MovieChat Forums > Regarding Henry (1991) Discussion > Why did Sarah keep the letters? (Spoile...

Why did Sarah keep the letters? (Spoilers)


It bothered me that Sarah kept the letters from Bruce whom she was having an affair with. Yes she told Henry that (their affair) "it didn't last but he kept writing to me but it didn't last." If so, why keep them? If he sent them after Henry was shot, why didn't she just throw them away when she received them? Sorry but it just seemed strange to me that if she no longer had feelings for the guy, then why would she keep them and take the chance of Henry finding them? I think it would be hard to believe that she just forgot about them.

A few things caused me to believe she still had feelings for Bruce and possibly was still having an affair with him after Henry was shot and during his rehabilitation. The scene in restaurant when she's talking to Henry's boss and Bruce, she mostly looks at Henry's boss when talking but glances over at Bruce when she says that "it may take some time to get back to normal" and then says "but it will happen". Bruce then leaves the table saying to her, "it's good to see you soon". That's a strange thing to say when it should have been worded "it was good to see you". He then gives her a kiss on the cheek and she looked a little embarrassed. It seemed like they were secretively sending a message to each other.

Then there is the scene in the kitchen when Henry realizes he can read. Bruce just suddenly appears in the doorway. He says, "the door was unlocked, I knocked but... ". That was just weird. Who would just walk into someone else's home without being invited in? I don't think he expected Henry to be there since he seemed a bit surprised and he has a blue gift box in his hand. I think it was intended for Sarah since the letters he sent her were in blue envelopes and blue stationary. The gift was a silver picture frame that luckily didn't seem that unusual as a gift when he gave it to Henry.

When Henry suggests that their daughter not go away to school, Sarah says, "there's gotta be a few things we decided that I can count on". She wants her daughter to go away to school but then suggest selling the apartment and buying a house that's smaller. She's concerned about money yet she still wants to send their daughter away to an expensive school? Why? So she will have time alone, with her daughter gone and her husband working? Her reasoning just didn't make sense.

When Henry confronted her about the affair, he asks her if she slept with Bruce before he was shot. She never directly or specifically answered the question, admitting whether it was before or after or both. All she said was that it didn't last......





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If Sarah had feelings for Bruce that would be a reason for her to keep his letters as a reminder.

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I don't think it necessarily means she still had feelings for him.. Perhaps she just liked to know she was still attractive to someone. We know he wasn't exactly romantic with her when he first got out of hospital so maybe they were just a reminder that she still had it.. I have no reason to think she was anything but committed to him after the shooting

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If she's committed to him after the shooting then lose the letters. Holding onto them only indicates she still has feelings for the guy she had an affair with, which just cheapens and calls into question the love she now supposedly has for her husband. Besides if she truly loved her husband, why take the chance of him finding them and thus hurting him? I can only conclude from her keeping them that there was much more going on long after the shooting.

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Why did Bruce send another card to start with knowing Henry was home. I forget if that was addressed to him or Sarah. Either way, I always assumed she just put them away and forgot about them once Henry was shot. She had a lot going on and probably forgot about them.

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