Why did Caroline look back at the end of the movie??

I got the same read as partsdude. There aren't many flicks or TV shows that can really pull off the comedy/drama thing, but I thought this one did. To me, most that attempt it seem short on the comedy.

I just saw it for the first time. I have no idea what the intention was of the actor/directors; my reaction is Carolyn is reproaching me for seeing the whole movie and having any doubt she was kidding when she asked him if he was speaking metaphorically about the moon.

Is everyone forgetting Carolyn from the beginning? She has absolutely no knowledge of mentally challenged. She never studies it or asks people about it. She doesn't talk to Pumpkin about it at all.

Why does she love Pumpkin?

She admits that its because he understands her and he touches her softly?? That's what you base love on?

Well... not to downgrade anyone's hopes of Carolyn's love for him, but I believe that she spent so much time trying to prove everyone wrong about Pumpkin that she never stopped to evaluate the situation. He seemed like he was just being held back his lack of fluid movement or ability to speak well, but then all of sudden after everything has died down, and there is no one standing in the way, she asks him about his previous question about the moon. When he doesn't understand the words "literally" or "metaphorically" or her overall question in general, she looks back at the camera because she's looking at what she was officially leaving behind.

When she was fighting to be with him, she was still in the Sorority/normal girl realm. Obviously, or they wouldn't have thought it ok to invite her back to the college/formal. People were talking about it as a phase...

But as soon as everyone says that its fine, she's no longer in a phase, she has completely transitioned. She looked back with a horrid expression as in, "Oh my god, I don't think he's ever going to get smarter, is he?" because she has no idea what classification he's in or anything about his "illness" per se (I don't know the PC term for it), and now she has basically volunteered to take care of him for the rest of her life...

Duuh! She was looking at my bf's dad who just entered the room having missed the first 111 minutes of the movie..

I think it may have been because she felt no closer to "getting" him than she was at the beginning. If you remember she shrieked in horror when she couldn't understand what he was trying to say. She thought he was trying to say something important and thought he was deeper and smarter than he was. Or maybe she's the moon and still just doesn't know why she changed.

After seeing this film twice and reading all of these posts this is the most spot
on:
"literally or metaphoricly?"
and she glared at US. as in, don't take this movie literally. its a metaphor.

I thought the song (Falling from grace, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8LEJ_UFtDw) and the look together absolutely made this movie. No doubt she was looking at the viewers hoping that we were also smiling along with her and everyone else behind it.
Anyone taking this movie too seriously needs to take a deep breath and understand that this is not a documentary and is not being shown in schools. This is fiction!

I think Pumpkin's response to her question made her realize what she was getting into. A relationship with Pumpkin would be a lot different than one with say her ex, especially when it comes down to communication. I think she was looking back at her ex (and that lifestyle) one last time to make sure she really wanted that kind of relationship over the one every else wanted her to have.

I had a few thoughts in my head about this one. The first one I wrote down is what hit me from that look.
-I was thinking maybe she realized, what the counsellor had meant. That it was just some kind of fantasy, an illusion. Because it seems to me the only time she really needed, or wanted pumpkin was when she was in some kind of distress, and now that she's gotten what she's needed, she doesn't want it anymore. The look at the end is a worried look, that might be saying, "Crap, this is was a fantasy."
-An other one I was thinking was, that in some way, she's tellling us that she has to become his teacher as well, so they can really comunicate. "I'm gonna have to teach him, and this just might be harder.
-She just realized how hard she's going to have to work to make a relationship work.
-Last thought was also the one where she was second guessing herself, asking us, silently if she is really going to go through it, but it is a new look we haven't seen from her. This one really shows her insecurity and vulnerability, like most people have when they enter a relationship. Maybe she's asking "Please, help us make this work." before she sets off into unknown lands.
-And of course, her look back is saying, *beep* this! As soon as he's asleep I'm bailing"(lol jk). Other people have said the stuff about people judging others, and society. But I'm not sure if that's it. As I have said before, her look is very insecure about something, and I don't understand how that would read about society :\