MovieChat Forums > Tully (2000) Discussion > Spoiler alert!!! End of movie question....

Spoiler alert!!! End of movie question....

posted 19 years ago by mellison-2
16 replies | jump to latest

To me it seemed as though the father intentionally killed himself. He was so grief stricken that no one would blame him. Yet, the other side of the coin is the fact that he was such a salt of the earth man and such a hard worker that it wouldn't make sense. Evidence says maybe he did kill himself though. The insurance papers the son saw after the suicide were fairly convincing to me Tully going back to the truck and realizing his dad could have triggered the truck bed to land on him and kill him....what do you think?

[–] Thurston_Thornton_III 19 years ago

I never thought there was any question that he killed himself.

don't look at me, i'm the bus-stop boxer - E

[–] jmblythex 19 years ago

He clearly killed himself, but it didn’t have anything to do with grief. You mentioned yourself the insurance papers, which showed he had a $500,000 policy. This money would save the farm for the boys, clearly his motivation.

[–] TheSass-1 19 years ago

I just watched Tully, and now that it's brought to my attention, yes, I would say he definitely killed himself.

Not only for the insurance policy reasons ($500k to save the farm), but did you notice that the only way he could have died with the hydraulics like that is IF he pushed the button while in there? No fool would knowingly stick his head in there with the knowledge that the hydrualics are messed up.

Besides. The wagon (I have no idea what the term is) lifted fine. It just came down badly. The man was hard working, and smarter than that.

I'd have to definitely say it was suicide.

[–] omadi 18 years ago

There is no question that the father sacrificed himself the save the farm for the boys. Tully re-creating the event and the brief look at the insurance policy make this clear. While the father's departure does create a plot opening for Ella to enter Tully Jr.'s life/home and secures the future of the boys it doesn't quite make sense. There is an obivous change in the father's demeanor after Tully explains to him that the mother's departure was of her own accord and he (the father) shouldn't continue to punish himself for her leaving. Soon after Tully Sr. reciprocates, for the first time, the shopkeeper's flirtations while breaking from routine in order to "bring some sweetness into his life." This is a clear indication that he is beginning to value was he has rather than what he has lost. This follows with the dessert and newly found intimacy that he shares with the boys that night at dinner . All this being said and the fact the father has endured the harsh life of a farmer makes it unlikely that he would, at this moment of happiness, choose to take his own life for monetary reasons. Its it more likely that he would rather live with his boys and endure the coming hardship together as they had through the past. Otherwise a solid film

[–] sangos_counterpart 18 years ago

I didn't catch the $500,000 insurance he had, I only saw the title of the documents, which was basically his life insurance. Now that this is confirmed, I'm almost positive he died on purpose. I believe that the flirtation with the shopkeeper and the icecream with his sons was his way of doing things before his death. He probably wanted to express his attractions towards the woman before he died, and that's why he randomly decided to give his sons a treat and reconnect with them. So he could die with peace. Mainly, he wanted to ensure a future for his sons, and decided the only way for this to happen would be for him to sacrifice his own life.

"... In the most delicious way."

[–] BigFatPileOfCheeseCake 18 years ago

I thought it was very obvious that it was a suicide. It reminded me of "Death of a Salesman" actually.

Last Movie Seen: The Ice Harvest

[–] KayDrama 10 years ago

It is a well known fact that many people that commit suicide first "clean up" physically (house cleaning) and emotionally. It could be that the father, having made up his mind to die, told the store clerk how beautiful she is as a last chance sort of thing - As in not wanting to die leaving it unsaid. The ice cream with his sons - to go out having made his peace with them and to have them recall him with fond memories of that last night. His happy demeanor could result from 1) being set free now that the woman he obsessed about is truly gone now that she's dead; 2) set free once he knew it was not his fault that she left and he couldn't provide what she needed; and 3) free by knowing his "accidental" death saves the farm for his sons.

[–] pshelton-1 18 years ago

The old man committed suicide, but he had to make it look like an accident. Insurance companies don't pay off on suicide, just accidents. The insurance policy was for $500,000, the lien on the farm was $300,000. His sons could pay off the lien and have some operating capital left.

Surprisingly good film.

[–] BrainyBlonde 16 years ago

i have to admit i had my doubts he'd go that far to kill himself, but yes, i do think he did. i thought the line he said to the woman at the grocery store near the end was the sweetest most sincere line of the film. he honestly deserved at least a nomination for this acting job.

e
http://www.BrainyBlonde.com

[–] funeralguy 15 years ago

actually, most policies will pay off on a suicide after the policy has been in effect for 2 or 3 years depending on the company.

[–] arka211 15 years ago

Most life insurance policies are payed out because of deaths that were the result of natural causes. Sometimes they pay more, maybe double, if it was an accident.

[–] missresincup 15 years ago

I just saw it today and think that there is no actual answer to that question.
Yes there are the insurence papers and yes Tully wasn't sure himself and tried how he thought his dad did it - but it didn't work. He had to get the remote out of the truck to do it (and it wasn't out at his dads death) and in addition to that at the end the cargo area suddenly fell down without Tully pressing any buttons.
The ice-cream dinner could have been a goodbye to his sons but could also have been the start of something new now that all their secrets are revealed.
Ellas line (after the cargo area fell down): "I don't know." makes me think that the movie doesn't try to steer the audience into any direction and that it is totally into your imagination.

I think he didn't kill himself (even if nobody else does).

[–] Dog112 14 years ago

...the cargo area suddenly fell down without Tully pressing any buttons.

The switch was in his hand. He could have pressed a button.

The cause of the bed fall was not shown. The switch may not have been required.

When Tully experimented by putting his body under the bed, I feared for his life. It was a foolish move.
After the bed fell, Tully and Ella gradually came to grips with the probability of Tully Senior's suicide.
They didn't say anything because they decided on the spot that such words would not pass their lips.

I almost ran into a man who had parked his car across both lanes of a country road in the middle of
the night. That was a case of attempted suicide by traffic accident.

I knew a guy once who spent a day calling and visiting friends before he jumped out a seventh story
window. He carried a small phone book everywhere he went.

Some of the strongest memories I have of people who have died are the last ones.
.

[–] vbel 10 years ago

He had a lot on his mind so it could have been an accident but I'd say 95% suicide, 5% accident.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MoviemanCin 8 years ago

It was obviously a suicide. The father wanted the $500,000 insurance money to save the farm for his sons whom he loved very much. A great film, sad and very touching.

Schrodinger's cat walks into a bar, and / or doesn't.