MovieChat Forums > Frequency (2000) Discussion > Killer's mother question, spoilers

Killer's mother question, spoilers

posted 10 years ago by mymoviemind
7 replies | jump to latest

I've caught most of this movie about a half a dozen times now, and there's one thing I still don't get. Why did the killer kill his mother? She's not one of the first three murders in either the first or last versions, so why would he kill her in the middle version when he's not dead or not caught? And why in the middle, not first or last? Also, why would anyone suspect a cop who's mother was killed by a serial killer, as John suggested? I would think he would be the last person you would suspect.

It's been driving me nuts. Any explanations?

[–] alek-hidell 10 years ago

Why does any kid kill their mother? I think it's implied that he killed his mom, for whatever reason, as his first victim in all three timelines. The police just didn't realize it. Since she was a nurse, he kept killing nurses.

[–] mymoviemind 10 years ago

I don't think so. She is definitely not dead in both the first and last versions, but only the middle version when there are 12 victims. That's my confusion. I wasn't really asking why he killed his mother in particular, just why she was a victim in only one version and not even the original version.

[–] alek-hidell 10 years ago

Oh, are you talking about John's mom or the cop's mom? I was thinking the cop's mom.

He didn't kill John's mom in the first time line because he dies before he can do it.

I presume he kills her in the second timeline because she saves his life and he therefore notices her. He apparently hates nurses because of his mom, so he kills her.

[–] JR541 9 years ago

Frank surviving changed the octcome of many things. The night he survived Frank goes to the hospital to visit his wife at work. Had Frank died as he did in the original timeline she would not have been at work. Jack Shepard (the killer) was a patient in the ER that night and was going to die due to the doctors mistake. Mom was there working and noticed that the doctor was about to make that deadly mistake but stopped him. Shepard survived and later killed her. He kills nurses.

[–] saltnurwound 9 years ago

Jr541...

That's awesome. I didn't recognize who it was that the John's mom saved from the doctor's error because his face was covered. But you are absolutely correct.

Your little tidbit just tied the whole movie together for me.

Great post, sir. (Or ma'am)

[–] tgbp 9 years ago

Also how could his mom be dead and shes still alive in 69.it always changes at the moment it happens in 69

[–] There_Is_No_Sayid 9 years ago

IIRC the killer targets the type of woman she is. In the original timeline he died after only a few kills, but when Jim Caviezel changes the timeline so that his dad doesn't die she's not distracted by his death and so catches an error the doctor makes and he lives. He then goes on to kill her, presumably randomly.