MovieChat Forums > Harry and Tonto (1974) Discussion > Upsetting, upsetting ending...

Upsetting, upsetting ending...

posted 12 years ago by nycruise-1
5 replies | jump to latest

I know many have been confused by the ending: he finds a little girl playing in the sand and stays by her.

Well...you have to be older to appreciate the end to Harry's Life.

He was a successful schoolteacher who raised three kids - all of whom should have been able to care for him sufficiently in some satisfactory way.

NONE of them could.

He met all those vagabonds on his journey out West. They were all delightful companions.

NONE of them stayed with him.

Only Tonto stayed with him throughout - because Tonto depended on him for everything (and Tonto's needs were simple!).

Then, at the end of Harry's journey, Tonto died.

It was obvious Harry didn't want to enter into a "lover" relationship, as evidenced by his non-response to the Jewish woman's advances on the beach.

The only one/kind of being who could be with Harry - and who Harry wanted - was someone who needed him for everything: support, care, etc., but at the level of a pet like Tonto.

The little girl at the end on the beach that Harry found was a symbol of the kind of companionship he craved - and of the kind of person who would appreciate Harry without making too many demands on him.

For all that Harry had to give during his life, it turns out that, as he approached the end of his life, not even his own family could give him what he really wanted: simple happiness and fulfillment - the feeling of being "needed" without it coming from someone who is "needy."

"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"

[–] mbspeedbump 12 years ago

His wife stayed with him. I don't recall if they made it clear how many years it had been since her passing which could have resulted in; a family fallout, loss of desire to form meaningful friendships, etc. I also remember him saying this was the first time he had been west of Chicago, and from the first part of the movie it seemed like he basically led the same life day in and out. Some of that obviously had to do with the constant care he gave Tonto. I don't know how any of his new friends could have stayed with him. But by the end he had broke out of his comfort zone, settled in CA, and even began working again. He chases after the cat, but then lets it go to talk to the young girl. I thought the ending was beautiful.

[–] nycruise-1 12 years ago

Oh yes - his wife was with him for many years.

But the sad part is that, after the "building a family" and "raising kids" phases, when a person is in their golden years, the expectation (at least back then in the early 70s) was that one could find a place with one's children.

But all his kids were dysfunctional in one way or another. The closest to being "stable" was his oldest son - but his oldest son's family was hardly the kind of group that Harry would have felt comfortable with (Tonto voiced his displeasure immediately!).

I just found it very upsetting that, after all Harry had done for them, they had no real place in their lives for him.

"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] vestdennis 12 years ago

The ending was very touching and emotional. Losing Tonto no doubt left a void in his life. I just recently lost my cat (she lived to be just over 17 year old). I had her with me the entire time and losing her crushed me (I'm divorced after 27 years). She was that constant companion who listened to you and was always there ready to share your life and time.

It was obvious too that Harry did not want another woman in his live. He was probably lonely but he didn't want the hassle I guess. It's a movie that would never get made today probably, b/c in a sense it's like following around a guy & his cat for several weeks. It's a wonderful movie and should be seen at least every year or so.

[–] tmaj48 12 years ago

I don't think it was upsetting at all. The movie begins with footage of stereotypes of the elderly--sad, lonely, infirm old people. Harry seems to
be one of them, but then he goes on his road trip and has experiences he's
never had in his entire life, and discovers his children are unhappier and
more disappointed with life than he is. In the end, he comes upon the little
girl on the beach, who defiantly sticks out her tongue at him. He nods approvingly, implying that he's not about to give in just yet by moving in
with his unhappy children or even with the cat lady, because he's still got
some living to do (maybe with the new cat he spots on the beach).

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.