There are definitely deep emotional currents running through the story - all of them having to do with the power of love (and the manipulation, perhaps, of that bond.) Ultimately it was Ada's deep love that made Niles' "affliction" possible, as she just couldn't watch him feeling so devastated anymore, and played into his delusion.
Conversely, it's Niles' inability to move on that makes Holland's manipulation possible. The adults' all missing key behaviors in Niles' contribute, yes, but it's those two major relationships that form the emotional heart (and horror) of this story, with one of them ultimately winning out over the other - that of direct blood.
It's also why, after the events at the end of the story, the survivors are willing to believe that the fire was the result of some kind of mental breakdown and not the really selfless sacrifice that the viewer knows it to be.
(How's THAT for not giving away any spoilers?)
"No fate but what we make." -Terminator II
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jwalsh67
11 years ago
Uta Hagen personified grandmotherly love with her poignant portrayal of Ada. The scene in the bedroom after she reveals the "secret" to Niles is particularly moving.
Niles: Do you still love me?
Ada: Child, I have not loved your mother more than I have loved you. There is nothing in my life that has meant more to me than you.
She was so torn between her love for her dear grandson and the stark reality that beset the entire family. She did her best to "toughen up" and remind Niles that nothing could ever be the same and that it was important to move on and not look back.
Ada: (Tearfully) No more games, da?
Niles: (Hesitantly) da.
He who conquers himself is mightier than he who conquers a city.
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