Everytime I watch this movie (which is often) I get a bugged about something. Anytime I ask someone about it, they don't really know the answer either.
Were Cliff and Missy supposed to be twins or just regular brother and sister?
I know Cliff says something like "I begged my parents for a brother..." during the carwash scene, but it still seems like Missy is supposed to be the same age as the rest of the seniors on the team.
I would appreciate it is someone could answer this for me once and for all...
The fact that they don't have any classes together doesn't determine age. I have classes with Seniors, Juniors and Freshmen. Also, I'm taking Advanced Placement Classes as a sophomore, so that wouldn't determine age either. So, none of the "class" arguments even work, especially in a large school. I'm betting that Cliff was a senior, and Missy a sophomore or junior. The whole "I begged my mom for a brother" thing was probably meant as an insult to his sister, and most likely didn't even occur. But, it does imply that Cliff is older than his sister.
Um, just because he said "I begged mom for a brother" doesn't mean anything. And he could have said that at any age, not just when his mother was pregnant. I mean when he was older he could have been like can I have a brother now or something. I have 2 older brothers, and I have said a lot of times I wish I had a sister because I really do wish I had a sister but I don't use it as an insult. Cliff was just saying it as an insult to Missy to annoy her. He wasn't literally saying, when I was a year old and mom was pregnant with you I begged her that you be a boy. He probably said that insult all the time just to annoy her. I also think that Cliff and Torrance are Seniors and Missy is a junior. I don't think Cliff was ever held back either, and I think Missy looks far too old to be a sophmore and that there's pretty much no way. And yea, just because the are in the same classes doesn't mean much either. I have classes with all other grades. I mean, I have seniors and juniors in my algebra 2 class.
I never really care during the film to be honest, then occasionally ponder it afterwards. I always just thought that Missy was a year younger...no real reason, they just don't really strike me as twins lol...ah well.
Maybe later on, when he WAS able to talk, he said he wanted a brother IN ADDITION to Missy. Sorry if this idea has already been suggested, but this thread has been carried on for so long.
You don't have to be in the same grade to share a class. Nor do you have to be in a class with soemone to be in the same grade.
How old they look on camera has nothing to do with how old they are supposed to be in the movie.
Missy drove, from very early in the school year, so I doubt she was a sophomore.
They could have been regular siblings and actually be in the same grade. It all depoends for the cut off date for the grade.
When I was in school, the cutoff date was in mid July. I was born on the 7th, right at the end of the period. I was only 17 when I graduated. I turned 18 a little over a month after the last day of school. My wif eon the other hand, turned 19 around three months after graduating.
It is possible, had we been in the same grade, when she turned 18, I would have only been 17 and 2 months. The way the age dates were set up there was still more room to play with after that. If I remember correctly, there could have been around 11 months total difference between to people while they were still in the same grade. It would be pushing it but there would be time for them to both be born and be in the sdame grade.
On a simpler theory, he could have just been blowing off when he said he begged for a brother.
all of yall have thought about this way to freakin much!
first - Missy and Cliff are obviously not twins. Yes brothers of any age will say that they begged their mom for a brother instead of thier sister but none of the twins I know, which is about half of my school, boys, girls, or otherwise, are mean to their other half in anyway.
second - what classes they are in has nothing to do with it. If they were in home room, Cliff and Missy could have been separated. If you don't believe me, let me show you. say the alphabet with me ... A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ... good now the C(for Cliff) is the third letter of the alphabet and the M(for Missy(assuming that was her real name)) is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet. The administration could reached the limit in Tor's home room with Cliff and had to put Missy in the next. Not all people take the same classes as each other just because they are in the same grade. Tor and Cliff could be taking Advanced Chem while Missy is still taking Biology. If they were in study hall instead of home room, Tor and Missy could have been assigned to different rooms. OR Missy could be off taking a class because they do have different periods and not all people will be in the same classroom at the same time.
third - (this has nothing to do with the movie by the way) right now I'm in eighth grade but next year i'll be taking atleast two advanced placement courses.
