MovieChat Forums > The Ice Storm (1997) Discussion > The mother and son at the key party

The mother and son at the key party


Are we supposed to infer anything from a mother taking her son to a key party? Like that there might possibly be some incest going on, since everybody else is a couple? Even if not, it's still weird, considering the situation.

Sir, I'm going to crack your *beep* head open!

reply

I don't think so, but I had the same thought. I think it is more a statement to the loose morals of the era.

reply

Yeah, that's it.

reply

I thought it was a joke, that she was with a much younger man.

reply

In the credits, their names are Maria Conrad and Neil Conrad, so yes they are mother and son. They're also holding hands when they arrive at the party...

Ruprecht! Do you want the genital cuff?

reply

well i dnt like such bestalty ok???

reply

The electricity in the air is that she might get her son's key. Those were sickening times, I remember people like that.

reply

What sells the fact there's incest is when the mother comes up to get the key from the bowl, and there's a cut to the son that emphasizes something's amiss.

:: filmschoolthrucommentaries ::
http://bit.ly/11DHMHW

reply

And in the novel, this is not the case. I just pulled out my copy and "Neil didn't even seem to notice his mother's grand exit." (p. 168)

I also can't find a reference to mother and son holding hands when they enter in either the novel or script. In my opinion, this is a nice add by the film folks to add a little curveball to the 'seedy' nature of the key party.

reply

lols

Just because if they had matched keys, doesn't mean they're forced to have sex... I can't believe this is actually a discussion.

They'd just lose out & go home parent-son as if nothing happened. Anyone thinking otherwise is a bit off.

reply

I think it's just freaky that a mother brings her teenage son along as fresh meat for a nest of cougars. Surely if she picked his keys by accident, they would have just set on home, but otherwise, she knew she was leaving him as an offering to her girlfriends.

reply