MovieChat Forums > Captains Courageous (1937) Discussion > Manuel's Family (SPOILER ALERT)

Manuel's Family (SPOILER ALERT)

posted 13 years ago by RashomonLaStrada
3 replies | jump to latest

Manuel remembers his father affectionately and says that the man fathered 16 children. This would mean Manuel has many brothers and sister and (in a community where young marriage is probably the norm) nieces and nephews. Also, as the offspring of Gloucester fishermen most likely still live in Gloucester.

But at the end we're told that "Manuel didn't have any family." The only people tossing flowers into the water for Manuel were shipmates, plus the boy and his dad. Where is his extended family?

OK, we accept the fact that Manuel didn't have a wife and children, even tho Spencer Tracy was already in his late 30s (and looked like a man of 45). But this seems an odd mis-match in the script.

"The good end happily, the bad unhappily, that is why it is called Fiction."

[–] wowcharlie3 13 years ago

I wonddered t, too--possibly he and his fathered wandered off from the family and went their own way as fisherman. The rest of the family probably had not heard from them in years and may not have even known both had died.

[–] TorontoJediMaster 12 years ago

His family could still have been living in Portugal. Maybe Disco meant that Manuel didn't have any family anywhere near.

[–] GoodSOVeryVeryGood 11 years ago

Yeah this is how I saw it too - that Manuel has immigrated to the US alone, he didn't have any family in the US as they were all in Portugal, which is where he learned to feesh ... dunno why I just had that as a premise though as I don't remember any of these topics being discussed ....