The boy, who's 15, and the 16 year old girl run away by sea, encounter a ship and live happily ever after? That's a happy ending? Is running away at 15 encouraged by the filmmakers?
I don't have a signature.
It's a fantasy. We root for them not because we root for reckless young people running away, but because, in the context of the movie, their departure represents the ultimate escape from an oppressive, dreary existence, and we hope that they can start a life somewhere else that won't be ruled by so much discord. It's also an ending that displays - yes, romantically - Conor's defiance in the face of adversity and his willingness to brave the storm. You need to be something of a romantic for this to work, which John Carney is.
shareI'm not thinking that they "lived happily ever after", but happily for a short period after...
They made it to England (which, apparently many people from Dublin were doing in the 80's)After calling home to let his brother/family know they were ok, he signed with a label and she hooked up with a modeling agency and started their careers in the industries.
Then, after his partner in writing finished at least this year's school year, they collaborated again, and got the band back together.
Conor would not forget his band mates...he just went to England to get started with his songs.... maybe he sold the songs to other musicians...that's possible too, but I view it as a stepping stone to the start of his career.
I don't view it as they ran away for ever, nor do I view it as a fantasy.
Running away from what? A crappy mom and dad who is essentially throwing them out?
Sure why not. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
LOVED the ending.
I thought the last scene was highly improbable and quite ridiculous, but i didn't care. I thought it was beautiful.
He did it for his brother, who couldn't.
If you take it literally then they would probably have been picked up by the ferry and sent home again once they arrived in Holyhead.
But the gesture, man...
His brother said that he basically carved the way for him as he grew up, to be who he wanted and Conor had "slip-streamed" behind him. This was also a metaphor as they were "slip-streaming" behind the ferry to get to England.
shareFor what it's worth the director said it was pure fantasy and wasn't a real sequence. He even said he wished he would have killed them off! He never intended it to be viewed as them going off to live happily ever after. I just enjoyed it for what it was.
shareFor what it's worth the director said it was pure fantasy and wasn't a real sequence. He even said he wished he would have killed them off! He never intended it to be viewed as them going off to live happily ever after. I just enjoyed it for what it was.
bravo!
shareI agree I loved the ending as is, I did get a little worried something bad would happen. I just was stating what the director originally intended for it and even recently he said he wished he'd killed them. It would have completely changed the film and I think everyone would have hated him forever lol.
share[deleted]
Funny. My daughter and I were watching the film and we were both expecting them to die at the end on that boat.
shareyou didn't get the "happy-sad" point, huh?
life's s#it. the ending were they making it s#it on their own terms.
The point of the ending is to tow the line of when reality ends and the music video begins. The symbolism is what makes the ending so brilliant and really elevates the film.
shareThat's exactly right.
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