There is a scene where Greg brings Jack a Jerusalem Tulip as a gift when him and Pam arrive at the Burns House. Jack doesn't seem to know anything about one of the most rare and beauitful flowers in the world, so that got me thinking, it doesn't really make him much of a spy considering florist has been his cover most of his life. Maybe I'm missing something what do you think?
shareHe admits it himself in the second movie that even with having 35 years of cia experience his family keeps secrets from him. I think Jack was using simple cover identities to fool a bunch of family friends which doesn't require a lot of effort, nothing to do with real spying.
shareI always thought that as well. Bad cover!
Also, I noticed, he wasn't a very good poker face, like when Pam proposed that Greg go shopping with him. Greg even picked up on Jack not wanting him to go.
And these may seem like little things, but 1.) at the market, Jack said they were out of Tom Collins Mix, when even Greg stumbled on it in the aisle. I'd think a CIA man who lives and breathes covering all bases would have thought to buy the mix too. 2.) More one of my analytical nitpicks, but since Jack is supposed to be so sharp, this one peeved me; Jack very seriously says to Greg once he's out of the circle of trust, there is no comig back. Well, once Greg finds Jinxy, Jack says, "guess whose back in the circle of trust?"
Uh, I thought there is no coming back, Jack? LoL, for a CIA man, he's not really very precise or sharp. Maybe it was time for retirement!
Jack very seriously says to Greg once he's out of the circle of trust, there is no comig back. Well, once Greg finds Jinxy, Jack says, "guess whose back in the circle of trust?"
Uh, I thought there is no coming back, Jack?
Good point! Only rescuing Jinx could make him go back on something he previously said so seriously! And isn't the impostor Jinx the one point where Jack finally loses it and throws out Greg? I know everything came to a head when Greg left, but I think the impostor Jinx made Jack the most angry.
Jinx was everything!
Jack doesn't seem to know anything about one of the most rare and beauitful flowers in the world,
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Still if that is your cover you learn about it like it is your real profession.
shareI picked upon that, too. A florist cover isn't going to hold up, if he doesn't know even the BASICS of flowers.
Also, he was easily fooled by his own son, especially for him to be a 'human lie detector'. Why didn't he detect his own son's lies about the pipe?
He may have been in denial about that. And when he watches the secret tape of Greg at the end, and Greg pretty much says it, he finally starts to accept the truth. Which is why Denny is off to military school in the second movie.
shareMaybe he knew all this stuff when he was working as a spy but forgot about it when he retired. Also from what I understood he was more a behind the scenes kind of guy as opposed to in the action, so probably didn't need to learn as much as say someone in the line of duty.
shareHe probably knew very basic stuff, just enough to pass by and convince people he knew what he was talking about. And like others said, maybe he had forgotten stuff, or wasn't quite as sharp as he had been before he retired.
shareYou are 100% right, this is one of the big points of this movie where this movie proves that what we're TOLD is completely opposite to what we're shown.
Jack is SAID to be a human lie detector; can't detect his son's lies.
Jack is SAID to be a brilliant agent with a botanist cover, and yet he SUCKS at it worse than a toddler would suck at playing hamlet the first time without rehearsing.
I hate when movies do this, but that's the way of this world.. they tell is this and that, then they show something that destroys that explanation completely. The toilet, the cat, the son, and this flower scene completely DESTROY what we've been told about him.
You are completely right, this movie has no excuse.