MovieChat Forums > The United States of Leland (2005) Discussion > Almost perfect save for one big thing......

Almost perfect save for one big thing... the end (Spoiler).

posted 14 years ago by superfly169
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This movie was truly well written for the most part but got very lazy in how Leland die. Or more clearly how Allen (Chris Klein) killed Leland. Here is why, in order for Allen to have plan this he would have had to know that he would be put in the same facility as Leland (which is probable), know that he could get a knife (which is impossible and in the movie don't even attempt to explain it just that it came from Pearls lunch), lastly that Leland would be out in the yard at the same time that he is in the yard (which at best could only be a fluke since this was the first time Leland was allow out in the yard since being there and was only happened because it was a favor to Pearl done by one of the Jail personal).

Now, the fact that Allen all together didn't have enough motive to give up his life by killing Leland, unless he too was psychological mess up (such as Leland, Becky, and to some point Julie). If you observed him from the beginning of the movie you soon understand why this is opposite to his character, which up to when was stable, supportive, kind, and very mature. And the fact that his mother died a year ago and he still was that level headed makes it even harder to believe that he'd just snapped, And even when does "snap" and commits the robbery (they even make it a point to show how) he is polite saying "excuse me" when a woman runs into him and "thanks you" after the man gave him the money. What with this intentional contradiction?

I wish that they could have work out a better way because except for these issues the movie was touching and emotionally grabbing. So when this happens it take you out of the emotional soup that your in and reminds you, "oh yeah, it's only a movie"... so sad. I still gave this movie a 8 out of 10 but like this: the first 80% of the movie got ten out of ten and the last 20% got 5 out of ten. It would have been zero but aside for those issues the end was actually great too. Please don't be careless with such beautiful work, it is a shame to have done everything so great and not put the finishing touches on it. It's cake without the frosting, a Sundae without the fudge, a the plot without the climax.

[–] pennilayne 9 years ago

I agree with the likelihood of all that went down with the knife and him being outside at the right time etc being far-fetched,

But I disagree with the assessment of his character. You're right in that from the beginning--- to the end--Allen was a kind person, even saying "Thank you" after the robbery. Even down to when he kills him he says "It's all over now. Now it's over." That directly links all of his person together. He felt apart of that family, apart of their misery, was devastated he lost is mom AND Julie, and of course Ryan being murdered and and seeing his "family" in such agony when the mom was crying saying "It's never going to be over is it.?" At the funeral. He probably saw her like his own mom. And he probably blamed Leland for everything going wrong in his life after he lost his mom. He probably wanted to believe Julie broke up with him out of her depression from losing her brother. Snapping, after keeping emotions pent up inside (exactly like Leland) is completely realistic. His mind-set and murder was different than Leland's in that he wasn't depressed like Leland, like seeing the negative in everything-- in fact he saw the positive and was trying to have a family and a life after his mom died--and Leland took that away from him. They didn't show MUCH of his character, but enough, and gave enough insight into his past and what he was going through to why he would most definitely eventually emotionally snap and want to kill Leland out of love for his family, and because he felt his life was over anyway. The only family he had after his mom died had crumbled into depression, he lost his girlfriend he was planning his future around, he also had pain and probably just didn't get why Leland couldn't deal with pain like he did, so all his emotions and anger and pain and rage went to Leland. And he wanted to do something about it. To be honest, as far fetched as the ending was with how it happened, I gasped when I saw Allen coming... I didn't think or know it would be him, I thought it would be some random person. And I was wondering WHY he was robbing the store and actually believed him when he said "I was just trying to get out of town." At first maybe I thought he did it as a last ditch effort for attention from Julie, but the getting out of town thing made more sense.

So when I saw him going toward Leland, the whole thing clicked really well for me and I felt a lot of emotion and empathy for Allen's character. Sometimes keeping things subtle make it more intense. Keeping his character more subtle and his pain to the side, made the ending at least for me even more emotional and tied up everything fairly well. It didn't have to end that way. He could have been murdered by some random punk, not gotten murdered at all--whatever. But the movie had a good way of linking all the characters together for the most part. The only character I felt was very adrift from the film was Leland's mother. Her character was almost pointless. But having a snap, and still remaining a kind person is most definitely possible. He mostly did it for Julie's family and Julie. Which makes sense. He put all the love he possibly had once his mother died into Julie and her family.