Alright, perhaps it's lame for the daughter of the author to respond to these messages, but I'm doing to do it anyway.
a) I don't know how old all of you are, but if you are in or out of high school, you must have known (or maybe even been) an outsider in high school. How many people truly, TRULY, went out of their way to be nice to that outsider. Sure, maybe they weren't mean like Zack Minty's character, but how many of us honestly would have done more than Tick did? That's what so beautiful and heart-wrenching about this particular story. It's real! It's horrible, and I'm not saying I didn't want Tick to do more for John Voss, but that's the point, so few people WOULD have. The pressures on high school kids to be accepted and not do anything that makes them stand out is mystifying. I'm sure all of us are sitting here saying, I would have done more, but really, would you? I hope, HOPE, the answer is yes, and it if is, you deserve all the happiness in the world, and you're probably a better person than I am, but I'd venture a guess that many of us wouldn't do much more than Tick Roby. And like Miles said, "if that boy needed more than kindness, that's not your fault."
b) I think saying Zack Minty was "in love" with Tick is stretching it. I think he does care about her and likes her a great deal, but Zack's character has a long way to go before he understands the meaning of the word "love." This, of course, is not meant to diminish what's likely going on in Zach's mind. He's just as troubled in my opinion.
c) Why does John Voss attempt to shoot Tick? In my opinion, at this point, John has, in a sense, snapped. I don't think it's anything that Tick did or did not do. At least, nothing as specific as some of you are suggesting. Once John "snaps," he's no longer separating what's "good" in his life, Tick, from what's bad, everything else. He simply wants everything in his life to end. Whatever's in the past/present that has had ANY sort of effect on him has to be eliminated. It's the only way he can think to change things - even if it means he dies with them. It may not seem all that logical, but when you get to the point where there's a gun in your hand, logic has pretty much gone the wayside.
Yes, I'm far too close to this book and should forbid myself from looking at this website again because then I'm just compelled to answer everything...
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sparky84
19 years ago
No please! I really like that you have given your input and that you are so close to the author that we might get a sense of what he intended us to think, feel, or believe. In fact, I would almost want to ask you the question of what might have happened to their relationship down the road, if she really would have gone to visit him and remain a friend or if she followed the "out of sight, out of mind" ideology to try and put the travesty behind her.
I think you feel so bad for John that you hope he has some kind of "happy" ending in which he isn't entirely abandoned and that he knows that someone out there still cares about him, that's why I think I really wanted to know if Tick eventually visits him.
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JackieBlu
18 years ago
I agree that she did pretty much all any reasonable high school student would have done for a troubled outsider. But I don't understand why she was ever dating Zach Minty in the first place. Would a smart girl date such a flaming jerk? And why was he such a complete flaming evil jerk in the first place? Was his father cruel to him? Please know that I haven't read the book and have only seen most, not all, of the first half of the movie, so forgive me if this is explained in some way. He just seemed like the only unrealistic character to me.
Oh, and I hated Helen Hunt's mom (sorry, know the book from TV only) too. What a bitch she was to her daughter. No wonder her daugher was quasi unbalanced. Did your father write her as a sympathetic character and the actress just got it wrong? Estelle Parsons is my idea of the most annoying actor in the world, which doesn't help make the mother sympathetic to me.
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meggyvc
18 years ago
I'm really surprised by this comment, because I thought Estelle Parsons was perfect in this role. I read the book, and thought this casting was right on. Yes, she was supposed to be annoying with her daughter, and they had a contentious relationship. On the other hand, I absolutely hated Helen Hunt's character (yes, I read the book, but forgot her character's name) in the book and in the movie. I saw nothing redeeming about her. She isn't just quasi-unbalanced, she is perpetually on the verge of becoming unhinged. I can't separate my discomfort with her from my distaste for Helen Hunt.
I thought Ed Harris perfectly embodied his character. Was anyone else stunned by the actor who portrayed the young Paul Newman character? For a couple of minutes, I thought they had somehow used footage of Paul Newman when he was young, and then I realized it was Josh Lucas. I couldn't believe the resemblance.
I am so glad so many people watched this movie. Russo is a writer of considerable talent, and I am happy that his work is getting the attention it deserves.
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americanmovie2002
18 years ago
Why Would John Voss Shoot Trick:
In my opinion, he would not have. At about that point in the film I just lost it. I found his killings ridiculous and just evidence of poor writing. Aside from attempting to kill Tick, I doubted he would have done the killings at all.
For starters, as a poor child with no parents, no car, no money I don't know where he manages to get a handgun in a matter of days in the first place. In my knowledge school killings happen more often when guns are in the home, I doubt Voss' grandma had a gun around.
I also don't buy into this 'he snapped' arguement. I find it doubtful he never speaks or really does anything and then one day he goes postal. I just didn't buy it.
Before I get to the big more obvious reason, does it trouble anyone that Tick would seemingly never have gone out with a joke dopehead in the first place. Considering she is quiet and likes art, I don't see any connection she would ever have had in the first place.
And yes finally, why he would shoot someone who was nice to him. I couldn't believe people were critizing Tick for not doing enough. She is the only one really doing anything, except for the principal who again is killed when it doesn't make sense. The teacher too, what problem did Voss have with her. You'd think if he was gonna shoot someone he would have found the main bully, Tick's ex-bf, and shot him. It doesn't add up because it's not based on the characters. Its a forceful conclusion in order to invoke Ed Harris' confession of love to Tick and to have Newman re-appear.
Let me just add, that the entire Voss/Tick/old-ex-bf story line reeked of cliche and cheese. It was barely given any time to really develop and every time we cut away to it, I cringed having just seen a much finer story in the main Ed Harris tale. Why not have explored Aidan Quinn about his feelings toward his mother (we certainly saw Harris') or how about Newman's feelings on her. One these days the film should get "organized"
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sparky84
18 years ago
The book describes Tick as being a lively girl prior to her dating Zach. It was only after months and months of dating him and being bullied by him that she lost her sense of self and sort of retreated into this loner state; quiet and hunched over, not wanting to draw attention to herself because if she did then she would be a target for him again.
Zach was basically like an abusive husband to her. beating her up verbally, emotionally, or physically and then he would promise never to do it again and her would but her things and sweet talk her and she would go back to him. Unfortunately for Tick she has one of those personalities that is very co-dependent and reliant on affirmation so she is weak when it came to allowing him back into her life, as evidenced by starting to hang out with him and his group again. She wanted to be part of soemthing, even if it was bad.
Essentially I don't find it that hard to believe she would date a guy like Minty, she got the pushover personality from her father and Minty was looking for a girl just like that....someone who wouldn't push back.
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