MovieChat Forums > Brokedown Palace (1999) Discussion > SPOILER ALERT-How Skip/Nick Tricked Them

SPOILER ALERT-How Skip/Nick Tricked Them

posted 17 years ago by katzinoire
12 replies | jump to latest

My take?

They were both innocent. Darlene packed the backpack with items from Alice's shopping bag-having no clue Alice had met up with Skip/Nick. Skip/Nick had switched the tins in Alice's bag when she was visiting with him. They were rushed the morning they left-no surprise there as Alice was always working on her own clock-a fact that Skip/Nick would have noticed-remember, he does this a lot. As for the tins containing the drugs-why bother checking the tins? Pop them in the bag, get going-no big deal-especially when you're 17/18 years old and clueless about these things. Neither girl would have dreamed anyone would have switched them out.

Just saying, this is what makes the most logical sense.

Alice admitting she did it? She figured she could handle the prison, but Darlene couldn't, her copability was because if not for her, Nick would never had had the chance to switch things out.

[–] murphy_fan 17 years ago

That sounds good, I thought something similar. I hate when movies are left open for interpretation because I must know! haha.

[–] Jennilyn98 17 years ago

"Alice admitting she did it? She figured she could handle the prison, but Darlene couldn't"

I agree w/you that neither girl was guilty. However, I think Alice would have done the same thing even if she thought that Darlene could handle prison. It was all about Alice making the transformation from denial that she was the "bad" one, to facing the truth about herself, to doing something freeing and self-sacrificing to become the true friend she really wanted to be out of her love for Darlene.

They continue to make the point throughout the whole movie how Alice always seemed to lead Darlene in the "wrong" direction.

The drug smuggling and imprisonment in Thailand had little to do w/the point of the story, IMO. They just wanted to put the two friends in a seemingly impossible situation...the final HORRIBLE situation that Alice got them into (by insisting they go to Thailand instead of Hawaii in the first place) so that Alice could do something truly selfless for Darlene. (It had to be HUGE to make up for an entire childhood friendship of "one good/one bad"). This way, what actually happened or whose fault it was became irrelvent in the end, which is why we never find out for sure....it doesn't matter. Alice felt "free" at last, even though she remained in prison; but with the hope that Darlene would eventually get her out! (I like to think so!)

Basically, Alice did what she did as much for herself as for Darlene. At least that how I took it.

Rest in peace, Heath Ledger. You will be missed

[–] Deannie308-2 16 years ago

It's just sad and heartbreaking.

[–] rainbowbrite93 16 years ago

Very good interpretation! :)

Also, I can't help thinking about Darlene's dad--that was a really wrenching scene when he confronted Alice at the visitor's section. I wonder if maybe he changed his mind about the kind of person Alice was after she did what she did at the end.

[–] Deannie308-2 16 years ago

I know he has.And if I were Alice I'd do the same
for my best friend.She was a hero in the end.Justice
or should I say redemption will one day be hers!

[–] TequilaMockingbird5150 15 years ago

did Alice and Darlene already have the tins? Had they bought them as some sort of souvenier? If so then that makes total sense. Or were they totally unaware that they had tins (I am not talking about the heroin) in their possession?

The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new. Samuel Beckett

[–] grafittix 16 years ago

I think that's a great interpretation. I always wondered how they wouldn't notice they had those heavy tins in their bag. It makes sense they had purchased tins earlier, filled with tea or whatever, and Nick switched them.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] canaydemir 16 years ago

I'm suspicious about the Thai guy, Manat(at the hostel). He was carrying bags, also camera shows him just a bit long after the car leaves, watch carefully. I don't know maybe he was bribed..?

[–] uhohjiminy 16 years ago

I agree with this... I was suspicious about that guy as well. I wondered if maybe he was in on the whole thing, working with "Parks" because the camera does spend a rather long time on the back of the Taxi's trunk and then shows him for a while after the Taxi leaves. I think that's definitely suspicious. Very thought provoking topic. :)

[–] Prom_Queen_Carrie 14 years ago

I also agree. I doubt the Australian boy was alone in his plan. I think he has that bellboy in on it.

"I'm f'ing busy-or vice versa" -Dorothy Parker

[–] Pirate515 10 years ago

I also agree. I doubt the Australian boy was alone in his plan. I think he had that bellboy in on it.

I think that on top of the bellboy, the cab driver may have been in on it too. I also noticed that there were several cabs around the hotel where the girls were staying, it also looked to me as if the bellboy was looking for a specific one. IMO it was because the tins with dope were in the trunk of that cab; the bell boy's job was to make sure that they found their way into the girls' backpack. Nick/Skip knew which hotel the girls were staying at and around what time they would be leaving for the airport, setting this up was not all that hard.