MovieChat Forums > The Patron Saint of Liars (1998) Discussion > I didn't really get it

I didn't really get it

posted 18 years ago by KAnnD86
8 replies | jump to latest

I didn't really get this movie. I couldn't understand the main character and what made her do the things she did. It was an interesting story and I think I was enjoying it as I was watching it, but thinking about it, it didn't really make any sense to me. Why did she run away in the first place? I thought eventually we'd get some sort of backstory like her husband abused her or her father abandoned her or something, you know? But all we find out is that her father died when she was very young. I think they could have taken this whole movie to another level by revealing what made her tick. Why did she keep everybody at a distance? I felt like we should have been able to get inside her head and we were never let in. I also wanted to know the significance of the healing spring. I thought they could have taken that metaphor further. I would have enjoyed the movie more if that were the case.

Tomorrow's just your future yesterday!

[–] Devans00 17 years ago

Good, it wasn't just me.

I read all the comments on this movie and I see no one else got it either.

I mainly stuck with the movie because it had Brother Justin from Carnivale, when he was younger. Clancy Brown had pretty, brown, curly hair in this movie. Compared to the buzz cut in the TV series.

Seeing a teen Maggie Gyllenhaal was nice too.

Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.

[–] beccatx27 16 years ago

I don't think life always offers a neat synopsis. We often don't know what makes people the way they are--they may not know themselves. All of us have encountered people we don't understand. It's their reactions and interactions with others that make the story and make our lives.

[–] Devans00 16 years ago

The difference between real life and a movie, beccatx27, is that the reason a movie exists is to tell a story. By definition, by the end of the story, the audience should understand the point the writer or creators were trying to make. By making a movie and ending it with no logical point means that the movie failed on the basic level. The audience just wasted their time because there was no story or overall theme they could grasp.

In my opinion, that's not being artsy fartsy, that's failing storytelling 101.

Even some artsy fartsy movies that seem to lack structure or a standard storytelling still make a point about society, politics, religion or some other theme.

>O Stands For Osom (awesome) ~ New York<

[–] alicia626 16 years ago

well said. i feel like i wasted my time watching this.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] biggestfitz 16 years ago

I read the book before watching the movie, so maybe I have a slightly different point of view. I think the point is that Rose never really feels much of anything. She is searching for feeling and meaning, but she never quite finds it. Her mother loved her; her first husband was a decent man; Sister Evangeline loved her very much as did Son and her daughter who idolized her. She was still never really able to connect to any of them in a truly meaningful way. This lead her to a very cold, lonely and fulfilling life.

When I first read the book, I thought Rose was one of the most despicable characters I've ever read. I still really dislike her, but I also feel a bit of sadness for the wasted life.

Best Wishes,

Fitz

[–] movielovrr916 16 years ago

**Spoilers**

I caught this movie having missed the first hour, so I thought that maybe her first husband was abuse or something else traumatic happened to her but towards the end when the husband comes around he seemed like a good guy, as did her mother. So I didn't really understand what her problem was. I understand some people don't like themselves enough to feel they deserve love but I didn't get that vibe from her character. She seemed selfish. It did have a happy, albiet too quick of an ending but I still felt like it didn't give the audience the process we’re used to going through; first you don't understand the character and/or dislike them and then grow to understand and care about them. I felt confused, lol. But it wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen, it kept me interested, I just didn't like how it ended. I didn't read the novel but I agree with you Fitz, I dislike her as well.

[–] adoptivma-1 15 years ago

Only thing I could figure was that Rose had some sort of mental illness and needed medication & counseling. Other than that and a waste of time, rambling and confusing script left me kicking myself for watching it. One question - the last letter that Rose sent to her mother got into the hands of her 1st husband. Now I know he kept in touch with her mother, but 15 years after Rose left him??!! And it looked like he was living in her mother's house, reading her mom's mail after she was dead (or am I wrong?) What the hell??

THERE'S NO SAFE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL YOU CAN DRINK WHEN PREGNANT-IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK TO YOUR BABY