MovieChat Forums > My Brother Tom (2001) Discussion > So what happened at the very end?

So what happened at the very end?

posted 20 years ago by chrislis40
5 replies | jump to latest

The summary i recieved was excellent but i am still unsure about the final scenes. It has been said that "The ending was very effective, although a bit of a cop-out" why was this?

Having missed the end of the film i can only go on what i am told. The summary dosn't go into detail and the second thread dosn't explain itself. Could someone please tell me exactly what happened post Tom's funeral.

I have also left a couple of private messages that have not been picked up yet, so could you please check your private message page.

[–] alzie 20 years ago

Jessica ran out of the church and back to the woods, she then tried to drown herself in the river because tom said they'd be together forever but said he was a liar. then as she was drifting off toms spirit pulled her out of the water and they lay down to sleep by the ashes of the den she'd burnt. Then it finished. Im not sure if it was his spirit, a dream, or if she died in the water and joined tom, dead? strange ending

[–] chrislis40 20 years ago

As i suspected, it was one of those pain in the arse make your own mind up endings with no definite answer. What are your views on the reason for Jessica burning the hideaway? I thought it may be because it signified the end of the relationship after Tom had killled Jack,as i assume the police were after Tom but having missed that bit i don't really know!

[–] tinkerbella 16 years ago

she burnt the den simply to destroy any evidence.

You'll Come for the Religous Freedom, You'll Stay for the Capitalism

[–] Iron_Martyr 15 years ago

I'd have said partly that and partly the death of their relationship because she knew they'd find and catch him anyway, whatever she did.

It never crossed my midn that she didn't drown actually.

JESSIE There, now I can change my ID as often as I damn well please.

[–] Jauntystreams 12 years ago

This discussion surprised me so much that I had to watch the ending again to have another look.... and think! I had never thought before that she'd drowned.

Firstly, I did not think she destroyed the den to destroy evidence, I think she was furious at Tom for his violence (she'd raged at him before and asked him how they could see each other if he was in jail) and for destroying their relationship. So by destroying the den, she was finishing it in her own mind as well.

The ending is v. ambiguous and the drowned scenario maked sense when the camera panned back to the still water. But equally so, is the ending that the trees, which had been a nurturing symbol all the way through, were now embodying Tom's spirit and drew her out of the water.