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Nice local detail; Hatfield/McCoy feud; perplexing questions

posted 11 years ago by pjpoconnell
5 replies | jump to latest

I liked the fact that the film was rich in local detail. For example, when Dwight is outside a bar in the countryside that has a lot of pickup trucks parked in front, he breaks into one. I thought that he would steal the truck, but no, he steals a gun that is in the truck. In other words, he knew that in that part of the country in that type of location and in that type of vehicle, people would keep guns. The story seems to be in some respects a contemporary version of the Hatfield/McCoy feud that occurred in that general part of the country in the 19th century.

I do have a couple of questions, though. What does the title "Blue Ruin" come from and mean? I don't get it. Also, I'm confused as to the exact relationship between the guy who gets out of jail after 20 years and is killed by Dwight and the father of the enemy clan who died in 1999. Why did Dwight kill that guy? The 20 years in prison creates a real timeline problem for understanding the story. I would really appreciate some clarification on this point.

[–] horrorshowmovie 11 years ago

1. "Blue Ruin" refers to Dwight's car. The movie implies that this is the car his parents were murdered in (bullet holes are shown in the car, and it's mentioned that his parents were killed in a car). The fact that Dwight still owns the car works nicely with him never getting over the death of his parents. This is my own interpretation, but I think there's solid evidence for it.

2. The father of the enemy clan (he's referred to as "Big Wade" and Dwight pees on his grave) murdered Dwight's parents because Dwight's father was having an affair with Big Wade's wife. Wade (one of Big Wade's sons) serves time instead of Big Wade (apparently there were no witnesses). Dwight kills Wade in the bathroom thinking that Wade killed Dwight's parents (since he served the sentence).

3. I'm not sure if the timeline really makes sense either.

[–] pjpoconnell 11 years ago

Horrorshow: Thanks for your nice reply. I'll make the following effort at a timeline:

• The murder of Dwight's parents in the 1990 blue Caprice took place sometime in the early or mid-1990s.

• Big Wade's son took the rap for him and went to jail sometime in the early or mid-1990s.

• The son of Dwight's father and Big Wade's wife was born sometime in the early or mid-1990s. His hangdog expression (like Dwight's) makes him look younger than he actually is.

• Big Wade died in 1999.

• Wade, Jr., is let out of jail in 2013 after serving 20 years, or perhaps a little less.

• Dwight kills Wade, Jr.,in 2013, mistakenly thinking that he was the murderer of his parents.

One more question: Is the older woman Dwight kills in the shootout at the end supposed to be Big Wade's widow and hence the mother of the youth with the hangdog expression?

[–] emvan 11 years ago

There's a newspaper headline or other bit of evidence that establishes the date of the double murder as 1993.

The answer to your question is that the older woman, Kris Cleland, played by Eve Plumb (Jan Brady!), is the oldest sister of the clan. Dwight tells the three siblings that "My Dad loved your Mom."

The cast listing is, I think, purposefully ambiguous as to whether the surviving member is the youngest Cleland sibling and hence possibly Dwight's half-brother, or (more likely) Kris's son, as you guessed.

Prepare your minds for a new scale of physical, scientific values, gentlemen.

[–] pjpoconnell 11 years ago

[–] nutsberryfarm 11 years ago

1--good take, never thought of that.

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