Last visual - Rachel, Rachel (1968) Discussion

From what I heard, in the book she does get married and has two children.

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The movie is very faithful to the book. The book ends the same way so she does not get married or have kids. Much of the dialogue in the screenplay was taken right out of the novel.

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[–] SonnybytheSea 15 years ago

That is sad, I liked the optimistic ending where she has a family. It makes sense though that she doesn't get married and what where seeing in the last shot is just another fantasy.

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[–] El Bacho 15 years ago

The ending is actually optimistic. Rachel has cut her ties with the past and isn't afraid anymore. She might get married, she might stay a spinster but the important thing is that she craves for life and isn't obsessed by death anymore. When she thought she would have a child, she wasn't actually ready in he mind. Now she can face a regular life.

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[–] mariahfan-1 15 years ago

yeah I agree with you el bacho I think the last visual is a flash forward to what could've been if she had had a child though that scene where she finds out it's a cyst not a child is painful to watch

"why are you married to him then if you can't work with him how do you live with him?"

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[–] WarpedRecord 14 years ago

Have you read the book, Beardeddragon? Is it worth seeking out?

I could tell this was adapted from a novel because there are many layers of imagination of fantasy that are better communicated in literature than in film. In many ways, Rachel seemed like the bookend to Theresa from "Looking for Mr. Goodbar," though with a much happier ending.

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[–] rexamillion 14 years ago

I thinkthere are 2 possibilities:
They are the mother's grandchildren from the sister that left. Rachel mentions this once, and maybe said the sister went to Oregon? i don't remember if she mentioned Oregon, but in the hospital when she tells her mom she can come to Oregon, she says, "You can see your grandchildren."
I took that to mean the sister's.
But I think the images are purposely unclear, so that you can also connect them to Rachel.

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[–] puttypaws 11 years ago

the little boy is a recurring theme for the film and for her, she is haunted by the dead boy from her childhood and it's had a profound impact on her, and it's why she is so drawn to the lost boy in her class.

i do hope that she found love and had a child ... silly me, it's just a film :)

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[–] 11 years ago

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[–] mdonln 9 years ago

Rachel is going to Oregon, leaving herself open to all possibilities and starting fresh. She’s creating a new life. One of the things she says is she could meet a widower with children. That's one way to be a mom even though her time, biologically, may have passed or the window is closing.

She also says she could end up having only 'temporary' children. This would refer to her students. She then adds, all children are temporary; recognizing that even if she does have children they won't be with her forever. It's only a phase of her life.

This tells me she's no longer afraid. She's okay with whatever happens. She's decided she’s going to live her life and enjoy whatever comes.

The ending may be deliberately vague. Whatever future we envision for her is how we interpret the ending. Ultimately, I don't think it's the end that matters anyway; whatever we do, the end will come. When Rachel finally understands that she stops focusing on her demise and embraces life.

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