MovieChat Forums > Water for Elephants (2011) Discussion > Why did the Cornell people disrupt his e...

Why did the Cornell people disrupt his exam?

posted 13 years ago by jmhow
22 replies | jump to latest

When Jacob is about to take his final exam at Cornell, why did the dean take him out instead of waiting until he was finished with the exam? Not to be crude, but his parents would've been just as dead two hours later. He could've finished his requirements and gotten his diploma and eventually his license. He still wouldn't have had a house and might still have headed for Albany and had the same adventures, or he might not (and then there wouldn't have been a story to tell). In either case he might not have been so desperate. So why would they do that?

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[–] cooleon 13 years ago

That almost made me stop watching it!!!

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[–] jmhow 13 years ago

It certainly soured the movie for me. I just started the book, which as howdychic-88 explained makes more sense. The time frame there was near to finals but not during finals. Seems it would've been even easier to do it that way and skip some of the voice-over, since they skipped Marlena's similarity to Catherine anyway.

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[–] Curzon_Street 13 years ago

You'd have to ask the author, that's the way she wrote it. I think back then, 1930, people just did things as they happened, they thought it was important he know his parents had been killed. They didn't think about the consequences, they didn't see a reason to wait to tell him.

It wouldn't have made that much difference anyway. If you read the book, he still would have lost the house, he would have been homeless, and in despair. He'd just lost his whole family, he wasn't thinking, "oh, now I can start my career because I have my degree." He didn't care about that, he was hurt and didn't want to live a normal life at that point. His normal life was over, it died with his parents.
.

[–] furious_georgina 13 years ago

I agree with the above poster. Even if he had passed his exam he probably would have ran away anyway. I thought the accountant (or was he a laywer) who spoke to Jacob and told him how his father was stupid was money was unbelieavably cruel and insensitive. His parents had just died and this ass was making him feel worse. I really wanted to punch him!

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[–] lillurr 13 years ago

"I think back then, 1930, people just did things as they happened"
Yes, those crazy ancient people.

I obviously provides a much better visual scene, him having his life changed with the opening of a door. Annoying to watch but you see why it is more effective that he is told just as he is about to take his important exam rather than him being told when he's just farting about the house.

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[–] howdychic-88 13 years ago

In the book they interrupt him during a regular class and he goes home to find out about the house and everything. When he gets back to school he can't focus on the test and just gets up and leaves and walks and walks until the train shows up.

Books are always different than the movies made from them. I just finished reading the book and haven't seen the entire movie yet, but from the trailers and scenes I've watched it seems like it is a lot different.

[–] chrisellgold 13 years ago

It annoyed me endlessly that they interrupted his exam with this news. Would it have made a difference to just wait until the end? Maybe there are rules about this sort of thing.

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[–] gdk5kidz 13 years ago

When Jacob is about to take his final exam at Cornell, why did the dean take him out instead of waiting until he was finished with the exam?

IKR? That's exactly what I thought! It really bugged me, but then, as you pointed out, there wouldn't be a story! lol

[–] Sleight_of_Mind 13 years ago

isn't there anything about their bodies beginning the decomposition or becoming distorted by death that would make them harder to recognize two hours later?

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[–] davidtheartist 13 years ago

It stood out to me when I watched it too. If they are dead then it would make sense to let their student finish their exam rather than screw up their thinking.

[–] moonchildiva 13 years ago

Jmhow, i said the exact same thing you did! he could have just taken the exam! but then i guess there wouldn't have been a story, as you also said.

[–] macgirl66 13 years ago

It is completely illogical for them to interrupt his exam. The parents will look no different at the end of the exam than at the point when they interrupted him. It was cruel and irresponsible. He may have still taken the same route as he did, but they had no right to take his diploma away from him. His parents mortgaged their life away so that he could be a vet. They lost everything they owned so that he could reach this one goal. So the school decides that not only should he lose his parents, they should take away his opportunity to earn his diploma too? Sad, just sad, and discraceful.

To each their own...opinion

[–] marlene_1 13 years ago

Perhaps the detectives needed a positive ID quickly so the bodies could be sent to the undertakers. I can't imagine back then that someone wouldn't respond immediately to a request from the law.

[–] sammie1863 13 years ago

I think people are placing modern considerations on a situation that occurred during very difficult times. They would hardly put the priority of his education over his responsibilities as the only surviving adult male especially during the depression.