Why did Tripp ask Leer's mother if she went to Catholic school? (was it just to ascertain the truth of Leer's story?)
How did Leer go from being a poor writer in the first scene to a publish-able writer by the end?
I thought Leer's 'suicide recounting' trick was somewhat overdone. He was clearly a morose character, no need to force it quite like that.
1.Remember the night of the party at the beginning of the movie? Prof Tripp sees James Leer lurking around the house when he goes outside to smoke pot. Leer had a gun & went into BS mode to explain how he'd aquired it. In part of his explaination he described his mother as someone who'd gone to catholic school. Grady later states that nothing that Leer says is true, which was a true statement. (or maybe it was later in the car when he's telling grady how his parents met. haven't seen this movie in a while)
2. Leer has a writer's imagination & the talent to express it on paper. Grady says his work was way better than the other students'. Crabtree, who's also brilliant & works for a big publisher, is in trouble with said publisher because he hasn't found a good book to publish in yrs.. he's arrived to see if Grady's way overdue book is finished, hoping for another bestseller. He's introduced to Leer at the party & takes an instant "liking"(attraction)to him. he later discovers how talented Leer is & decides to publish the book Leer'd written that semester.
Leer's morose character, as shown in the 1st classroom scene, is very funny. he's made fun of throughtout the film for his morose imagination that takes the form of BS in his social interactions. but on paper he's supposedly either a genius or gifted. the scene when grady shows him Marlyn Monroe's sweater & it brings james to tears is also a riot.