MovieChat Forums > Nocturnal Animals (2016) Discussion > The daughter (spoilers)

The daughter (spoilers)

posted 8 years ago by Rachael89
7 replies | jump to latest

I loved this movie, but am confused by the daughter who Susan rings in alarm while reading the book (the young woman shown lying naked in bed with a man). I have seen some people suggest that she's the daughter of Susan and Edward, but that confuses me - was Susan meant to have had her while she and Edward were still married, before she had the abortion? If someone who's read the book/understands the movie better can explain, I would really appreciate it.

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[–] IMDBcooper1971 8 years ago

*spoilers throughout*
I haven't read the book but an interpretation that struck me was that the daughter wasn't actually real and the scene was imagined/a dream of Amy Adams' character. It's clear in the film she harbours guilt over having her and Edward's child aborted and feels there is a parallel between their child and the little girl in the book.
When Susan phones up her 'daughter' she is lying in the same position as Jake Gyllenhaal's murdered and defiled daughter from the book, and bears a physical resemblance (it might possibly have been the same actress). As well as this there is no mention of a daughter in any other present day scenes (maybe a little odd that none of her friends or even husband made even a passing reference).
It's clear the book had an effect on Susan and as a result she may have dreamed of being able to communicate with the child she could have had (the demise of which seemed to have signify the end of her old life and the beginning of the new one that she finds, by her own admission, vacuous).
The daughter is very late teens/early twenties, perhaps the age the child would currently be had Susan not chose to abort it and so maybe Susan is envisioning what could have been.
Then again it's only an idea I had, maybe it's just her and Armie Hammer's daughter and the book made her want to check up on her, after all I've never read the book and only saw the film yesterday so haven't thought too deeply on it. Hope I was of some help anyway.

[–] bigdaddyboxmeal 8 years ago

there is no mention of a daughter in any other present day scenes

There was. She was in an earlier scene at a dinner party, across the table from Amy Adams and Michael Sheen's characters. I believe she was talking about something weird to do with vaginas (sounds odd I know but I'm sure I've not made that up!). So by this point where Amy Adams' character rings her daughter, the daughter has already been in the film and introduced.

So it's definitely not a dream sequence or imagination. She rings her daughter just to check she's OK after reading a harrowing part of the novel.

The daughter she rings is one she, presumably, had with Armie Hammer.

[–] IMDBcooper1971 8 years ago

Ah, my mistake. And no you didn't just imagine that weird conversation, I remember it too (something strange about vaginal rejuvenation) although I didn't realise the speaker was Amy Adams' daughter and thought it was just a random guest.
Also, it's a shame Michael Sheen had such a small part, he's a brilliant actor.

[–] bigdaddyboxmeal 8 years ago

Yeah it was crazy how small a role Michael Sheen played to be honest! He was literally only in that one scene/conversation.

[–] PriscillaLaine 8 years ago

It's not the same person. The lady at the table was blonde, I was under the impression she was some kind of actress, due to Michael Sheen's character talking about her winning awards. Amy Adam's daughter had red hair, just like India in the book. The actress who played the daughter was India Menuez, the lady at the dinner party was played by Imogen Waterhouse

[–] bigdaddyboxmeal 8 years ago

In that case I stand corrected, apologies.

I still don't think it was her imagination TBH. But this does put quite a hole in my theory!

[–] iztok1 8 years ago

Well the character is named as Samantha Morrow (played by India Menuez, an actress who interestingly has the same name as the daughter character in Edward's book...) in the credits so that would suggest she is Susan and Hutton's daughter.