He blamed his wife for everything. In the book his wife and daughter died. In reality his wife divorced him and aborted his child so they are both dead to him. In the book he accidentally shoots himself after killing his demons. In reality he committed suicide after he finished his successful novel.
https://youtu.be/93sGUFpVxFI
Suicide? In the novel yes. In real life I have no idea where you got that idea. He stood her up to prove that he wasn't weak and wasn't going to take her back just because she liked his novel. And I think it dawned on her at the end that she was the villain of the story. What she did to him and his unborn child was unforgivable.
shareTony committed suicide at the end of the novel??? You must be as blind as he was - it was very clearly accidental.
This kind of thing happens all the time with idiotic gun-owners carelessly handling weapons - a ex-marine neighbor of mine shot off part of his penis yesterday holstering his gun.
Read again champion.
shareMUH EVIL GUNSSSSSSSS. SCWARY!
shareOnly a few more days of these boards- and still so many to educate. He didn't blame his wife for everything- he blamed himself. He blamed HIS inability to do what was necessary (in the novel to protect his family, in real life to give his wife what she desired). In the novel he dies after exacting revenge, in real life the death is figurative. The old Edward would never have stood ANYONE up, least of all his ex- she realizes this: That Edward ( as she knew and loved him) is dead- and she killed him- that's the look on her face at the end.
sharethats a good interpretation.
https://youtu.be/93sGUFpVxFI
That's good, i needed that.
shareHoly sh*t. I would've never thought that. She looked as if she was all torn inside and reflecting on how her life turned out. I was thinking it was REVENGE on Tony's part. I didn't think he committed suicide even though he accidentally shot himself in the novel portion. It is revenge, but more...
shareI agree with you. The real beauty of the ending is that he committed suicide in real life after she got very much impressed by his art.
shareNo he didn't, he's still very much alive.
shareI do choose to agree with you, but I don't know that we KNOW he's still very much alive.
I choose to believe that his death in the book is symbolic of the killing of the weak person she was married to -- the same person that he really hated inside.
After his long personal journey to get the strength to overcome and defeat his weak personality, he probably dies symbolically and decides to stand her up in order to show that this person no longer exists.
However, as much as I love this movie for the depth of the script, this is the one point where I have a problem with the story.
Personally, I think it's still WEAK to tell someone that you're going to meet up with them and then stand them up. A much stronger, more confident action, would be to give her the book, tell her thanks for the inspiration, and simply move on with your life, never meeting her in person. Another action that would show inner strength would be to meet her in person, share a couple drinks and conversation, tell her goodbye, and again move on with your life.
But to line up plans, telling her that you're going to meet, then stand her up?? I don't really consider that the action of a super confident, strong man, no.
Getting back to the original point, though, I don't know that we KNOW he's still alive. I think it makes more sense that he's alive in real life, but I don't know that we have proof that he didn't kill himself that night.
Good post and thread...
In my view, we don't know that he has become properly strong, just strong enough for revenge... As artsy and passive aggressive as it was...
I like the open endedness of the movie... of how it ended... Very fertile ground for discussion...
I also like the idea that she finds herself filled with regret, having been too weak to stay true to her feelings for him when they were young and to her values to have a family without the bourgeois lifestyle she was used to and without financial support from her parents... So her weakness mirrors his...
I dont think its open ended. I think its clear. If you research this you will notice that though it appears this way its not. Its conclusive. Its vague at a glance but the clues are there.
I dont think he had a weakness. If you think his revenge was a weakness I accept that. But you have to consider you being in a loving relationship where you loved the women so much and you put so much effort and passion to have her kill you baby and betray you. I find his emotions and actions acceptable. In reality quite healthy, as he didnt really hurt her.
I meant that her current weakness mirrors his earlier weakness....
Thinking about it some more... Standing her up for dinner is there for the audience (and for Susan) to realise that the story is about her... To give us time to process how she destroyed their love and their family due to his weakness to fight for her...
The book's story is his message to her... There is no need for him to ever meet her again as he is dead inside (as was how the story ended) for her...
To have him meet her, to face her, would be to make a mockary of the whole idea of writing the novel... So it it probably some kind of strength for him to resist meeting her...
I agree that it is not that open ended, but that we take different things from this story as people will usually see things differently...
Great discussion, and I appreciate the well-thought-out points of view! Very good, very deep story line. Getting me in the mood to watch again!
shareIve watched it seen then quite a bit. Always recommend the bluray as its always more personal. Listening to the soundtrack as we speak to get me in the mood to respond to these postings. To me this film was very personal as I went through almost an identical thing to the point that it felt I was reading my own book. So it helped me cope with it. It was surprising to see so many good actors in it that I admire and playing to the best of their abilities.
shareBut how does it mirror it? All he had was love for her while she is just broken spiritually. She longs for him but he didnt. He loved her but she destroyed him for it.
I thought it was pretty obvious from the very beginning it was about her and no need for the end to show that in light. The book was dedicated to her and from the very beginning he is the main character. He's wife A Red head, just like Amy, looks just like Amy could be considered a twin. The daughter is symbolic for the baby that was on the way. The tragedy that happened was how he felt it happened to him. His life ripped apart from him and his loved ones killed in the process by his preceived weakness.
A good example of this was when the girl flips off the looters. It could mean the baby was in the way and signaling Amy to get off her mistress but because of this they felt they had to get rid of her to coexist which they did.
I never thought he was dead inside. But that he had a strong resentment and wanted revenge and this was his revenge.
Im not sure he was resisting since I dont think he had any more attraction towards her. I think the dinner was the nail in the coffin.
I think he should have met her, had dinner, slept with her, took pictures/video and sent them to her cheating ass husband.
share