MovieChat Forums > 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Discussion > Why did he show her that photo?

Why did he show her that photo?

posted 8 years ago by Vacuus
7 replies | jump to latest

Goodman's character was a nutjob and all that, but he wasn't supposed to be retarded. He was paranoid and didn't like to take risks.

If Megan actually existed, then why not show a picture of his real daughter? Surely he had at least a picture of his daughter?

If "Megan" was actually the girl he kidnapped and all the anecdotes were from his time with her, then why take a risk of showing a photo of a missing person? Her disappearance had made the news according to Emmet.

Sure, she was unlikely to recognize her since she was from Houston and not that rural area, but why take this risk, especially when you also have another guest who knows damn well who she is?

Plot device, I know....

[–] ewaf58 8 years ago

Perhaps his daughter had been killed by the aliens and he couldn't accept the truth. He therefore saw Megan as a replacement for her to such an extent that she actually became his daughter in his own mind.

[–] vmelkon 8 years ago

Howard showed that photo which indicates he has mental issues. This doesn't mean he is a retard. I don't know. Perhaps he has no daughter. The girl in the "I love Paris shirt" might be another kidnapped girl, otherwise, why would he not show that photo?

[–] Vacuus 8 years ago

It's the same girl in the "I love Paris" shirt.

[–] Bob_Brooker 8 years ago

Perhaps Howard's wife did not leave him with a photo of their daughter (especially if the molestation angle was true). Anyway, in this particular scene he badly needed something to induce trust in Michelle and he may have reasoned it was well worth the risk of showing a wrong photo rather than none.

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[–] willsgb 8 years ago

because I think emmet was the one who killed megan, and he invented bridget when michelle found her earrings in the filtration room and showed them to him, thinking howard was responsible.

it makes perfect sense to me, and i'm really surprised at how no one is considering this possibility here.

[–] ReptilianPig 8 years ago

Plenty of people have made the same speculation, but it's pretty clear that Mr Goodman was up to no good, pre-apocalypse.
He nabbed girls to play out his father-daughter complex in that very bunker.

[–] emmakwall 8 years ago

I think his wife and Megan did go to Chicago and left him broken hearted and he descended to madness. I think he kidnapped the other girl (Britney?) to keep as his "daughter". In his own twisted way I think he meant 'well'. I believe he showed that photo to Michelle because he truly believed it WAS his daughter, in his mad and deluded mind. Michelle was clearly going to be his next "daughter". I think he was mad but deep down didn't mean malice and certainly wasn't a sexual predator.