In the beginning of this one we see the burial of PFC Bean's father. There is also another funeral going at the same time; to me it looks as if this might be a Greek Orthodox service. Could anyone else comment on this? Also do you think that it has a certain significance?
sharealthough im not sure what type of funeral it was, but ive always felt the signifigance was the fact that the other funeral going on had more people, a tent, and overall more of an outpouring love for the person who passed away, while his father's burial was small and clumsy (the casket sitting crooked, no tent to block the rain etc) and i think it shows alot about the character of Bean's father.
by the looks of the small and inexpensive funeral, it shows he was a simple man who didnt have alot of money, or friends...or even a big family. perhaps he was such a hard worker that he didnt have time to make alot of friends.
it also adds to the guilt that Bean has. through out his youth, he was an arrogant punk who kept getting into trouble, and his father tried to make good for him, and it took the death of his father to realize that his father only wanted the best for him.
i could be wrong, but thats what ive always felt...
Coop, This seems like a very good observation and explanation. Perhaps I would have seen this myself if I had seen it more times. Thank you.
sharewell thanks! :-)
i think the movie rushes to get Bean into the camp so there is time to show his emotional journey, we dont get to see too much of his past, so i really think the funeral is an important scene in the movie, and maybe without that scene, we wouldnt get the feeling of Bean's guilt.
Martin Sheen is a pretty good director and i think he did a decent job of conveying all that story within the first 10 minutes of the film.
very very underrated movie
During THIS funeral scene. Didnt the singer in this movie sing
"End of the road"? Which is actually a very old hymm which
I cant remember the real name of. Then, Boys to Men made a hit
out of it in 1992? Isnt that right?
Again, well done coop82.
There is definitely a significance and it is great that you caught that and cared enough to ask. I think it was a funeral for a child as the pall bearers were also children. Also the one boy who leaves the church on crutches, then later you see Bean looking at the other funeral party in the distance- the boy on crutches I could swear he only has one leg. Perhaps there was some accident and the one kid died and the other got his leg cut off. Also, now with both parents gone Bean was also finally burying his childhood behind him.
And later in McKinney's office- what was up with his insistence that Bean have some chocolate? And he says all kids like chocolate. And he tells Bean he has a son his age. It is almost like McKinney realized too late that his son, who he probably has bad relations with, is not a little boy anymore but he doesn't want to let go of the memories of him being young and close to him. It is like McKinney's son as a child is dead and as a young man probably can't stand him so McKinney is trying to be daddy to Bean. Maybe?