the ending sucks

She did the realistic and right thing. She loved him, but she realised that she had a life to live, despite how much it would have hurt her, the temptation probably would have pulled at her everyday. People aren't meant to live forever, that's why we don't.

How was she mean to "them all"? She rescued the family from prison and kept their secret, but, for herself, she chose Life (with a capital L) over what Tuck described so eloquently as "existing." ("You can't call what we Tucks have as living...we're like rocks.") Just because Whinney chose life does not mean she didn't choose love too.

Let me first state that I have NOT yet read the book, Tuck Everlasting, though I do plan on reading it at one point or another. So with that said, here are my oh-so-fabulous (giving myself an esteem booster here) opinions based on watching the MOVIE. (Yes that’s right, I said opinions, as in these are my thoughts and I don’t plan on forcing these thoughts upon anyone else…at least I hope it doesn’t seem that way.):

I don’t think she was mean or selfish at all! Like some others already posted, Winnie chose LIFE. I’m not sure where you’re getting that she was “mean to them all, especially to him,” especially considering (as joanbrazas said) how in the movie she helped rescue the family from prison AND kept their secret. She probably was a little hostile in the beginning, but she opened up, which I found was a good development in her character. Her decision in not drinking from the spring, I think, was realistic and justified. People aren’t meant to live forever, and she finally figured that out. The idea of a “fountain of youth/eternal life” isn’t new and has in fact been alluded to and even sought after in the past. What I believed the movie was trying to portray was that in order to enjoy life, there has to be that knowledge that eventually, life comes to an end (I may be reaching here). I think Winnie, with her decision and actions, chose to live her life to the fullest till the end of her days.

Here are some quotes (from IMDb memorable quotes) that I found both relevant and meaningful for this topic and the overall theme of the movie:

-“If there's one thing I've learned about people, many will do anything, anything not to die. And they'll do anything to keep from living their life.”
-“What we Tucks have you can't call it living. We just... are. We're like rocks, stuck at the side of a stream.”
-“Don't be afraid of death, Winnie. Be afraid of the unlived life.”
-“Immortality isn't everything the preachers rack it up to be.”
-Winnie: I don't wanna die, is that wrong?
Angus Tuck: No. It's part of being human.
-[last lines]
Narrator: Tuck said it to Winnie the summer she turned 15: Do not fear death, but rather the unlived life. You don't have to live forever. You just have to live. And she did.

The 2nd, 3rd, and 6th quotes from above are particularly crucial in attributing to the theme and the subject matter of this board.

Now, onto the issue of true love (cue the groans and mutterings of ‘gosh this pesky girl is still talking’). Let me just say that I am truly and utterly one of the biggest hopeless romantics you’ll meet, though it may not seem so at times. I admit, part of me pleaded and prayed for Winnie to take a sip (chants: chug, chug, chug!) so she could then be whisked away to live in the oh-so-cliché happily ever after fairytale ending, which I further admit that I also love said fairytale endings. I mean, come on, sweet, caring, and charming Jesse Tuck (::sighs dreamily:: all together now, ‘aww’), I’d be tempted, and I’m sure that Winnie was too, probably more than anyone could imagine. I don’t doubt at all her love for Jesse. I’m sure she truly did, and to say that he was her true love, still probable, since that’s how I viewed it in the end. However, she still had to live her life. Even though she could have been with Jesse forever, I don’t think she would truly be happy with this decision in the end, if she were to drink from the spring. I was happy with the ending, and as much as I would have loved the two of them together, she had to eventually move on, and she did (she found someone she loved, got married and had a family), and I respect her for doing so, for living her life. And in the end, I think that Jesse knew that as well.

Wow, didn’t expect this to be that long so I apologize if I put anyone through any agony due to my above rambling, and for probably veering off topic at times. I have the tendency to do that, but thanks for reading anyway. Take care all!

I think it would've been intersting though.. to see what would happen if he saw her like growing up and growing old and she seeing him still young and stuff. I was expecting for him to fall in love with her daughter or something later on.

I think I did see the original movie. Tell me, is this the movie the boy falls from a big wheel at the carnival to proofe he is immortal and does she give the imoortaldrink to a turttle?

Honestly, would it have been a good movie if she drank the water and went with Jesse? I would have been happy and inserted a few "AWW. THAT IS SO SWEET". But it wouldn't be the same. The movie and the book are both telling you the same thing. Living forever isn't as wonderful as it sounds. In fact, in some ways I was almost upset with Jesse when he asked her to drink the water. It was actually quite selfish. He's 104. He should be mature enough. But whatever, that's my opinion.

Honestly, thinking Winnie should have had the water is like hoping the townspeople would have saved the boy in the "Boy Who Cried Wolf". Sure it would have made it a happy ending, but the message would be trashed.

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To end the movie with her drinking from the spring would have contradicted the major theme of Natalie Babbit's story. The speeches made by the older brother and Angus Tuck would've been for naught. I know we want our movies to end on a happy note but not for the sake of the valuable lesson that the rest of the movie was presenting.