MovieChat Forums > Ride with the Devil (1999) Discussion > Why did he marry Jewel?

Why did he marry Jewel?

posted 14 years ago by HenryCW
14 replies | jump to latest

Btw, this was the only time I saw Jewel in a film and I think she was a reasonably good actress. I hope Ang Lee had given her a scene where she could read some of her poetry.

But in the film why did Jake marry Jewel? She was pregnant with Jack's child, and so from her point of view she obviously wanted marriage to give legitimacy to the child - especially in those days. But why should Jake agree to marry her? Was it just because Jewel was hot, or was it because Jake would not have been allowed to stay with the family if he refused?

[–] Hildovar 14 years ago

Shrug, guess he wanted to get his knob polished like any guy?

[–] drystyx 14 years ago

Did you not see the "shotgun wedding"?

He possibly could have run off and become a hobo, or he could stay and have a life.

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time
that's not funny!

[–] bluesguy 14 years ago

She was pregnant. End of story.....

[–] HenryCW 14 years ago

I know, but the question was really why Jake agreed to marry her especially since he knew that the child was not his. I believe if he did not agree then the family would have kicked him out.

[–] dan_pepper79 14 years ago

Jake liked her from the beginning (Holt notices this the first time she comes to visit the bushwhacker's hole in the hill and tells Jake something like go make sure she sees your face. We know Holt is an observant fellow), Jake felt some responsibility for baby Grace (who, people above, was already born when the wedding happens) being the child of his best friend. The fact that he's a 19-year-old virgin and she looks like Jewel with even nicer boobs than usual can't be discounted.

I'd also think about that she is a beautiful woman who was considered fancy enough to be a rich person's daughter-in-law (Evans appears to be well off by his house and gentlemanly manners, but I don't think we hear how.) in that society that prides itself on respect for class and station. Before the war, she'd have been considered out of Jake's social reach (him a Deutschman whose father works with his hands) and would probably seem like a bit of dream girl to him.

Love this movie, they really made an attempt to have a lot of layers.

[–] PianoWired-688-539232 12 years ago

He was ready, willing and able to ride when hit with the ultimatum. But, he was kinda sweet on her anyway, so why not? They wound up leaving soon after getting hitched, and got a wagon to boot.

Knot2nite

[–] Ricochet84 12 years ago

To keep his brains from being turned into hash.

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Blogging isn't writing. It's graffiti with punctuation.

[–] CreepyCopacetic 12 years ago

It was her crooked teeth.

No, but what's funny is that Ang Lee stated that the reason he casted Jewel in this role is because her ugly teeth was representative of poor white trash from that era.

Good stuff.

[–] gph317-2 8 years ago

Casted Jewel? Funny you laugh at the fact that Lee hired her for her teeth, but I laugh at you for your poor grammar. It's cast, not casted, genius.

[–] davemoore3 12 years ago

1. to keep his best friend's child from being called a bastard
2. she was incredibly hot

[–] Tashtago 11 years ago

She was breastfeeding and he couldn't help but take a peak.

[–] Wuchak (8177) 3 years ago

Take a peak? He couldn't stop staring.

[–] cpoet 10 years ago

Oh, people, really? "Knob polishing"? No wonder a film this fine and sensitive didn't make any money.

Reasons Jake married Jewel's character:

1. To honor the memory of his friend, that Skeet's child should not spend her whole life tainted by illegitimacy.

2. To balance out some of the murder and mayhem Jake perpetrated by doing something right and good, i.e. not abandoning widowed Jewel and her bastard child.

3. To cling to the familiarity of someone who met him when he was an idealistic young soldier, father and friends intact--and who was present to see the impact all those earth-shattering changes had on him.

4. To create some stability in an uncertain world. His father's dead and he doesn't knows about the rest of the relatives or whether the family homestead is leveled or how he's going to be received by the hometown citizens.

5. He was attracted to her from the beginning. And now they have a firm bond through Skeet's death and the events of the war,

[–] Bobster36 9 years ago

I think those are legit reasons. I would add one more. Out of respect for his friend, he would not publicly acknowledge that his friend had gotten her pregnant out of wedlock. Since everyone else thought the child was his (and she was apparently not setting them straight), he was willing to marry her and raise the child rather than cast his friend in a bad light.