MovieChat Forums > In the Bedroom (2002) Discussion > I Think Ruth is a Liar

I Think Ruth is a Liar

posted 8 years ago by TerpStudent
4 replies | jump to latest

But for a good reason. The first time she saw Richard after he's out on bail, he hadn't noticed her. Only once do we actually see Richard make eye contact when crossing her path at the store and he doesn't smile at her. He's clearly perturbed and walks out without paying for his drink. He was gesturing to the clerk, not Ruth, that he's taking the soda on credit.

However after her fight with Matt, she says she's been seeing him everywhere in town, and once he smiled at her. This makes no sense.

Richard is truly sorry, and he knows he has to pay for what he did, somehow. I think Ruth is lying about him smiling at her because she knew it would provoke Matt into taking the law into his own hands.

"Any particular reason you boys are... naked?"

-Mr. Crabs

[–] mnbush 8 years ago

I thought maybe she imagined she'd seen Richard those other times (or maybe she did and it wasn't shown in the film) but she could also have imagined that Richard did smile because he got out and he's free to do and go wherever he wants. Like she sees a smile like he's thumbing his nose at her.

But you have a good point too. Although I don't know if she thought she could egg Matt on. They were hardly speaking not too long before that.

[–] whatever94401 8 years ago

I'm so glad she did lie about seeing him, the smiling. The guy deserved to die, he ended their family line and was an abusive violent prick.

[–] strangenstein (683) 3 years ago

“Richard is truly sorry, and he knows he has to pay for what he did, somehow.”

Richard is not sorry for what he did. He’s an abuser, and he’s doing what abusers and bullies always do. They must win at all costs, and in this case the cost was a human life. It was no accident, he shot the son on purpose. If he had any honor he’d tell the truth about what he did.

[–] russfro (116) 2 years ago

It’s like when she was having the argument with Matt and saying Matt wanted what Frank had - Natalie, and that Matt wanted to get his kicks through his son, and that Frank died for Matt’s “fantasy piece of ass”.

A argument could be made she is a character who either has an overactive imagination and sees things that aren’t there or she exaggerates or lies to manipulate others, or to lash out emotionally.