I recently rewatched this movie for the first time since I was a kid -- and all these years I had remembered the strange ending, with Ann-Margret throwing that wooden heart into the air and sounding almost as though she is speaking as through a ventriloquist's dummy herself. I thought that, being older, I'd get it this time -- but I have to admit I'm still a bit baffled by it. I'd love to hear others' theories. Is she taking over where the AH character left off?
Help!
I'm not sure I'd assume anything like that. Keep in mind all Fats is to her is a character he plays with. He's not the psychopathic, 2nd individual personality that we as the viewer know about. So when she makes that voice at the end, I'd say she's just trying to sound like Fats and be funny.
It is a weird ending though. Kind of strangely anti-climactic and whimpering, almost leaving more to be desired on some level or another...
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I didn't get that at all, that Ann Margret's character was to BECOME the same type of pscho -- BUT -- I did think that ending was VERY VERY SAD, especially her last line and voice she did. Because you know she's about to discover the guy dead...and who knows how horrific that would be (and finding out her husband is dead as well at some point).
shareThere's no suggestion that she is acting like a dummy or whatever. The ending is just there to show us that he didn't kill her. I'm not sure if it would be better without this scene, leaving us to believe that she is dead, but there is nothing in the movie to suggest anything other than that she's still alive and really was going to go with him (thus making his suicide a total waste).
"Now let's have an intelligent conversation. I'll talk and you listen."
TheManInOil is exactly right. The ending of both the film and the book were intended to point out the crushing irony of Corky's suicide just moments before Peg finally decided she WOULD run away with him.
shareI agree about the ending reflecting the irony of the situation. I also believe that Peg's attempt at a dummy's voice was to demonstrate their connection; that she had a sense of humor about their relationship and that she could create an alter-ego as well. So, there.
shareHer voice imitation was too spot on to be a copy, i always to the ending as implying maybe fats was to some degree alive or real. But back on the original point there are certain voices like elvis etc. that are fairly easy to mimic and pretty much every does the "thank you very much line" once, but to really impersonate voices takes some skill.
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