MovieChat Forums > The Machinist (2004) Discussion > Big plot hole???

Big plot hole???

posted 8 years ago by LoroHusk
6 replies | jump to latest

Hey together,

At 1:10:20 there's a big plot hole in my opinion. after the protagonist is hit by a car, he goes to a police station, where he complains the "accident" to the police. He tells the police that the car that have hit him has the license plate "XYZ..." (to get the adress of ivan, the supposedly driver of the red muscle car the protagonist is searching).

when the police officer comes back, he tells the protagonist (taken from the script):...

"Cause the car that

allegedly hit you was your own.

1969, red pontiac viper

registered to your name.

Nearly a year ago you reported it

as being totally wrecked."

This makes no sense for me. in the accident scene you can clearly see that there are a douzen of witnesses watching it, no way there is no one who reported the accident car, which by the way is easily recognizable. If he then would have gone to the police reporting he haid an accident, the police should have cleary benn able to combine where the damage comes from.

This really bothered me while watching the movie. Because of this, i thought he had an accident with his family (son and wife) one year ago and lot them in it.

what do you think about it?

sry for my english, no native speaker.

[–] BrightLitStar 8 years ago

Depending on the geographic location, ratting someone out is taboo. This is NOT a plot hole. I wouldn't of snitched.

A bright light can hollow the deepest of nothingness.

[–] LoroHusk 8 years ago

What a *beep* answer.

[–] datkaa 8 years ago

But isn't that WHY he reported the car missing?

He hits someone with his car, there's loads of witnesses, someone takes his license plate down. To avoid getting arrested for a hit and run, he reports the car missing before - this way, when someone goes to report the hit and run, it couldn't have been him, as his car has been stolen from him.

Make sense?

[–] shuntanux 8 years ago

Yes, makes perfect sense.

[–] gml-43682 8 years ago

Something that called my attention from that scene in the police station is that the officer directly accuses him of lying, instead of asking him if he is feeling well and if he might have confused the plate numbers. His body and head are clearly damaged after suffering a "hit-and-run", he could have mistaken his old car's plate due to some sort of physical trauma.

[–] supersix21 8 years ago

My guess is that the police were looking for the red Pontiac because witnesses saw it during the hit-and-run with the little boy, so when he shows up asking about the plates and it's his car, they naturally get suspicious.