MovieChat Forums > Mrs. Winterbourne (1996) Discussion > The Will and Marriage LIcense

The Will and Marriage LIcense


If Connie had never revealed her true identity and Bill had never figured it out, she wouldn't have inherited anything from the will because it would have been Patricia's name on it. Therefore, she really had nothing to be worried about when the mom signed it.

As for getting married, Bill and Connie would have had to get a wedding license before heading to the alter. If the marriage license had Patricia's name on it, the marriage wouldn't be legal. Everyone except Bill was calling her Patricia up until she corrected the priest during the ceremony. Bill doesn't even come clean that he knows until the night before the wedding. Therefore, they either got a marriage license with Patricia's name on it voiding their marriage, or they had a ceremony and planned on getting a license later.



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The correct legal names are less important that that they said 'I Do' to their vows, at least in the sight of G-d!

I would think that a judge would also weigh the moral standing of their marriage, as well as the preciseness of the names involved when considering the legality of there personal standing.

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I agree. But one thing I always wonder while watching this is how she managed all those months without an id card of some kind. Hranted I don't know what the process is for getting or replacing an id in America, wouldn't she need to provide some kind of identification in order to het a new id card? Like a passport or something (which she clearly didn't have) or her social security number, which would then identify her as Connie and not Patricia?

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It's fairly easy to replace a ID in America. But yes you need to show a birth certificate (100% need).

But I think she could've gone by without. Like they don't often check ID for credit cards in some places (like where I live. No place does but the movie theater). I didn't have a birth certificate until I was 19 and so I couldn't get an ID or drivers license for a long time. And I talked my way out of having to show ID a lot of times (not for drinking but for R rated movies). Plus in the 90s it would've been even easier.

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I'm sure they got a real marriage license later. But to them they were married when when they said their vows.

I'm sure they would've has some legal actions with proving she was in fact not the one dead. And if she got in trouble for it, I'm sure the family just throw money at it.

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