MovieChat Forums > Thir13en Ghosts (2001) Discussion > There's one line that's always bothered ...

There's one line that's always bothered me in this movie.

posted 13 years ago by SBL84
9 replies | jump to latest

When Bobby goes missing, and they start to leave, Arthur says something like "we're not leaving until we find the kid."

Whenever I watch this movie, I hear that line, and think about how odd it is for a father to refer to his child as "the kid." There are plenty of phrases he could have used in that situation "my kid," "my son," "Bobby," "my child," etc. I don't think I've ever heard a parent refer to their own child in a way that's so detached like that, and it just sounds so unnatural.

Saying "the kids" to refer to your children makes sense, especially if you're talking to a family member or friend, but referring to one of your children as "the kid" just sounds... odd.

Does that line seem weird to anyone else?

[–] bitca1 13 years ago

That was bad writing. I thought the same thing when I was watching it on tv the other day. It is very odd to refer to your child as "the kid".

You love me. Real or not real? -Peeta
Real. -Katniss

[–] cosmicgensis 13 years ago

Ive never really noticed until i watched it tonight. But your right it does come off as weird. It stood out immediately. But i think the last poster was right. it was just crappy writing.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Getalis 12 years ago

It's a guy thing.

Ain't you never see them Calvin & Hobbes strips where Calvin does something strange, inadvertently causing his dad grief and triggering an off-screen "WHERE'S THAT KID?!?!?" scream bubble in the final panel?

[–] jrpelt 12 years ago

I remember that but thought it was in response to Rakfin referring to Bobby as "the kid". In movies you'll see somebody take a sarcastic nickname or derogatory phrase another jerky character has been using and throw it in their face. It's the same thing here, was what I thought.

[–] revans7583 12 years ago

I just watched some of this on TV,and that's not what I heard.
I thought he said I'm not leaving until we find the kids.
At that time,both of them were missing.

[–] thexis 8 years ago

i'm 4 years late, but yes, i do actually know someone who refers to her own child as "the girl", even when speaking to her husband. i always find it incredibly odd, i've never heard her say her name or even "my child". just "the girl". my point is that it's weird, but it does happen.

[–] sommert-507-32566 8 years ago

Ha! I just remembered I did that in a story to show the father had no grasp of raising a child normally. It was a comedy, so that was kind of the point, but to see it used in an actual movie as a faux pas is just... bad.

But whoever designed the house, brilliant work.

[–] DarTobor (4881) 4 years ago

Films like this are just tolerated pollution.