the ending...? Was it the main plot point? (spoiler)

--- SPOILER ALERT ---

I just caught this flick on IFC. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the storytelling. Well done.

But I have to admit, I wasn't sure what point Sayles was trying to make in the end. The movie obviously deals with the impact that development can have on a community. The 'bad guys' were shown to use underhanded (if not illegal) tactics to assemble the property required for their big-deal plans. Ironically, they lost the battle not because of activists but because of something from out of left field (meaning that it was a surprise in the plot line).

However, that last scene with the golfers seems to be telling us "you better be careful what you wish for... the alternative may be even worse..."

I found this ending particularly ironic given the heavy-handed presentation of the environmental message up to that point. It almost made Exeter (?) Estates look like good guys in comparison.