How could Jack Shepard still be a cop in the future? - Frequency (2000) Discussion

[–] kronos251 15 years ago

Jack Shepard was no longer a cop in the future. He was now a wanted man, especially when police could not find his body in the harbor after the chase scene with Frank. Someone else here said that Shepard might have spent 30 years in prison, and got out on parole in 1999.

And I agree, great movie. It takes 2-3 more viewings to connect the whole thing, which makes the movie even better.

"Rommel...you magnificent bastard, I read your book!"
-- PATTON

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[–] kreemer 15 years ago

Just finished watching this. Ya, what a great film...so measured.

It's all in the editing.

Ya, Jack Shepard is either a hunted man now, or recently out of prison.

Tried not to, but must admit I got emotional several times.

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[–] mascisman 15 years ago

According to the director's commentary on the DVD, Jack had been "on the lam" for 30 years.

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[–] Li-1 15 years ago

That's actually the one aspect of the ending I didn't like. I would have just had Frank kill Jack in the past. The fact that he was on the lam for 30 years means he had that much more opportunity to continue his killing spree, affecting the timeline even more.

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[–] mascisman 15 years ago

...and that is exactly the (new) ending that Gregory Hoblit (the director) had wanted. But the ending as we have it was received so enthusiastically (because emotionally satisfying) by both studio and audience that he knew he didn't have a chance of ending the movie the way he wanted it.

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[–] mrsengk 15 years ago

To me, the way it was edited in the final fight, Jack was referring back to the conversation from the bar. It just seemed like a weird coincidence that of all nights, if Jack was on the lam for 30 years, he would pick the same random night Caviezel was talking to his dad.

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[–] lunabean1978 13 years ago

He went on the lam after killing johns mom, and lost a hand in the process. Hard to kill someone with one hand. He probably just laid low

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[–] jaystarstar 15 years ago

The time line changes several times during the movie.

The first time John talks to Shepard in the bar he is a retired/semi-disgraced cop (remember his dad talking about how he was run off the force in the investigation of corruption) but nobody knows he had anything to do with the Nightengale murders.

As the movie goes on the timeline is changed both in 1969 and in 1999, resulting in Shepard now being an escaped murderer.

In the final scene/climactic fight, Frank blows Shepard's hand off with the shotgun in 1969 but he still escapes (creating another reality), surviving to attempt to kill John in 1999 before 64-year-old Frank finally puts an end to it.

Somebody probably ought to sit down and watch the whole movie scene by scene and count how many different versions of "reality" are created during the movie.

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[–] pacholeknbnj 15 years ago

Maybe he got lost. I never watched "Lost," but they had a character named Jack Shepherd (or some other variant of the name), and he was one of the show's heroes. I suppose if Ben Linus (who, like Shawn Doyle, would have been a great Joker in the new Batman films) could be redeemed...

Then again, a serial killer with one hand (and, at least at the beginning, hippie hair) would've been kind of easy to find. He must've gotten sent to the nuthouse or something and been declared "cured."

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[–] bscured06 14 years ago

Yea that's the plot hole I 'm gonna wait 30 years to get my revenge. I'm starting to think that the movie's supposed to make you emotional on purpose to detach you from reality...

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[–] stevesk0011 14 years ago

Well 1969 was reality......and 1999 was reality.....same concept as the radio....they were both the present..do you understand? Time lapped itself and was running parallel to a 30 year difference. So the fight in '69 was happening at the exact same time as the fight in '99. That's why the scratch's appeared on his face the same speed as her hand was going. Also, that is why he was conscious of his hand (1999) disappearing and looked at it. It's the same as present effecting the present. If it were simply 30 years previous the hand would have been intantly gone. IDK...IDK...IDK.....IDKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am the Walrus - Goo Goo Ga'joob

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[–] jaystarstar 14 years ago

Well, who knows, maybe in THAT version of the altered timeline Shepard had tried several times before to get revenge and never gotten close enough to get a shot at John (or I suppose Frank).

Anyway in that version he would not be trying so much to "get revenge" as to eliminate Frank, who knew he had been responsible for the murders.

But considering not only Frank but Satch and probably a lot of other cops knew Shepard was the killer, if he had any brains he would have split town, gotten far, far away and set up another identity. In 1969 it would have been easier to do it -- no nationwide high-tech computer network like we have today.

So I suppose in the FINAL version of the timeline Shepard could have gone into hiding and spent 30 years in Europe or Texas or Mexico or who knows where, and on this particular night in 1999 decided it was time to come back and try to take out Frank (and found John living in the house).

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] stevesk0011 14 years ago

That can't be true, remember the scene in the bar when John confronted him in the bar? That's why he came back. I believe that 2 different series of events were transpiring at once.

I am the Walrus - Goo Goo Ga'joob

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[–] 14 years ago

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