I could not stand him and If he was my child I would not let him speak to me like that. He kept pulling a miserable face with his bottom lip.
shareTotally agree on all counts here leanne-kershaw1 . Totally no excuse for a boy his age to be such a spoiled , disrespectful , and undisciplined child especially rudely talking back to his elders but unfortunately the parents were no better with babying his every whim too .
I wanted to slap that kid. Hard. Multiple times.
shareI took an instant dislike to him and his petulant pout. I really begrudge having to like him in that last scene.
shareBut it turns out he was quite justifiable. Why did he act like he did? Because he was RIGHT back to where he was 2 years ago, back with parents who didn't believe him, and a nanny who was trying to kill him, and no way to get away from her. Consider that, being 8 years old, your sister's dead, your crazy nanny tries to kill you and when she fails she blames you for killing your sister, and your parents are dumb enough to believe it, and you know she's still waiting to kill you so her secret's safe. Then spend 2 years in a reformatory where everybody STILL believes you killed your sister, and then return to the spider's lair with the big fat black widow still there waiting to kill you. How would YOU act?
shareWhat amazed me about Joey was that he didn't seem to show any fear of the nanny. Instead of that he was defiant. I know he was justified. But I did find him irritating all the same.
shareWhat amazed me about Joey was that he didn't seem to show any fear of the nanny.
Joey was too mature in parts. I don't think a child of that age would really know how to deal with a problem like that. But then went off on one of his childish strops. He was mixed up alright. For me, he was sickening in that last scene. Not in the spirit of the film at all. I stop my DVD when Nanny is packing up her collection of photos.
shareI don't think a child of that age would really know how to deal with a problem like that.
I see what you mean about the difference in the way that children are treated, then and now. I'd never think of children as retards. Or treat them that way. I think that my generation were expected to grow up quicker. I can remember being rebuked by a school teacher for styling myself as Master, and not Mister, on my exercise book when I was 15. He shouted out in front of the whole class "Isn't it about time you thought of yourselves as adults?" But I think kids are still smart in a crafty way. I'm sure they know when adults are being condescending and play along with them.
shareI can kind of see it both ways. Nanny was a bit crazy but she didn't mean to kill the little girl and it was just an accident. She shouldn't have it held against her for the rest of her life. But I also think she should've told what really happened and not let the blame be put on Joey. I'm they would've understood it was just a tragic mistake. Joey had a right to resent her for his being sent away so long, but should've forgiven her for the sister's death.
shareShe went full blown crazy, she went from accidentally killing Suzie to intentionally trying to kill Joey, and Virgie, and purposefully killing Pen, all to protect her dirty little secret.
shareThe kid was really a little shit. Even before his sister is drowned, he's just a jerk towards her.
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