WHO GAVE KATE THE PILLS and WHO PUT THE PILL BOTTLE IN THE TRASH?
If:
1. George didn't, because Kate was already asleep when he got home from class; and
2. Ellen didn't, because she couldn't bring herself to do it; and
3. Kate couldn't, because she was bedridden;
Then who did it?
Why did Ellen lie about her mother already being asleep when her father came home from class, when the film showed that he came home early?
Kate did it.
Knowing that she couldn't ask her husband or daughter to get her the pills, she took it on herself to end what was left of her life.
I'm sure someone will disagree but just think of it this way. This woman was supermom, superwife, superfriend and so on, she did not want to, or feel like dying in a manner that would shadow her life. She wanted to die being as strong as she lived. Her getting up and getting the pills was her way of knowing she can still do it, ending on a high note.
I read the book, written by Anna Quindlen, and yes, the mother took the pills herself
shareWhy did Ellen lie about her mother already being asleep when her father came home from class, when the film showed that he came home early?
Because she thought her father was the one who gave her mother the pills, and she was covering for him.
I agree with your theory. I orignially supported the theory that she saved pills in her night coat or something and then suddenely took them while no one was watching her. And now that I think of it, your explanation makes more sense. Because since none of the family members intervened in her suicide, how did the pill bottle end up in the trash can? I do also think that she mustered the strength to go and get the pills herself and the expression of her face that morning where Ellie is next to her shows her complete overexertion.
shareI am still leaning towards believing Kate took the pills herself. In the book, Ellie and her father each thought the other one had given Kate the pills. Because of this, each of them "covered" for each other, so I assumed (in the movie) that Ellie's father threw it away thinking he was covering for her. The book definitely implied she did it herself.
shareAfter watching the movie, I too thought Kate saved the pills. But the pill bottle was empty, so she had to get them herself. She was tired of living.
"...as long as people can change, the world can change"
I always thought that the husband gave her the pills. Towards the end when he and Zellwegger were in the cemetary, he said the same thing the wife said, "No one should have to live like this." The daughter was like "did mom say this to you?". It was her cue to believe her dad gave the wife the pills to die peacefully.
"Why don't you have another beer?"-Scott Stevens
I believed that Kate took the pills herself. Ellen almost did but could not bring herself to do it.
sharewell, unless they were both lying to each other (the husband & daughter) there is no other conclusion possible- Kate took the pills herself.
I think it's fair to guess she also didn't want either of them implicated in any kind of inquest.
As for how the pills got in the trash, I have 2 possible explanations:
1) Kate summoned super-human strength & got the pills, took them, then put the container in the trash.
2) Kate summoned super-human strength & got the pills, took them, then the next day the Dad sees the bottle & throws it away, thinking his daughter helped her.
Both seem equally likely, although difficult to believe in her condition. I did think about the other poster saying she had them in her bathrobe or something- but that seems unlikely since her daughter was administering her medication, I would think she would've noticed if a substantial amount was missing.
who knows?
Remember, George is a fiction writer, that is, a person paid to make up lies. Wouldn't have been difficult for him to lie in this situation.
share[deleted]
We watched this in class today and came to the conclusion that Kate chewed them and the father threw the bottle away to cover for his daughter. Otherwise, why bother mentioning that you couldn't chew them?
shareI could be mistaken, but I think the point of saying that you can't chew them was for the scene with Ellen where she was crushing them after her mom asked for her to help her - to show she was contemplating feeding the crushed pills to her mom, but couldn't go through with it (she brushed them aside). I think that it was said that the father didn't do it, but thought Ellen did.
In the book, it was stated that neither of them did it, but each thought that the other had and was covering for the other person.
The father did. Mother pleads with Ellen to help herendher life but later Ellen is unable to complete the task. Mother later tells Ellen to leave the room when father arrives home early so she can askhim tocomplete what Ellen is incapable of. This is confirmed when father tells Ellen "no one should have to live like this". He claims later he was not the one but hasn't his whole life been one of deciect to his daughter to ensure she thinks well of him? The idea that the mother is physically capable of rising from her death bed is absurd when she could not even chew which is why porridge is being fed to her.
shareI disagree - but from reading the book. The book made it quite clear that neither gave her the pills.
The reasons you stated are the reasons that Ellen thinks her father gave her the pills (him feeding her the porridge and saying "no one should have to live like this." The father is under the impression Ellen gave Kate the pills. Neither talk about it because they each think the other did it. Once they finally talk, they find out that neither of them gave her the pills.
It is never outrightly explained in the book how she got the pills. My guess is that in the book it talked about how Kate would ask Ellen for pills early because of the pain. Ellen told the doctor that she would give them to her because of the pain. My thoughts were that Kate was hoarding the pills on her and took them herself, chewing them. I would think that the father (George) then threw the pill bottle away thinking that Ellen was guilty.
Either that or in the book (I think in the movie, too) Ellen and George discuss Kate's incredible strength - perhaps implying she summoned her strength once more to get up and get the pills. I realize that it is very very unlikely that this would happen in real life (or impossible), but this isn't real life and the author may have taken some dramatic license on this one.
Why would Kate implore Ellen then to help her end her life? Why would Kate so dramatically dismiss Ellen after her refusal to help to speak to George before she died? George, in the film at least, gives Kate the pills and her line "nobody should have ti live like this" is a reformat of Kate imploring to Ellen earlier.
George gave into his"one true thing" but won't show any sign of weakness to Ellen.
OMG, people. KATE GULDEN TOOK HER OWN LIFE! Period. End of story. The whole movie was about Ellen pitying her mother because she saw her whole life as a waste - just taking care of her family, friends and even the town, and not herself. In the end, Kate took care of everyone, especially herself. Kate Gulden was just being herself - stronger and smarter than anyone had ever given her credit for.
...a signature to be named later.
Are you serious?
They say it in the movie.
There's no doubt.
wth
You'd be surprised at what some people are capable of when they really want something - dying or not dying.
Kate managed to get to the pills herself, and both George and Ellen indeed think it was eachother.
totally agree esme....when my dad was living out his last few days in a VERY frail condition, he still once somehow managed to get up and walk around the floor of the hospital...
"Like I really . . . I don't remember. I'm not like that smart," - Paris Hilton
No. There is no doubt. Three people lived in that house. Two people both said they didn't give her the pills. You do the math.
...a signature to be named later.
Adrenalin can give people super human strength.
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He lifts me clear to the sky, you know he taught me to fly.
If Kate indeed took the pills herself (as so many of you believe), then she's a total bitch. First for not inviting her son to be home with her when she chose to end her life and second for requesting her body be autopsied, guaranteeing her family would be investigated for her overdose. Sorry, not buying it! Plus the film makes it appear that Ellen spent the night at her mother's bedside, so it's doubtful Kate got up in the night to fetch her pills without Ellen noticing.
It's actually a dick move for WHOEVER gave Kate the pills to not have invited the son home, but I can't see Kate killing herself without her son at her side considering how much importance she placed on her family.