MovieChat Forums > Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) Discussion > Most Powerful Scene

Most Powerful Scene

posted 11 years ago by tabbycat
37 replies | jump to latest

For me it's the last scene with housekeeper Elsa.

In their previous encounter, when there are still weeks left to live, Dodge gently tries to urge Elsa to go home and spend time with her family. Does she not understand how things are? He's not sure. Maybe Spanish-language TV doesn't cover apocalypses? It's inconceivable to him that she would knowingly spend her last days dustng his couch.

Now, with only hours to go, he finds himself face to face with her again, in his home, cleaning. Still mourning the loss of his dreams, he takes out his frustration on her for refusing to face reality -- or so it seems. "Go home!" he snaps. What the hell is wrong with this woman who'd rather vacuum his apartment than spend time with her family? She starts crying. Then we see his face, and see that he gets it. They part for the last time with a tacit understanding that each person faces the abyss in their own way.

As a younger man I once imagined all the things I'd do, the places I'd go, if I found out I was dying of some dread disease. Then I read about a man dying of cancer who went back into the office every day, same as before. When asked why, he said, "More than anything, I just want to feel normal again."

[–] CheeryToes 11 years ago

You said that just right. I knew what she was doing the first time round, if she does everything the same, says "I'll see you next week" that's her way of coping of believing everything will be ok. When you see Dodge come to realize that, too, it is very moving. I just loved this movie.

"I jumped off a roof for you"

[–] homer1217 11 years ago

Well said. Very moving moment.

[–] jahjoe 9 years ago

Reminds me of Mrs. Dahlberg in "The Day After" who keeps making the beds after the outbreak of nuclear war and must be dragged to the shelter. It's been more than thirty years, but I have never forgotten that scene.

[–] timlin-4 11 years ago

Spending time cleaning for the ultimate loser rather than with her children is heartwarming? A "powerful scene" for the narcissists in the comfortable classes

[–] Tales-from-the-Goondocks 11 years ago

LOL people like you are really funny, but not needed on this world. We can find other less poisonous things to make fun of.

[–] th_snc 11 years ago

Nope, thats totally not it. Like people said, it was sort of her way of trying to cope with the reality of what was going. But there's more than that. I don't know if you've got the subtitles for what she says in spanish.
Carrel: "Go home, just be with your family or do anything.. else. Im serious, you gotta leave, please.
Elsa: One moment, please. I dont wanna go, you are my friend..."
And then Carrel gets why she's there.
So, as you can see, its not a lady only just trying to hide from the reality, its also a woman that's trying to demonstrate that she cares about the guy who used to employ her. Thats the heartwarming about it. She only left her family for a couple of hours, not to clean for an "ultimate loser", she did it for a last encounter with a friend.

[–] Magic93 11 years ago

For me the most powerful scene was definitely the plane reveal, when we see that his Dad is the guy with the plane. It explains the earlier "ask you a favor" part, but we never got to hear what the favor was... the reason he went to see his Dad wasn't to patch things up, it was to get her to her family.

_____
That's putting it mildly, OO7

[–] hka-3 11 years ago

I agree. That was an incredible moment.

[–] harrisean 11 years ago

I agree. That scene made me cry more than even the end. That he loved her that much was very moving to me!

[–] saltnurwound 10 years ago

Good catch. I hadn't even noticed. That ups the movie another notch.

[–] anniegoolihy66 8 years ago

I agree. He fell in love with her while she was telling him how she was going to spend time with her family, and he wanted to make sure she got the chance. Knowing now what Elsa said makes that scene more touching, but the plane scene was heart-wrenching. You could see his dad's heart broke for him. I'm crying now just thinking about it!

[–] Tales-from-the-Goondocks 11 years ago

Very powerful indeed, but for me it just doesn't beat the final scene.

[–] punxgurrl 9 years ago

with the doggie in between them, it gets me every time.

[–] General_Friday 11 years ago

I caught it from the get go what Elsa was doing, and why she was doing it. I believe in that final scene, she tells him, "Yo no quiero air, eris me amigo." When she said that, I immediately thought that she doesn't have any family, or is very far away from them. She just wanted to be around someone and somewhere she was comfortable.

It wasn't the most powerful scene for me, but it was a poignant one.

- The General has spoken.

[–] thermoplasticc 11 years ago

There are so many...:)

Dodge, with Penny in his lap on the beach. She's wearing his sweater and playing his harmonica.

The satellite phone call in the survivalist bunker, where Penny has a chance to reconnect ever so briefly with her family, and Dodge has a chance to have a silent, stony-faced laugh at the guys who think they're going to come out the other side of the disaster with a room full of guns, potato chips and beer.

Dodge, with Penny is his arms, climbing up that rise to the plane. And that look that passes between father and son - Dad thinks he's crazy, but he's willing to do what Dodge asks because he loves him.

Penny in the kitchen window, looking out on the porch as Dodge and his father play harmonica together. Her face crumbles a bit as she realizes how much forgiveness is in that moment.

The reunion scene in Penny's apartment, where she says, "I woke up. I made him turn around." Dodge realizes at that moment that she's giving him everything - just in time...:)

The last scene, naturally, is a big favorite.

Other scenes which speak to the other themes in this thread, which include Dodge at his desk in his office - the seeming ludicrousness of his going in to work is in my opinion overshadowed by the ridiculous fact that all his lines are taken up by people still giving him work to DO...:)

Elsa is finding comfort in going to work, in the same way that other people in the movie cling to routine as a refuge against the terror which must be creeping up on everyone. The man mowing his lawn, the lady having a yard sale, even the dude in the gym still working out.

[–] silentxerox 11 years ago

Agreed! An excellent screen it most definitely is and very powerful.

[–] whitespirit26 10 years ago

OP, you nailed it and made me sigh.