Cliff says at the car wash that he asked his mum for a little brother. I guess that means Cliff is older... BUT siblings can be in the same year level - just depends on when they're born.
the whole "i begged my mom for a brother" was a JOKE. i really dont think it was supposed to be taken literally.
i always assumed they were twins. missy could still be a senior and say that she would miss torance, as they were probably going to different colleges or something.
Eh..I got bored around page five but figured I'd give my two cents anyway LOL
First of all, identical twins CAN be opposite sex. Yes, they can and yes, I'm in a position to KNOW and I'm not going to bore people who don't give a rat's butt but if you want me to explain feel free to PM me and I will LMAO
Second of all..I think they were identical twins and Cliff just had some serious male hormone aging thing going on and that's why he looked 25.
At first the movie gave me the feeling that Missy and Cliff were twins, but after paying attention to small details I think they’re maybe a year apart. I think we all read into this way too much, and take nonchalant comments way too literally instead of for the theatrical purpose. I wrote WAY too much, but this is why I think they’re different in age:
1. In the special features section of the DVD one of the key scenes was pulled form the movie, which would have answered a few questions. Torrance, Cliff and Isis are freshmen at college, at UC Berkley. Missy is nowhere around. YES, she could have gone to ANOTHER college, but I think that’s simply implying she’s still in high school.
2. Cliff and Torrance meet in homeroom or study hall..Something to that effect; NOT Advanced Chem. He simply notices the Advanced Chem book on her desk, which initiates the first flirtatious comments between them. Plus, Torrance is semi-freaking out asking Wes if he has Advanced Chem, 1st period I believe, so she has a partner.
3. Homerooms typically go by last name, so if Missy and Cliff were in the same grade they would have likely had homeroom together…unless this was intended to be another class or study hall.
4. Cliff tells Torrance at the carwash that he begged his mom for a little brother. I think this is supposed to be a simple funny/sarcastic comment, but it can act as a little implication that he’s older, too.
5. They could be different ages, but be in the same grade. In America, this all depends on the date of your birthday. Most school systems have a cutoff for beginning elementary school, usually something like September 5th/15th or thereabout. Therefore, if Cliff and Missy were born fairly close, they could still be in the same grade. Cliff could have an early birthday, while Missy’s is AFTER mid September. I was one of those children cut off until the following school year because my birthday is in late October. My parents could have requested for me to start when I was turning 5, but for socialization purposes they waited until the following school year as I turned 6. I graduated school at 18 years old because of my birthday.
6. High schools typically have different periods and different levels of classes: Basic, Honors, and Advanced Placement. Not all students have the same class at the same time. I took Honors Geometry in 9th grade, while some of my friends just had basic Algebra I. I had Honors English 1st period, while some of my friends took it 3rd period. I placed into AP US History, but most students took other history classes. My first high school had 6 periods every day, but my second high school was on the block system…4 Classes per semester, 90 minutes each, and changed midyear. This emulated college. The first semester I had Trigonometry, while second semester I had Pre-Cal. ETC….
Just a couple of things torrance is in her senior year they tell us this when she is being interviewed at one of the comps.
The class that cliff and torrance have together is homeroom which is usually sorted by last names so if missy and cliff were the same age in the same year they would be together.
I think that missy is a year younger and cliff a year older
I realize I am really late to this conversation, but here is my two cents worth. I grew up next door to a family that had four kids, two of the daughters were born nine months apart and they were in the same grade. I also know a family who have kids 14 months apart, but are in the same grade as they determined that the younger son was advanced.
The other option is that I don't actually recall anyone saying that Missy was a senior, or that the rest of team were seniors either. She isn't in any classes with Torrance that we see. She may be a junior.
In some schools they have squads by year and others by skill. Clearly the younger sister who tried out was much younger, probably a freshman.