I have read some of the interesting analyses from various posters on these boards. In light of the layers of meaning that people have pointed out, one question I was wondering about is the significance of "Long Island." Is there any significance to this setting or title? Was it deliberately chosen as a somewhat bland suburban locale? Or is it purely a random location in America, counterposed to Giles' England?
shareI think Long Island might have been relevant to the plot in that it was Walt Whitman's birthplace. Giles writes a scene in which Ronnie quotes Walt Whitman as part of a eulogy.
shareIt's possible that the 'Walt Whitman' connection was the reason the story is 'set' on Long Island; but as a nearly life long resident of 'Lawn Guyland'(land of taxes and traffic!), I can tell you that the movie's screenwriter(s), director &/or producer(s) must have never been in the Hamptons, or spoken to any 'natives'. The scenes (streets, villages, motel, diner, etc.), are not at all like the South Shore of LI. Having lived on the Island from my 3rd until my 50th year, both on the North and South Shore (Suffolk County), I can tell you no Long Islander ever refers to Eastern Long Island as 'the coast'; that's far more likely heard in either Maine ('tho 'the haaba' or 'down east' is more often heard, in Maine), or on the US's West Coast. On LI, it's either 'out to the Hamptons' or 'to the beach' or 'out to the South Fork'.
Also, in the final scene, we see Giles in a taxi, heading over a bridge in a city setting. To get to JFK from the Hamptons, one does not travel over any such bridge.
Frankly, this movie was dismal. It was a waste of even Priestly's limited talents, much less Hurt's. The title might have been 'Limp Wrists and Boredom on Long Island' - and Giles, if he was interested in "that horrible sin not to be mentioned among Christians", would have been better served on Fire Island, than in the Hamptons ...
What the world needs now are MORE SQUIRRELS! Then there would be fewer NUTS running around, loose!
The Great Gatsby, a story of unrequited love and tragic longing set on Long Island.
shareActually it was filmed in Bedford, Nova Scotia: My hometown. And I do not think it is meant to take place in Long Island , USA but actually in Nova Scotia with a alternate name. Several times in this film a map is showed of Nova Scotia which would appear to come as a "Long Island".
shareThanks Jake and others for your thoughtful comments. I think there are multiple possibilities here. Perhaps "Long Island" as the setting for the film was an amalgam of different ideas or themes or moods of the author. Sometimes there is no one clear significance to a point like this. I definitely want to re-watch the film and try to get more out of it, as it has been several years since I have seen it. I still think it an excellent film.
shareIn response to above, I think the movie is clearly set on Long Island, from the map shown several times, from proximity to NYC, the scene of Giles getting off the LIRR station (which has clear sign showing "Direction to Port Jefferson", a town on LI). I, too am a life-long Long Islander, but unlike previous poster, find this to be an intriguing film. So why LI? In addition to ties to Walt Whitman, my belief is that there are also connections to Great Gatsby- both films are set in fictitious places on LI ("Chesterton" vs. "East/West Eggs") and both feature a character on a quest to attain love that cannot be reached and in fact in one scene we see Giles from his back facing out into the water just like we see Gatsby looking out to the water toward the Buchanan mansion and the green light. Despite the minor flaws (like referring to the coast or going over a bridge to get to JFK in the end- maybe he was going to Newark Liberty airport rather than JFK?), I think it is a good and worthy film.
shareYes, there are international flights out of Newark to London, and British Airways flies that route. Giles, or his travel agent, wouldn't necessarily know that JFK was closer to Giles' destination. Or maybe Giles is just frugal, and the fare was lower flying into Newark. After all, he was too cheap to rent a car, and stays at that somewhat shabby roadside motel.
As with many films, locations are often disguised. Usually for cost considerations. Certain signage is created to portray locations. Also note the USPS mailman. It's clear that the location is intended to be Long Island, NY. It is also possible certain stock footage was used of actual Long Island. With the bulk of the scenes involving the actors shot in Nova Scotia.
After all, he was too cheap to rent a car, and stays at that somewhat shabby roadside motel.
I think Giles could afford to rent a car and a driver. More commonly known as a limousine service. In an upscale neighborhood as it is depicted, it's improbable that motel was the only lodging available. In even the smallest, economically deprived locales in the U.S., there are national hotel chains that provide accommodations superior to what Giles chose.
At any rate, this is straying off the topic of where the film was made.
I imagine the reason he made the choices he did was to stay off the radar in that small town.
shareThe curious thing though is that if you enlarge the movie poster image online (by clicking view larger image), the poster with the 2 men in the car, you can see in the background that Chesterton is located north of Cold Spring Harbor and just west of Huntington (more to the west of Long Island in Nassau County), far from where the movie seems to take place on the east end of Long Island in Suffolk County.
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