MovieChat Forums > Candyman (1992) Discussion > One scene that bothers me... (spoilers)

One scene that bothers me... (spoilers)

posted 8 years ago by saint_sophie
8 replies | jump to latest

I'm referring to the scene where Trevor and Stacey (who is having an affair with Trevor) are redecorating the house and Helen returns after escaping the psychiatric hospital. Stacey turns round and she does this utterly peculiar motion where she sort of... collapses backwards and looks like she is hysterically laughing/has a huge grin on her face. It's bizarre.

I don't know if this is meant to be her looking shocked/bewildered at seeing Helen return so suddenly or is she meant to be laughing at Helen or what? It's such awful acting it leaves me stumped every time I see it, because for the rest of the movie the actress playing Stacey isn't too bad.

Does this scene bother anyone else?

[–] sgalat84 8 years ago

I felt very awkward at that scene too, but I was kind on a fence about it. Arguably, that kind of reaction might have taken place in real life. I think many things in real world don't look the way they are usually portrayed in a theater or cinema. Or maybe that was the way I tried to justify the acting.

That scene did look weird. Like a bad take that did make it to the film for whatever reason.

[–] jack181078 8 years ago

Does this scene bother anyone else?

Not me. I think it's simply a case of the new girlfriend being shocked--and frightened--at Helen's return. As she has no doubt heard about Helen's history, of the murders attributed to her...she just cowers in the face of what is, at least, a very uncomfortable--and possibly dangerous--confrontation.

There's some intended humor in the how completely Trevor's sniveling student folds before Helen, but it's fair to say Helen's reputation precedes her in a big way at that point in the film.

[–] drenchme 8 years ago

I felt this played as authentic. It was a coping response.

[–] joyomi 8 years ago

Yeah, I thought her response was really weird also, I actually thought she was laughing at first.

[–] Dan_Garten 8 years ago

It was an interesting way to play that scene.

[–] FilmStar (405) 4 years ago

I think it was just bad acting. Same when she discovers Trevor's body. It looked like the director told her to scream hysterically and she did with no feeling.

[–] legnadibrom (5719) 3 years ago

not at all,
to me, she's beyond petrified... a murderous lunatic whose husband she's currently shagging just walked into the room

[–] wrlord (1081) 3 years ago

I thought she was acting stoned.