MovieChat Forums > Things Change (1988) Discussion > The ending of Things Change....

The ending of Things Change....

posted 16 years ago by MovieMan1975
7 replies | jump to latest

Normally I am the one explaining movies to people... but I think I may have missed something at the end of Things Change.

So Mantegna finds out he has to whack Gino out by the beach, and instead knocks out the other gangster and they call Mr Vincent in Lake Tahoe...

ok so what happends next?
Didnt that other gangster swear they were gonna be killed, mostly cuz Mantegna betrayed his orders?
Would the actually maffia don want them dead also? Does Mr Vincent have more authority over the Chicago maffia don to veto their murders?

Also, obviously they found someone else to take the rap.... why? and who is that guy?
They show Ricky Jay and the other upper level gangsters at the trial... why would they rescind their other plan? because Mr Vincent intervened on Gino's behalf?
I dont know, it just doenst seem plausible, that Mantegna and Gino could get away with this and the maffia finds another patsy to take the fall.
I realize this film is called THINGS CHANGE... but this change in plans and attitudes of the gangsters perplexed me.

Can anyone shed some extra light on this?

[–] sandas1002 16 years ago

The patsy they find to take the fall is the gangster that Mantegna knocks out with the gun.

I guess Mr Vincent is someone who keeps his word despite Gino being a shoe shiner and he is probably a more powerful don - he gets a lot of respect and presents from the other mafia characters.

But saving their necks is as far it goes from Mr. Vincent - the ending ends with them shining shoes instead of a boat (which would be the typical and crappy hollywood ending)

[–] MovieMan1975 16 years ago

I dont think it was the same gangster that gets knocked out.
He vowed to kill Mantegna... I doubt he would volunteer himself for a prison sentence.

[–] BillHicks 16 years ago

There is no doubt, it was indeed the same guy. And "volunteer" most likely wouldn't be the correct word for what prompted him to put himself in that position. A better word might be "ordered", but since it was off-screen action, I guess we will never know.

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[–] MovieMan1975 16 years ago

Maybe David Mamet trolls these forums and could shed some light on this lol

[–] phantomemail 14 years ago

Doubt it. He doesn't live in his parent's basement like you do.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] salzator 14 years ago

i think that although he was sentenced for 20 to life, he will only serve 3 to 5 as gino was supposed to do. the mafia probably had someone on the parole board (or the whole parole board) and the new patsy--and yes, it was the guy from the beach--was "coerced" into being the new fall guy.

btw, totally agree that the "shoe shine" ending is much better than the "fishing boat" ending, or even the "showgirls in tahoe" ending i was afraid of.