MovieChat Forums > Nell (1994) Discussion > Got Milk?

Got Milk?

posted 15 years ago by ReadListenThinkLearn
13 replies | jump to latest

There are several things that were really unbelievable here, sheesh. For instance, there's one scene when Jerry was first interacting with her, that she is having a bowl of Quaker Oats and she is pouring milk into the bowl. Are we *really* supposed to believe that her mama would have had more than a 30+ year supply of dry foods on hand-- and, milk, too, conveniently poured fresh from a pitcher? I didn't see any sort of animal around that Nell could be milking. Maybe it was bears? LOL

I wonder if her mama taught her how to protect against that threat? Encountering a dangerous bear or two would seem far more likely in her 30+ years in the woods, with nothing but a screen to protect her from their intrusion, than any other kind of danger. That is not addressed at all. Of course!

Oh, and the house. How is it that the roof did not leak when it rained? Maybe the house was made of the finest materials with a 50 year warranty? Kinda like her clothes, which you'd expect to look pretty ratty by now -- assuming they were probably her mom's clothes. They were so well-pressed and new looking, I figure they were probably made from some sort of super-advanced substance, made to withstand many, many years of wear and washing (and swimming in!) Except for the one worn and torn shawl/blanket over Nell's shoulders in one scene (I guess the director figured that would take care of the ratty clothes logistics problem), Nell's Mama was very far-thinking and ahead of her time, LOL.

[–] ReadListenThinkLearn 15 years ago

Oh! I forgot the candles--and the kerosene? She sleeps all day and is awake and active at night. What a stockpile of candles she must have to last more than 30 years!

[–] Capnamerica07 15 years ago

if you remember the guy that at the beginning was delivering groceries, which is where the milk and other supplies could've come from,

also its not like bears are mindless predators they usually try to avoid people

we see Nell chopping wood early on, its possible she's been 'taught' how to patch the roof, with branches, leaves and what night

her clothes weren't that nice looking either, plus we see an old fashioned spindle in the house so her mom and her must've known how to use it to make clothes.

as far as the candles go we see her carving out a squash or some kind of gord and making a candle

You will all taste oblivion... Which tastes like Red Bull.... Which is disgusting!

[–] Daverat 15 years ago

It's explained early on that the mother was wealthy and a tad eccentric. She owned huge parcels of land including the land surrounding the cabin. After she was raped in her 40's, she moved up to the cabin to get away from the Evil-doers. We are shown a clip from a newspaper describing the rape briefly and suggesting that it outraged the townspeople. The implication is that Violet was loved and respected in town at the time of her rape.

It is further suggested that she made arrangements with the grocery store to deliver groceries to her weekly or more often with the stipulation that money would be left on the rock and the groceries were to be put next to the rock. It's easy to guess that Violet did this because she was suffering from Rape Trauma Syndrome, a form of Post Traumatic Stress and she feared her young daughters would be raped too if they were seen. We do not know what Violet thought about May's death or if she even knew what happened since May's corpse was left where it fell. Violet may have believed the Evil-doers had gotten her. it would make sense given that Nell and May used play out in the sun and after May's death, Nell was told to be "Ta Ta" of the daytime lest she get "skewered in the belly" by the Evil-Doers.

Violet knew she was likely to die or ill and so she left the note in the Bible asking whomever the Lord led to her cabin to look after her daughter, Nell. Violet was a devout Christian and knew the time would come when she would have to leave Nell to the care of others. I think it's very revealing that she left the note in the Bible becuase the only person likely to look at the Bible for a clue would be the type of person you'd suspect would care about the fate of the girl.

Look, some aspects of the story were not laid out in detail. You just have to accept that powdered milk, instant oats, candles, kerosene and lamp wicks were part of her regular grocery order.

[–] dustfrie 15 years ago

The only thing I could imagine is that she was using evaporated milk, which she reconstituted using water from the late or some sort of well where she would get drinking water. Remember, there was supposed to be no electricity or running water in the cabin, so there could be no refrigerator. Unless, of course, they had access to those non-refrigerated milk cartons, but I don't remember when those were first on the market, I think it was well after 1994. It did make you wonder what else she and her mother ate and drank to survive.

