MovieChat Forums > Stay (2005) Discussion > I did not understand this movie at all!

I did not understand this movie at all!

posted 14 years ago by MJB784
19 replies | jump to latest

I enjoy a lot of psychological thrillers, and this one was really confusing. Why is the movie called Stay? What was the big twist at the end? I don't get it, it opened with him in a traffic accident on the golden gate bridge and ended there, but I don't understand the big secret that connects with the middle parts of the movie. How is Henry's father alive and playing chess blind with the psychiatrist and how did the psychiatrist save Henry and why did a lot of scenes repeat themselves? This movie was boring and had no suspense at all.

[–] recent_lover 14 years ago

i was going to answer you with the correct answer and then i read your statement that this movie was boring and no suspense at all and have to go the quick answer.
you sir, are a stupid human being.

this movie takes place in his mind after the crash scene, a dream state.

[–] wrongboyo 14 years ago

If you're trying to make a person feel stupid, it's usually best if you take the time to punctuate, and proof read your comments, otherwise you look like the idiot.

Moving on, he's an idiot because he didn't enjoy a second rate thriller? You're an idiot for ostracizing a person based on their opinion. Learn to have a conversation about a film, instead of just assuming you're opinion is the only correct one.

"A guilty conscience needs to confess. A work of art is a confession." - Albert Camus

[–] deadbunny28 14 years ago

ur an idiot for assuming he's an idiot for assuming the OP's an idiot...=p...jk i love u, u have an Albert Camus quote...

[–] faithfulnes 14 years ago

Everything that happened was in the mind of Ryan Gosling's character as he lay on the road dying, after the car accident in which his parents were killed.

[–] advertising_media 14 years ago

I don't think you are an idiot, but i do feel that the person that answered your question correctly, in that everything that happened after the crash was from a dream state. Also, I don't think that he liked that you thought the accident was on the Golden Gate Bridge, when in fact, it was the Brooklyn Bridge. That's prolly why he thought you were an idiot in the first place.

[–] JW-7 13 years ago

"you sir, are a stupid human being. " ...was really uncalled for. It's the reason why so many of these threads devolve into idiocy.

I've got news for you. I stayed with it until the end, but while that cast an explanation over the film, it did not undo the 2 hours of confused mess that preceded it. If you want to see a movie where a twist validates the substance of the movie, see "6th Sense." With that, you could understand what came before the twist. With this one, once you know the secret, you need to rewatch the movie to follow it. That's not good film-making to me. I don't need things spelled out, but I do need some semblance of coherence on some level, and this one, to me, did not have it.

[–] tenebrisis 14 years ago

First explanation:the movie say;'Life is Lie...Live or Die'...Our life is lie and it's all our fault...
My Second explanation is;'If we die in a road accidents or car crashes we will edit the the life of other people in our brain :)

[–] ze_goose 14 years ago

Frankly speaking, i thought the movie was going to be crap and i was regretting watching it right from the chess scene almost all the way till the end. I really thought it would be some rot showing Sam to be a schizo and i was loudly sighing at all the cliches, as well as cursing Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts for having acted in this movie!

However, I feel that the last scene (accident, etc) made the movie quite a bit better. As Henry lay dying it even seems like he anticipated Sam and Lila getting together (not to mention obsessing over making him 'better' later..lol).

[–] arete_1 13 years ago

I'm "gifted" and I found this movie boring drivel, probably because I'm gifted. It's also why I guessed the end about 20 minutes in.

(I also think that Camus had some good thoughts, but a lot of crap too, like that quote earlier in this thread which is pure simplistic pseudo pop psychology tripe. He's not exactly a 1st rate philosopher in any case, more like a middle brow too emotive pseudo intellectual ((kind of like Nietzsche who did approximate "pure" philosophy better though)). Still, again, sometimes he could articulate a truth or position well...just too touchy/feely for the most part like all ((mostly)) literature writers: they write fiction because they aren't smart/rational enough to expound non fiction. I grew out of him by age 16 for the most part; his The Myth of Sisyphus and The Rebel remain his best real ((non fiction)) works).

