A few things I don't get....

1. poor plot device
2. you don't have a clue about the way of Newfoundlanders, do you?
3. obviously no, Spacey said something like the body fell in mortis by the cold water...

frankly, I agree that, at times, the flick is stretching our believes in human reason a great deal

im pretty sure they did it so he couldent leave. they wanted him to say. thats how i saw it anyways

"not a vital sign between the 2 of them"

"1. Surely it's not that easy to sink a boat. Granted, I have never been in a boat, and it was a small outboard, but it seems that it sank way too fast and all that Quoyle had to do was calm down and stay in the bow section."

Actually, without flotation devices built into the stern and the bow, a small boat like that in open water would sink very fast. Wood alone only has minimal floatation. The fact that he survived the hypothermia for such a long period with just bandaged hands was the real stretch. Most of the people, for example, who are dumped into the Pacific Ocean up here, last at best for a half hour without a PFD. I have to think the water is as cold up there off Newfoundland?