[–] Daverat 15 years ago

Parmalat - the milk that is in shelf-stable cartons that last for 6 months or longer was available then. I started buying it in 1990 when I moved to Los Angeles. I call it my "Earthquake milk".

I like to keep a supply on the shelf just in case. nothing sucks more than having an earthquake, losing power and not being able to have some coffee with milk or hot oatmeal with milk. I just replace it when it gets close to the exp date and use it up. I got my camp stove, my canned propane, my coffee concentrate packets, parmalat milk and a Kraft Easy Mac pouches.

I got caught during the Landers Quake without much in the fridge or cupbvoards and then the same deal with the Rodney King Riots. By the time Northridge Quake rolled around, I was prepared for life without power, water or grocery stores. Good thing too since I lived up in the hills and we couldn't get down for a couple of days.

RE NELL: I don't think Violet and Nell were drinking canned evaporated milk. I think they were using nonfat dry milk powder envelopes and re-constituting it with lake water or well water. Canned evaporated milk is yellowish in color and the milk solids separate out from the liquid in a short period of shelf time.

[–] bloodrose47 15 years ago

Wow, did you even watch the movie? The groceries were being delivered. Mom died right at the start of the story, sending Nell, a reclusive and sheltered woman, off the deep end. No where in the movie is it said she is disabled in any way, except for socially. You should try and put your handle into everyday use,

Get ready for The Obamanation!

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Molly-31 14 years ago

There's a box of "Mix'n'Drink" powdered milk in the grocery carton. They sell that just about everywhere.

Nell made her own clothes -- we assume that among other things Violet bought material now and then. And of course they were well-pressed. With an old-fashioned iron you heat on the stove, it doesn't have to be plugged in. I've written several comments on this subject and everyone's probably sick of reading them.

I found the article that talks about the backstory and production for this film, and you'd be amazed what all's in there. It really bears (hah) watching three or four times to get a sense of the detail.

Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.

[–] PopKorn11 13 years ago

hey molly, I thought of something. What you said about the Mix'nDrink and such. Violet had only recently died so she was able to write a grocery note and leave it on the rock. This would be why the delivery in the opening scene....so all Nell would have to do is know who to use the products her mother ordered, which she had plenty of time to do. And the spinning wheel was functional, jerry showed us that and Nell had plenty of time to learn that from her mother. And keeping clean and neat? Well, what mother doesn't teach her children that. so what is the problem? I see none.

As for bears, are there or were there bears in 1994? Many people live in Norther Mn and Wisc that I am familiar with and never have a bear visit their cabins. Sometimes nearby but they don't always come a'callin. Besides, Mom would have taught the girls how to bang pots and pans to scare away a critter and how to dispose of foods so that they wouldn't be attracted to the house. Survival 101 is quite well known if you live amongst nature. Perhaps there is a gun in the house but it wasn't necessary to develop that part of the story

I did like the movie and the actors who starred in it...I wonder how Ali Sheely and Christine Applegate would have portrayed the characters? But I'm glad for the ones who were picked.

[–] glassrose385 13 years ago

I wonder how Ali Sheely and Christine Applegate would have portrayed the characters? But I'm glad for the ones who were picked.

I recently read on Wikipedia that Christina being considered for Paula. I like Christina but I laugh that she was considered for the Paula role. She barely in her early 20's when that movie was made and there is no way she could pulled off the role. Ally Sheedy might have been able to play Nell. I'm glad that Jodie Foster step down from directing the film and then taking the role of Nell.

Natasha Richardson was great in this movie and she pulled off a Southern accent well. Natasha was very underrated actress who never didn't get enough credit in her time.

[–] Molly-31 13 years ago

Exactly! My great-aunt lived a lot like Violet after her husband died. And there are a million and one details in the backstory. I should post the article I found on this subject. Nell would have watched Violet do all these things, and gradually taken over a lot of them as Violet got to be too old. She was probably doing most of the cooking, cleaning, cutting wood etc.

Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.

[–] Molly-31 9 years ago

That's exactly it. I think that's the point of the whole movie, people consistently underestimate Nell and think she's "feral" (which she can't be by definition). Because she doesn't speak in a way they understand, they objectify her and assume she cannot take care of herself, while surrounded by all the evidence to the contrary.

I'm all right, I'm alllll right!

[–] osopestoso 13 years ago

Hollywood magic. Get over it.

"They sucked his brains out!"