[–] paradox_debaser 13 years ago

Your assumption that you 'found the movie boring drivel' because you're 'gifted' is ludicrous, and calls into question the nature of your 'gift'.

Articulating a point of view in a clear and concise manner is certainly not your gift.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] trooperford2821438 13 years ago

PLEASE do explain how you are "Gifted".

I just watched the movie, have an IQ above 130, but still didnt really know exactly what was going on, so tell me what kind of "Gift" I and many others are missing.

People who write contrite crap like you wrote are asking for a public whipping.

I liked the movie, but really didnt get it until I read through these posts. Maybe I will watch it again now that I understand, and it will get through to my thick numbnutz skull that im not gifted and that I should just go and do a mathematical equation somewhere, and hypothosyse the square root of 5/8ths minus 4/9ths of 253 dwarf ponies at a carnival show.

[–] jerseyd1 13 years ago

Oh, please someone tell me this guy isn't for real. His gift is that someone hasn't tried to suffocate him in his sleep.

[–] The-ManWithNoName 13 years ago

You're "Gifted",....but that's you being in a dream state.

When you wake up, you will realize that you couldn't even begin to write a script, screen play, edit footage, remember your lines and say them naturally, work a camera, direct talented actors, create perfect lighting, wardrobe, set and sound design,..ect.

Then you will realize that you're in fact,... not gifted and you couldn't even begin to make a film.

Let alone make a film as artistic and well put together as this one. You most likely don't even have the talent to make a B-rated horror flick or a commercial for that matter.

In fact, I doubt you could even put together a successful youtube video judging by your wannabe intelligent post.

Have a nice day :)

You're not a writer Fink, you're a goddamn write off

[–] oundjianm 13 years ago

oohh, now you must be smart... you used words like "pseudo pop psychology tripe"!!
wow...
and you named dropped some big philosophers..
Are you the second coming of Christ?! :/

please send me copies of your work, oh Genius one...
When you stop trying to stretch your tongue out, to lick your own ass hole,
Of course....

[–] schnoidl 13 years ago

I didn't get the ending, neither did my girlfriend, but now that I've heard what it is, it just makes the movie that much more annoying. that's not a twist, it's a lame crutch to build a wtf movie around. I loved this movie at first, but after a while I was just feeling jerked around. I thought the color correction was exquisite, but after a bit...christ it's on every single shot, over and over. so desperately arty that they forgot to include a real story.

[–] The-ManWithNoName 13 years ago

I thought the film was fantastic. However, It's not for everybody.

Sometimes a film can just be an experience and not always a nice little story that is accessible to everyone.

Every genre of film has it's place in the industry and adds something in it's own way.

You're not a writer Fink, you're a goddamn write off

[–] techiebug 12 years ago

wow.... I guess many people just watch and not think huh... Don't try to understand this movie since it's all in his dying mind after the car crash. It's like a dream so everything is not gonna make sense.

[–] artistathome 13 years ago

My gosh, I am now convinced that I am much smarter than most of the people who go see movies and then post these dumb statements.

How in the world is this movie the least bit confusing? Yes it was confusing until the scene with the mom. Then it is fairly easy to figure out. He killed his family and is guilt ridden. The only surprise left is that he is not alive walking around, but is on the ground dying and imagining it all.

This is not a thriller by the way. I think the movie previews gave a very skewed pic of what "Stay" was gonna be about, and people like the OP thought it was a ghost story.

He had a wreck. His parents and girlfriend died. He is lying on the ground badly hurt and hears Lila say they have all died. He too wants to die and feels guilty.

his dying mind creates this entire hallucination. Didn't you notice through the movie people are heard saying "Henry, stay with me."?

If you cannot figure this one out you are below average intelligence or frankly you just weren't paying attention.
The director brings it all together at the end. What more do you want???

He spoonfed the conclusion to us and anyone who is "gifted" who didn't get it cannot be gifted in intelligence! Maybe you are gifted some other way.