Hi! I just saw this movie for the first time last night on Halloween, and I really liked it a lot. I'm only 22 years old, but I've watched old movies a lot with my mom (who prefers very old movies) and wonder why I've never seen it before, lol.
However, something in the movie confused me and I wanted to know if any of you could please clear it up? If Carmel had her baby in Paris and then Mary Meredith took it to raise it as her own (which is what I understood to have happened, but of course I could be mistaken), then why would Mary want Stella dead? I know that Stella was biologically her husband's mistress's baby, but she had decided to raise her as her own child, right? Then it technically would have been *her* child too, if she had accepted the role as her mother.
I'm kind of confused about that. I hope that someone can help me figure this out. I don't understand why Mary would accept a child as her own and then try to kill her, but maybe that's just me.
I'm editing this to mention that my name is actually Meredith...although it's my first name, not my surname. It's actually weird for me to hear it as a surname because I'm just not used to it, lol. Not exactly the most important thing in the world, but somewhat relevant, hehe.
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sixtiesgirl
19 years ago
I watched this movie last night also. It seem to be the same movie that I remember seeing. The flower scene was the same as I remember. I have two theories about why my first version doesn't match last nights. First theory is I saw two movies back to back when I was four and mashed them together. My second theory is that I probably closed my eyes after seeing the flower wilting scenes and only heard part of the dialogue. I am leaning toward the second theory.
Thanks guys.
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Bastion-1
18 years ago
I don't think she had any motherly feelings towards the child. My take on it was that Mary was a very cold and bitter person who resented the child for being her husbands child with his mistress. Also having the real mother living in her house as a reminder was an affront to her pride. I think she wanted to destroy the child purely out of spite.
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boxerrebellion
8 years ago
Perhaps her husband engineered taking Stella into their home; and perhaps when Carmel showed up, Mary thought that killing Stella would drive Carmel off.
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lyn-kr
18 years ago
Dear Meridith, The way I understood Marys growing hatred for the child was because ,although she wanted it because it was her husbands child she could not accept that Carmel came back, reminding her constantly of her husbands unfaithfülness and that the child was not hers. How could she with Carmel constantly around. A bit strange that she wanted it to start with, but this is surely the only explanation her growing hatred for the child. Lyn K. Oslo Norway
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carolyn-18
18 years ago
That's a good explaination! also the child may have looked and acted like Carmel. Remember Stella's reaction when she discovered she was Carmel's child. "That she wasn't at all like Mary" hum! If I can find my copy of the book I may re-read it! Might give us more insight on Mary Merideth's character!
I love this movie!!!
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." "Now Voyager"
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sonnythefat
18 years ago
Ok two things, you are right about the flowers and the church, but its not this movie, That was a early sixty's movie ..the guy murders his Wife/girlfriend and at the wedding the vengeful ghost well you know the rest...But I have not seen that film for more than thiry years and do not remember the name.
And second you know that Mary hated the child because Mary was Gay and never did it with her husband, and the woman at the "madhouse" was her "girlfriend"
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carolyn-18
18 years ago
Oh! Sonny! You gave me such a laugh. I love the Mary Merideth Retreat and that portrait of Mary in "Holy" Holloway's office. and of course strains of "The Love Death" from Tristan and Isolda. Love it!!!
"Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars." "Now Voyager"
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sonnythefat
18 years ago
No worries, but Sixties girl has got me trying ot find out the name of the other movie (vengeful ghost at the wedding and the wilted Lily's)
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twittykins
18 years ago
Hello!
The following might help. Everyone (in their own way) describes Mary as an almost god-like figure. In Stella's room and Nurse Holloway’s' office there are vast, imposing paintings of Mary looking down on everyone. Pamela and Roderick know that from Dr. Rudd’s diary (and their own experiences) that Mary is icy-cold and emotionless.
Nurse Holloway describes Mary as an idealistic woman, "...a woman of infinite magnanimity" (Magnanimity = being very kind and generous towards an enemy). Holloway explains that the reason Mary did not send Carmel away after finding out about the affair, was because (in Mary's own words) "You do not help the weak to overcome their sin by removing them from temptation." Mary kept her husband and Carmel in the same house in the hope that they would be guided by her 'strength' of character. She wanted them to resist each other using only the power of their wills.
Llewellyn Meredith is described as a bit of a cad who only married Mary for her money. He wasn't much of an artist. Faces were the only things that he was really good at. Carmel is described by Holloway as a temperamental hussy. Father Anson (who only features in the book) says that she had "...a pretty smile" and was also Catholic.
When the baby was born, Mary saw her opportunity to keep Llewellyn within her influence by bringing it up as her own. He was very fond of Stella and that is the only reason he didn't leave Mary. When Carmel returns from Paris, Mary, no matter how much she hates her, has to live up to her angellic reputation. In the book Mary never tried to kill Stella, it was just something for the film.
In the film, she tries to kill Stella because having Carmel and Llewellyn under the same roof (as well as their baby) has sent her completely mad. The only thing they each have in common is Stella. Her revenge for their infidelity would be to see their anguish when Stella is dead. Even when Mary has fallen to her death, she still seeks a cruel and twisted revenge against Carmel's unhappy spirit.
The phrase 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' could not apply to a better person than Mary.
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lm362
8 years ago
Remember the doctor who was friends with Roderick and Pam reading the doctor's notes about Carmel fainting? He said, regarding Mary visiting him, that she she had feared and refused motherhood. She wanted Stella dead when a baby because she really did not want to be her adoptive mother. She hated motherhood.
"Do All Things For God's Glory"-1 Corinthians 10:31
I try doing this with my posts
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