MovieChat Forums > The Ides of March (2011) Discussion > What does Gosling's last line mean? (Spo...

What does Gosling's last line mean? (Spoilers)

posted 11 years ago by quball87
7 replies | jump to latest

When Gosling says "You'e my best friend, Ida."

What does this mean? My assumption as a viewer is that Gosling has sacrificed everything for his career in politics. He knows he's a man of good conscience and he's had to lie and play his way to the top. He obviously has no friends and very little life outside his job. Ida is his "best friend" because he has no one else.

Just curious what anyone else thought of this line and its meaning....

[–] AFRad 11 years ago

It was big f^ck you to Ida.
You see, earlier in the movie when Ida was going to publish a story against Stephen (he meets Duffy), Stephen told her you are supposed to be my friend but she said it is your thought that we're friends she was a$$hole....so At the end when she needed Stephen she asked Stephen aren't we friends any more he said you are my best friend

[–] Friedrich von Glower 10 years ago

Also, I think it was to show that Stephen now doesn't have any friends anymore. He's in the rathole all alone.

[–] jjones929 9 years ago

Agreed. Politicians and the press do not have a good relationship. In my opinion, by saying that she was his best friend he was really saying I don't have any friends left.

--insert catchy movie quote here--

[–] Xasablanc 10 years ago

Politicians and political parties will always want to be on good and intimate terms with the press. Remember it was first Meyers (Gosling) who brought up the friendship-issue, that's because politicians need the press more than the other way around. So, "you are not just my friend; you are my BEST friend". Not her person, the press in general.

[–] chicago85 9 years ago

I think most national and state wide reporters despise politicians and will never be a friend to one unless the reporter has an agenda of their own.

I don't know everything. Neither does anyone else

[–] redrum760 9 years ago

then again...she was engaged to paul

I DO CROSSWORD PUZZLES IN PEN CUZ IM JUST THAT CONFIDENT

[–] YuunofYork 8 years ago

I think the primary intention was to echo Ida's line at the beginning of the film about Morris "They all let you down in the end." It's something a friend would take you aside and warn you about, and it came true. In many ways she was the most honest person in his life. Every other character hid their real agenda from Stephen; even Molly tried to keep her situation a secret.

What's been said about Stephen now being "alone in the rathole", and the politician's aides' relationship with the press are takes that work just as well.