Chris was guilty as a co-conspirator of bank robbery and felony murder of a police officer. In the real world he might have been spared the death penalty or life without parole due to his change of heart and disability. There's no way he escapes all punishment except in Hollywood.
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I think it underscored the point. A major theme of the movie is Chris atoning for his guilt.Look at the conversation with Gary where he says that he atoned for his sins in prison, but because Chris has never had to pay for his, he carries them around with him. The ending underscores that. No one will let him be guilty, so he has to find atonement without paying a penalty. Kid has always been Teflon as far as the rules are concerned. Look at his hockey story, commits a major penalty, skates away without doing the time. Gets in an accident, doesn't do jail time and his daddy pays his way. Commits a robbery, no one believes he was seriously involved. And yet, he has to learn to forgive himself.
You nailed it. In his director's commentary Frank gives pretty much the same explanation for how Chris feels.
sharei think we watched a different movie..there is nothing "hollywood" about this movie..at all..
and that's why I like it
I disagree ... the movie was TOTALLY Hollywood. A non-Hollywood movie would have something other than a relatively happy, loose ends wrapped up, ending. At the very least, Lewis would have died.
However, the OP apparently missed the point that the reason Chris got off was because the FBI believed that Chris was a victim as evidenced by the video tapes.
I don't agree with the Lewis having to die.
I think the element of surprise was justified, because being the way Chris was, it meant he wasn't much of a threat, if non at all in their eyes, ergo when Bone turns his back on him and returns to the car to drop of the first money bag and then execute Lewis, he is completely unprepared for a shot gun in the other bag which gives Chris a believable chance (an that instant) to take aim and put him down before he can kill Lewis.
After all, we are to believe he was good at shooting at some point in his life.
Lewis didn't have to die - I think if it were fully hollywood 'Mr Doughnut' would not have died by Bone's shotgun, he would have been wounded and lived to see his unborn kid grow up.
I don't really see how it was Happy at all - He simply wakes up and has breakfast; while he is responsible for at least 2 deaths, I can understand a raised eyebrow or two at him not going to jail.
But, when you look at it, he has nothing - he isn't the same guy, there is a reference to it in the movie, where it is mentioned 'They say you wont up a different person' (or something very similar)
- He has nothing, other then a business started with a friend - it's nothing ostentatious or really that ludicrous, just a simple job with a blind friend.
Then there is Kelly, whom is seemingly still alive but either wants nothing to do with him after that night.
A Hollywood ending would undoubtably have those two reconcile properly, not a passing reverie of a chance meet where she shows her prosthetic leg and then smiles forgivingly - No, they would be as happy as the moment they were a minute or two before the crash - Hell she might be able to hook up Lewis with one of her misunderstood friends and later on some years later they can all have happy family get to get-together where they all gather and watch their kids play in the yard.
- Relatively happy is that mere crumb of some kind of stability after experiencing to rather extreme events which could easily toss your or my world upside down.
Are there moments I would change sure, but I don't feel it is a Hollywood-Hollywood movie per-say.
OP, don't you think mentioning that it has a happy ending in your post title is a spoiler in itself?
shareIMO I dont think it is a happy ending though. In agreement with others he has never been held accountable, he will live with the guilt as well as the scars for the rest of his life. His punishment is he is a shell of what he was before. i felt the film built well what life will be for him everyday now with his brain injury- a struggle
shareChris was not involved with the murder of the police officer. Your point is thus, rejected. Chris was guilty of conspiracy and nothing more.
You invent "hollywood" endings yourself.
i don't like the movie but i can't see happy ending, o j simpson got out with possibly murder without mental disability.
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