MovieChat Forums > Brokedown Palace (1999) Discussion > Why didn't Hank call Larry King?

Why didn't Hank call Larry King?

posted 17 years ago by shock-8
17 replies | jump to latest

Maybe I'm missing something- in fact I'm sure I am- because I don't understand what happened with the "deal" Hank cut with the corrupt Minister of Justice? Why did the Minister of Justice say "there is no Nick Parks and he will never be found so there is no deal?" ???? I went back and watched it again to see if maybe I'd missed a revelation of Nick Parks' death or something but there was nothing, so what happened to Nick Parks (aka Skip K. Karns)? And why didn't Hank call Larry King or Babs Walters to try and start a press issue in the states after the MoJ reneged on the deal? The only thing I can think of is that the whole thing was just a set up to get the girls to sign confessions, thus making them appear guilty and not worthy of any outraged press in the U.S.? Even so, I'm sure Hank could have stirred something up?

[–] JC_Aliss 17 years ago

What happened was, Hank made a deal with the Minister that the girls would sign a document stating that Nick didn't exist and they made him up, yet in turn for that admission they'd be set free. However, the Minister lied to Hank about that second part. He had no intention of freeing the girls. When they signed the document, it essentially COMPLETELY FREED Nick's responsibility, which was what the Minister wanted (because he was friends with Nick) and confirmed Alice's and Darlene's guilt to the court. And, as you said, completely wiping out any chance Hank had of exposing the corruption to the media. Basically, Hank fell for what was a fairly simple lie, which is suprising.

[–] shock-8 17 years ago

Ok cool, that makes sense...I just didn't "get it" for some dumb reason. I appreciate the time you took to explain it. Thanks!

[–] sammy105 17 years ago

Wait, how did anything here wipe out Hank's chance of exposing anything to the media? He could do it still, but at the way things turned, as I understand, it wouldn't do any more good. Before that deal was made, I can imagine calling Barbara Walters or Larry King might get them some publicity in the US... but then what? That would just be a shot in the dark that a US official would contact Thailand and demand they be released or military actions would be taken?
Anyway, I don't think you know for sure, Starjk, what the 'deal' really was, 'cause it wasn't fully discussed. But I would assume from what did happen that it was like you wrote.

[–] Charlie Goose 17 years ago

What didn't make sense to me is why the Minister would renege on his deal? He saves face with signed confessions, and the two girls and their lawyer are out of his hair. Quietly. With him not holding up his part of the deal, the free girl and the lawyer will now raise a stink about the girls used as patsies and the corruption.

You smell like beef and cheese, you don't smell like Santa.

[–] peter-2807 17 years ago

The Minister of Justice found Nick and had him killed, so nobody could get to him and expose the truth about their dodgy relationship.

Once the girls signed the confession, it was set in stone...

[–] XXXXshogunXXXX-1 17 years ago

Hank shouldve taped the conversation about the deal. then used it against him. You cant trust a corrupted fck like that.

[–] alisotom 13 years ago

maybe hank should have just called Larry H Parker... jeez, its just a movie

[–] riverwalk 13 years ago

''hank shouldve taped the conversation about the deal. then used it against him. You cant trust a corrupted fck like that.''

Had hank done that he'd have likely ended up with a bullet in his head or framed for a new drugs scam like the girls,there's only so far you can go with people like that.The minister was an extremely dangerous powerful man remember,it's highly unlikely he'd give in to blackmail.What puzzled me is that there have been several cases in the UK in recent decades whereby an English person in government stepped in and got a British person free from Thailand in cases similar to this. So i dunno why a US case like this couldn't be the same especially since the US are 1 of the superpowers of the world and have a lot more power and voice than the u.k. Tony Blair did it before and succeeded so if he could do it I'd put my life on it that Bill Clinton or any us official could have done it. And I'm not from either UK or USA so I'm not been biased in saying that.

[–] proteus122 12 years ago

"So i dunno why a US case like this couldn't be the same especially since the US are 1 of the superpowers of the world and have a lot more power and voice than the u.k."

