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These Little Touches and a Couple of Questions

posted 18 years ago by letyaga3682
7 replies | jump to latest

Cool movie! Just saw it 2 times in a row. It reminded me of Alexandre Payne's flicks. Anyhow, it has these nice tiny touches which make it even greater. Fir instance, When he clocks out in the hall during the wordfest, he looks at the Mary with a child, and when he comes around Mary turns into his lover Sara who IS with his child. Then, in a walmart, Tripp looks at a baby and the baby looks at a baloon which Grady buys for Sara - again, hint at their future child. Then in Leer's basement there's a poster for "The Gay Falcon" which comes hand in hand with him being gay.
Though, I got a couple of questions: why did Grady put the dead dog Poe (nice touch again, reference to Edgar A. Poe, the writer, I think) in Leer's bed as a decoy? Why did Grady shoots the gun he got from Leer in the car with Vernon pointing his gun at him if he knew it wasn't a cap pistol but a real firearm?
Thanks for replies. Good night.

--- TOUT IRA BIEN ---

[–] CharteredStreets 18 years ago

The dog - I guess Grady thought its outline would be more convincing; it's also a nice narrative touch, that they finally made use of the dead dog.

And I think Grady shoots the gun by accident; either that or he's just stoned and confused having a gun pointed in his face.

[–] keyser611 16 years ago

another cool thing i noticed the other day when i watched this movie for at least the 5th time: The combination to Gaskell's safe is 5641, a reference to his idol's greatest professional accomplishment, Joe Dimaggio's 56 game hitting streak in 1941.

[–] gmcali 16 years ago

If you go back and look at the parking-lot meeting of Grady and James' parents, you'll see what awful people they are. For instance, they had stopped at their "benefit" on the way to see their missing son. Wouldn't even get out of the car to see him. This is why James needed rescuing in the first place. Grady decides to punish them, and give his cohorts a laugh - that's my guess.

- Cinemad

[–] BlueSmallows 16 years ago

Were they his parents, though? I kinda got the feeling James was telling the truth when he said they were his grandparents.

[–] The-Kissable-Writer 15 years ago

^it's a mixture of both if you believe his "chinatown story", as Crabtree (Robert Downey Jr.) so amusingly puts it. James Leer told Grady there's a reason he looks just like his grandpa...that is to be (grand?)pa or father AND grandfather.

BTW original poster, I love how you "think" the dog's name is a reference to Edgar Allen Poe. I think the chances are more than slim :-).

O human race born to fly upward, wherefore at a little wind dost thou fall.

[–] charpentierjp 13 years ago

Notice how in the restaurant when James Leer is whining about his family issues Professor Tripp cuts him off and says, "oh, yes, James. Chained in the basement with the Cask of Amantillado?" Look where Poe ended up!

[–] MidniteRambler 13 years ago

The dog isn't called Poe in the novel. From memory it's Doctor Dee or something like that.