MovieChat Forums > Speak (2004) Discussion > Andy might have been insecure and mother...

Andy might have been insecure and motherless

posted 14 years ago by Bizbaz
11 replies | jump to latest

Watching Speak it's very easy to put the blame on Andy. He's the one who raped her and traumatized her. And we follow Kristen (Melinda) through every emotion she's feeling. So of course he would be pinned as the villain.

But then as they say, there's always two sides to every story. He may have had a load of problems himself. Guys who walk around like they can treat women however they like, even rape them, obviously don't think fondly of women. Maybe he had no mother and only a dad and brothers, who are all very misogynistic.

Someone who thinks they have to rape a woman/girl, obviously has no respect for women and perhaps even scared of them. Andy was painted as a horrible character in the film, and I hear he was even worse in the book.

But he's still a person. And I'm sure if we got an intimate look at his life also and all the events surrounded his own life people wouldn't hate him as much. And perhaps feel he didn't need to be blinded at the end.

Just jail.

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[–] semaphore-1842 14 years ago

Umm, no. Andy is rapist and physically threatened his victim afterwards to keep quiet. He wasn't "painted" as a horrible person, he was one. Even if he comes from sort of dark and troubling background (I saw no indication of this), Andy did what he did by his own volition. He chose to rape Melinda and try force her to recant, and he bears full responsibility for those choices.

I can understand where you are coming from, that Andy might have his own circumstances and he isn't necessarily just a vile heartless monster. That is a good point and perfectly valid. But I think you are taking it way too far by suggesting that Andy shouldn't be blamed for raping Melinda (or that he wouldn't be blamed in a "second side" to the story).

Well Andy IS to blame. He perpetrated those crimes of his own free will, and no amount of insecurity or childhood neglect can excuses him to do so. He is a person, but he is not a good person, and whether or not he has problems himself doesn't change that. What you're not proposing is not some "second side of the story", it's simply shifting the blame from a clear criminal.

And perhaps feel he didn't need to be blinded at the end.

He wasn't.

[–] Bizbaz 14 years ago

Yeah, of course he needs to go down just like anyone else. That's not even up for debate.

I just mean if he did in fact have a dark past and maybe an abusive dad you may understand a little more why he did what he did. If he had a perfectly fine upbringing that would show he is under no pressure, he's just pure evil. That's what I meant.

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[–] cheedo 13 years ago

Agreed. People just like to immediately pick out a victim and villain, regardless of any other factors like you mentioned. It's stupid. Yes, what he did was evil. But if your best friend/brother/child/whatever did it, would you be so quick to cast them out and hate them forever and never forgive them? No, you wouldn't be THAT heartless.

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[–] desirey001 10 years ago

If I had a brother who raped another person I would absolutely loathe him. Andy in the film was a heartless manipulator and did not care about traumatizing young girls so he could get *beep* laid. People like that don't deserve to be alive.

[–] LaraCroftLegacy 10 years ago

Sorry even if Andy had a dark past not excuse for to rape and bully Melinda into staying quite

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[–] whitespirit26 14 years ago

Who cares? "Two sides to every story" implies that one perspective is just as important as another and could alter the events that happened, but it CAN'T. Andy did horrible stuff and seemed pretty spoiled and cheerful most of the time to me. The story pretty clearly depicted him as the "spoiled, entitled male" type, not the poor disturbed one.

[–] trixie-k-88 13 years ago

Two words for you...WHO CARES?!

[–] jaynemanfieldscar 12 years ago

two words for you... YOU, OBVIOUSLY!

haha. my gosh, children these days have NO manners. there should be age restrictions here.

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[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jaynemanfieldscar 12 years ago

God doesnt follow your orders haha

anyway, please grow up or dont post, these boards arent for sensitive people.

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