Because the States are busy fighting their useless, unsuccessful and stupid "war on drugs". If they step in it makes them look like they're soft on drug smuggling. Never going to happen.

[–] hufferh 11 years ago

When he put his bag on the desk and walked away, I thought he was recording the conversation. It was just without Nick there was no hard evidence.

- "Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass."

[–] riverwalk 13 years ago

''The Minister of Justice found Nick and had him killed, so nobody could get to him and expose the truth about their dodgy relationship.''

It never once said this in the film.The minister said there was no Nick Parks which does not mean he had him killed.It is likely he said this as Skip changed his name thus making him untraceable.Also if nick was doing what he was doing to people it's highly unlikely he'd be using his real name.

[–] riverwalk 13 years ago

''What didn't make sense to me is why the Minister would renege on his deal? He saves face with signed confessions, and the two girls and their lawyer are out of his hair. Quietly. With him not holding up his part of the deal, the free girl and the lawyer will now raise a stink about the girls used as patsies and the corruption.''

Mmm not quite,the minister reneged as if he was to give in to hank once,he'd be at his mercy next time it happened.Plus the minister would lose face in a way as it would mean backing down to Hank and people like him will never be cornered easily as it bruises his ego and repuation.Understand that the trap the girls fell into was not an isolated case,it was strongly implied in the film that it was likely part of an ongoing scam placing innocent people in jail and it was likely to happen again with different people and had the minister gave in to hank's demands once he'd have to do it again if hank got wind off the case.So if the minister suddenly had to start pardoning all the people he was framing it would look suspicious on him and bring unwanted attention on him and increase the chance of the corruption been exposed.What the minister was saying to hank basically is 'I am untouchable,I win'. Plus remember the minister did not know 1 of the girls would be set free so he was unaware of the campaign[if any] she could begin back in the usa. Besides I'm not too sure if Hank actually had alot of hard evidence to back up his story of the corruption that was taking place. The op has it spot on,Hank's best chance was to go to an American source like an official or Larry King and seek help/a campaign as he knew the American embassy and the Thai legal system and authorities were untrustworthy and corrupt[which there is alot of truth in].The only drawback of this though is that he could end jeopardising he and his wife's safety though as it means taking on the drug lords of Thailand.

[–] Pirate515 12 years ago

The only drawback of this though is that he could end up jeopardizing his and his wife's safety as it means taking on the drug lords of Thailand.

I think Hank already jeopardized his and his wife's safety the second he showed up on Minister's doorstep with intent to blackmail him. In Minister's eyes, Hank has hit too close to home and knows too much now. The Minister cannot afford to have that kind of loose cannon (as Hank has referred to himself) running around in the wild. If I were in Hank's shoes, I'd dust off that US Passport, take my wife and catch the first flight out of Thailand after the development during the confession. Given how corrupt the Minister is, IMO it's only a matter of time before Hank and his wife end up dead or framed for something they didn't do and thrown in prison just like the girls.

If Hank was smart, after he blackmailed the Minister, he also should have told him that he sent copies of all the material that he has on him to some of his friends outside of Thailand, and if anything happens to him, his wife or the girls, these friends will leak the stuff to the international media. At least that would have insured Hank's safety.

[–] riverwalk 12 years ago

''If Hank was smart, after he blackmailed the Minister, he also should have told him that he sent copies of all the material that he has on him to some of his friends outside of Thailand''

The problem is though that hank DId'nt have alot[if any] of actual hard evidence or ''material'' on the corruption or against the minister.Alot of what he had was put together by his intuition remember and by chatting to a few people,these same people would never testify against skip or the moj.Had hank said he had evidence the minister would ask to see it and there was'nt really any.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TequilaMockingbird5150 12 years ago

Thailand has its own laws and really doesn't care what people in other countries think. I have lived there for five years, and the Thais see themselves a bit like Americans see themselves, as number one in the world and that no one has the right to meddle in the internal affairs, so to speak.

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

[–] TequilaMockingbird5150 12 years ago