why didnt she told phil that it was holden - The Good Girl (2002) Discussion

[–] funky_diva17 17 years ago

this is one thing that i never really understood either... perhaps it was because if she told phil it wasn't holdens baby, then she could tell herself it wasn't either... trying to put him behind her or something... other than that i'm not sure...

anyone else enlighten us?

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[–] laurann83 17 years ago

I am not sure why. But my guess is that she doesn't want to make the situation worse than it is. Her husband said something like, "Justine, tell me that it's my baby." Or something along that line. And she told him that it was his baby. She probably just wants to move on and pretend that it is. Afterall, Holden is not there to contest the paternity or take apart in the life. Justine might have also realized what she had done wrong. From that point on, she might have been more devoted to her husband. And since both Holden and her husband have similar features (dark hair), she might be able to get away with it. But, she probably has to live with knowing that it is most likely Holden's baby.

"Perhaps we can learn a lesson from this tragedy like don't steal and don't be disturbed."

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[–] claudia02127 17 years ago

I think she was tired of hurting her husband, because..although he was kind of a buffoon, he truly loved her, and it would have crushed him if the child wasn't his. She was trying to put her life back together, and she wanted Bubba to be happy, as well.
This is a logic free zone:
Use of logic will be met with uncomfortable silences

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[–] enigma_bttf 17 years ago

I also thought that it could be because Holden and Phil had "similar" features (both dark hair, at least).
If Phil thinks she had an affair with Corny, he would only get suspicious if the baby was pale and really blonde and everything, the baby most certainly won't look like Corny (obviously) and that would make it easier for Phil and even Justine to believe it was Phil's baby.
I hope I make sense, I have a hard time making my "logical" thoughts clear in writing today lol.

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[–] mary-garner 17 years ago

I think I know why she didn't tell Phil it was probably Holden's baby. I remember what she said after she and Holden had sex the first time... "I like this. I like having a secret." The fact that Holden was more than likely the father was her holding on to her one and only secret.

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[–] MdNiTeBaLo 17 years ago

cause phil knew about holden, when they saw teh story on tv that he had killed himself. if she had said that it was him, maybe phil would think she was partly responsible for holden killing himself.

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[–] claudia02127 17 years ago

No...Phil would have divorced her....
This is a logic free zone:
Use of logic will be met with uncomfortable silences

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[–] Agnelin 17 years ago

Maybe she just wanted to leave all her story with Holden behind, and by telling Phil it had been Holden she'd been sleeping with, she would have kept the ghost of Holden alive between her and her husband. Also, maybe Phil would have been ashamed that she had been seeing someone who ended up robbing the store he worked at, running away and threatening people with a gun, only to kill himself at the end.

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[–] itrhymeswithoranges 17 years ago

To preserve his memory. She knew he'd go off the handle about the guy and she didn't want that. She wanted to keep what they had special.

formerly not_so_much

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[–] smile_its_sunday 17 years ago

I think it was because she wanted revenge on Corny for what he'd done, the spying on her and Holden. She almost goaded her husband into attacking him.

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[–] MissingLink101 17 years ago

Thats what I thought. A little bit of revenge.

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[–] dini0519 15 years ago

My impression was that it was a revenge thing as well, and it added to the dark comedy element of the story. However, I just read that someone said she was trying to protect Holden, which also makes sense, and also that it's her own little secret that she just didn't want to share with her husband or anyone else, also an interesting theory.

Dini

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[–] SaCha1689 17 years ago

Because she was a pathetic coward and wouldn't take responsibility for her actions.

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[–] furious_georgina 17 years ago

I think it was just because it was an easier explanation as to why she wanted to flee the bible study group, she also didnt like Corney so might have been killing two birds with one stone?

I'm a free man and I haven't had a conjugal visit in six months

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[–] perorewen 16 years ago

She knew she had done enough damage as it was. Too much of the truth would also destroy her husband. Though a bofoon, he loved her, and she realised she couldn't hurt him as much as she'd hurt Holden. After all he was a good man.
That was her way of trying to make things almost right again. She couldn't have all these things undone, but she could prevent them getting any worse.

**********
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[–] keatha 16 years ago

I think the reason she didn't tell Phil is because for all intensive purposes, it was his child. He would be the child's father and take care of it. Telling Phil it was someone else's baby would have made that father/child bond more difficult and possibly non-existant. He would have either left her or stayed with her, but either way the child would never feel like it was truly his.

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[–] summerskter 16 years ago

The phrase is "intents and purposes." Wow.

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[–] dbrockskk1 11 years ago

bravo! You beat me to it!!

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[–] GuyOnTheLeft 11 years ago

Do you agree that that is immoral though?

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[–] scarlett_belle 16 years ago

She goes with the security guard because he's pale and blonde and will look nothing like the baby, so Phil will feel secure that it is his.

The baby is shown with a head full of dark hair, just like Phil's, but also just like Holden's.

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[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mind_grapes42 16 years ago

I sort of thought it was because if she told him it was Holden, then Phil would know that the only reason the affair had ended was because of Holden's death. Instead, she made him think that she ended the affair on her own terms, which would make him feel more secure. Maybe?

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[–] lavender_pixie 15 years ago

These are all really good explanations. I wish there were more available interviews with the filmmakers, so we might, someday, get a concrete answer...

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[–] qotsa66 15 years ago

One thing people are forgetting to mention... she also had sex with Bubba, her husband´s friend. Even if that was just one time, while she had a longger affair with holden, it would still be possible that he would be the real father of the child.

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[–] Wolf-cub 15 years ago

Another idea was that it could be she wanted to spare Phil from too much pain. If he can think it was Corney, he can then "punish" him and then think it's an end to it. If he knew it was really Holden, Phil would forever feel tortured cos of it. He can't touch a dead man and he would hate him forever. Justine telling him it was Corney means it's easier for all of them and Phil can think he has "closure" on his wife's affair.

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[–] DustyStars 15 years ago

I always thought of it that she was seen as a good girl, and while Phil had found out that she had cheated on him, he would have thought a lot less about her if she had ratted out on Holden and didn't seem too upset about his suicide. There is been unfaithful, but seeming to have no concious is a lot worse.

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There the witch stayed for a long time
'We are such stuff as dreams are made on'

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[–] WanderingGeek 15 years ago

I assumed she didn't tell Phil to protect Holden.

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[–] lamont-hard 12 years ago

It's simple, she was caught the only way out of her hiding Holden, is to get Phill to think the child was his, If nothing, it would bye her time. He may never figure it out. the movie says this is Holden's gift to them.

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[–] GuyOnTheLeft 11 years ago

Yep, I was going to say the same thing. I'm surprised everyone assumes the baby is Holden's.

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See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

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[–] atukana 8 years ago

Just saw the movie. What you are forgetting is that she's been sleeping with Holden for a while versus Bubba who's she slept with just a (few) day(s) prior to finding out she's pregnant. So the child can't be Bubba's.

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