris' parents. I guess they had some "issues." THIS was the "prior engagement" that Underwood told Sean Connery about. Remember when Connery invited Underwood to a cocktail party to celebrate Underwood's
release from prison? So, HERE it is in a nutshell (correct me if I'm wrong): Blair Underwood sent for Sean Connery to seek revenge on Connery's wife (Kate Capshaw) for hanging him out to dry on the
kidnapping charge. Because he was held over in jail (so prosecutor Capshaw could have time to think), Underwood was castrated by fellow inmates in jail. Since Capshaw's case fell apart, Underwood was released. I don't know what Underwood's motive was for killing the little girl, but he clearly did it because the female coroner told Connery the little girl was raped, even though there was no semen present on her body or clothes. The previous poster got this right: Castration does NOT mean loss of the penis, it means removal of the testicles. Hence, Underwood was unable to "finish the job." Top cop, Laurence Fishburne, knew Underwood was guilty of the little girl's murder (it was personal for him, remember?), but he had no evidence. So, he had no choice but to coerce a confession (the end justifies the means). So far, pretty straightforward, right?
Enter Ed Harris' "whack job" character on Death Row. Apparently Harris and Underwood concocted this wild, preposterous scheme so BOTH of them could get something the other wanted very badly:
Underwood wanted freedom so he could seek revenge against Kate Capshaw, and Harris could get revenge against his parents for some undisclosed reason. Judging from all the religious artifacts in the house in which they were found killed (again, by Underwood), they must've been cruel,harsh and intolerant parents.

[–] z34s34 20 years ago

Blair Sullivan wanted his parents dead because they "abused [him] and sexed [him] up" Sullivan says this when he first meets Armstrong and they have the conversation about how Paul looks like a killer. "You've got that ice in your eyes."

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] pinnacle10 19 years ago

He never said his parents abused and sexed him up. He said that's what the pshychologists asked him. Sullivan said there was no explanation for him killing people. He said some people are just like that. It was clear that killing people brought a satisfaction to him. There was no revenge in killing his parents, he just had it done to have one last bit of joy before going to the chair.

[–] gehle 19 years ago

No one can help you. Jamais. Not even the screenwright. We are lost (gargl..)

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Gabe1972 19 years ago

Moonlight...did you even watch the movie? You are asking for answers to just about everything that happens in the movie. You should watch it again...

[–] Poncke 19 years ago

Everybody on this board is right. Everything explained here is how it went. But the questions from the original poster are questions from a person who went to the toilet to much on crucial moments. All these questions are answered in the movie. They are alomst spelled out.

[–] True_Love 19 years ago

No they are not! This movie had me confused too. The question I have is WHY did Bobby Earl kill the little girl (Joanie Shriver) when he could have gotten revenge on Mrs. Armstrong right then and there... instead of going to jail for 8 years?!?!?! That was pointless!!!!!

[–] Poncke 19 years ago

So you are saying that 20 or more people got it wrong on this board? Even if thay all agree on each other. Don't be like that. It's just simple truth.

[–] Shinryu81 18 years ago

The movie is easy and well explained here but fact is the rape didn't really make sense for him. I guess its because he became a psychopath when he was mutilated in prison and his future was destroyed. He wanted revenge on Laurie, as he said in the end. So he should've done just that right when he got released..? BTW, back then, I take it he was really an innocent man tricked by a Police boyfriend.

He also shouldn't have killed the Parents of Ed Harris's character in exchange for that confessions letter, but just live as a free man as that guy would be electrocuted anyway (in the end, he died with the false assuming of Bob tricking him after all). But again, bob was simply a Psychopath who probably loved killing.

[–] Poncke 18 years ago

Well said !

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] WM4668 17 years ago

Bear in mind that the previous case was thrown out due to lack of evidence - this does not mean that he was innocent of the first crime, merely that he could not be convicted. It is entirely possible that he was guilty in the first case but became more twisted following the castration, leading to the murder as a means of achieving the satisfaction he could no longer physically manage.

[–] studawg35 18 years ago

"The question I have is WHY did Bobby Earl kill the little girl (Joanie Shriver) when he could have gotten revenge on Mrs. Armstrong right then and there... instead of going to jail for 8 years?!?!?! That was pointless!!!!!"

bobby earl did not kill shriver as a way to start a revenge motive against armstrong dude! he killed her simply becuase he was that way inclined. dude had issues! im sure he probably thought at the time he would get away with it. however being in jail gave an opoortunity. sullivan needed a job done and offered to help bobby earl get free so he could do that job for him, who better to get to defend you but the husband of the woman that you feel ruined your life. its simple!

[–] moviebuff888 18 years ago

Good movie. But poor dubbing in the swamp and in the car.
And, how could Armstrong not have smelled the bodies after
entering the house? Great performance by Harris.
Interesting to see Scarlet so young. Poor Wilcox.

[–] mooveeluvva 18 years ago

My question is how did Sean and Lawrence know where to find Bobby Earl and Sean's wife and daughter at the end of the movie? Weren't they left behind at the bridge in the car chase? Did they just guess where they were going to be?

[–] mg-139 18 years ago

As far as my understanding, yes! They just guessed it. Remember that cop saying both something like "We have though right that they are here" and "Be careful - he knows this area like his home"

[–] bruce73 12 years ago

Bobby Earl killed the little girl because he was a PSYCHOPATH! What more do you need to know to understand?? Good grief...