MovieChat Forums > Somersault (2004) Discussion > My Thoughts...SPOLIERS!! ! SPOLIERS!!!

My Thoughts...SPOLIERS!! ! SPOLIERS!!!

posted 15 years ago by Elizabeth02
9 replies | jump to latest

First let me just say, I loved this movie. It was a different kind of movie - mos.def not the average "hollywood" film. I also LOVE Abbie Cornish. I saw her for the first time in Candy (also one of my favs!). As for Sam Worthington - great actor and also very attractive!

Heidi was at times VERY immature, but she was young... I made me sad that she just gave herself up so easily to the first guy. And then Joe came around and it was like he totally used her. She was really unstable already from what happen between her and her mom's BF...

The part where Heidi meets Joe's friends - who cares where she works...at least she had a job! It was rude to make fun of her.

At the resturant - Why was Joe so mad/rude to her when they got there?? Because his friend was an ass to Heidi?

Joe and his dad - there seemed to be A LOT of tension there. For what reason, I guess we'll never know.

Guy kissing Guy - This party really caught me off guard. I had no idea that was going to happen. He was drunk, he had just had a fight with his friend and with Heidi. I guess he was confused as to what he wanted so he thought he's give the other team a try...??

Heidi and the 2 random guys - Wow. I can't believe that one guy was going to take advantage of the situation. I'm glad Joe showed up...even though it looked really bad on Heidi's part...It was also sad that she would go to that level. But then again, she was lonely and mad at Joe...was she trying to get back at him in some way?

The ending - was sad at first, then then thinking about it. Good for Heidi for not giving in. She was trying to get Joe to open up to her and he wouldn't budge. It is completely understandable that he was scared because they barely knew eachother, but if he could have given it a try to actually BE with her - it might have worked out. When he tried at the end, it was obviously too late.

Anyways, these are my thoughts (I guess I had a lot of them...)! What are yours?

[–] aoibhneas 15 years ago

"The part where Heidi meets Joe's friends - who cares where she works...at least she had a job! It was rude to make fun of her. "

What I got from that was his friends made fun of the fact she was so young. The Heidi agreed with the girl in the car that her work was a 'mixed-bag'. Then his friend said a mixed-bag of lolipops. I missed that the first time around.

"Guy kissing Guy - This party really caught me off guard. I had no idea that was going to happen. He was drunk, he had just had a fight with his friend and with Heidi. I guess he was confused as to what he wanted so he thought he's give the other team a try...??"

I saw a lot of similarites between joe & heidi. There were a couple of absent things he did. I'm not sure if it meant he was like her or just fascinated by her and trying to 'see' what she saw. Like when he held his had over the fish pond to see the shadow and looked through the red glass in the family friends house. I'm not sure why he made a pass at the guy but I think he was confused as she was and trying to work his own stuff out.

"Heidi and the 2 random guys - Wow. I can't believe that one guy was going to take advantage of the situation. I'm glad Joe showed up...even though it looked really bad on Heidi's part.."

I got the impression at the start of the movie that maybe Heidi had been abused by one of her mother's previous boyfriend's when she was younger. She thought by kissing the current one that this was how to please him. It would explain a lot about how she seemed to relate to all men. She had even gone to the ski station to meet a guy who she had something casual with before. It could also explain how disconnected she seemed from reality and how she seemed to examine objects/her surroundings not only because she enjoyed them but because it distracted her from what was really going on in her head and stopped her from thinking.

[–] aGuiltySoul 15 years ago

I loved this movie too. It's not run of the mill. It's different, creative, and very well performed. The production elements, especially the cinematography is top rate. This is definitely a movie that takes you away at the same time that it drives you deeper. Quite an accomplishment. (Love the music, too.)

Heidi was very immature. She's 15 years old, isn't she? But one sees that she's been on her own quite a lot too and it has made her jump ahead of her years. As for Heidi, "giving herself up...to the first guy," I'd be very much surprised if Heidi hasn't done this before. Remember the guy she calls when she gets to the ski resort? Heidi's experience of life, I suspect through her mother, is that sex is something you do when you meet a guy or to exchange when you need something.

The part when Heidi meets Joe's friends. The friends have already been teasing Joe about being seen with this young girl with a tramp's reputation. He's been downplaying it to them but here he is caught with her and she's obviously not aware that she's supposed to act casual and distant. It blows his cover. And that's why he's cool to her. He sees himself through his friends' eyes.

Guy kissing guy. Now we get to the source of Joe's unrest. He feels he's never been allowed, or allowed himself, to discover who he really is. His gut tells him he's not the swaggering stud his friends and family assume he is. And his fascination with the gay neighbor haunts him. One night he gets drunk and decides to try it out. The compassionate response of the neighbor is touching. I think he knows better than anyone what it means to not know your place in the world as a young person.

Heidi and two random guys. Yes, it was fortunate that Joe showed up. Heidi was in deep despair and had given up on herself. Next step, prostitution? But she had Joe to save her and the landlady to talk to. Sometimes compassionate strangers can make the difference in our lives.

Liked the ending. Not syruppy sweet. Just real like the rest of the film but more optomistic.

"I'd never ask you to trust me. It's the cry of a guilty soul."

[–] qweenkelli 15 years ago

"Heidi and the 2 random guys - Wow. I can't believe that one guy was going to take advantage of the situation. I'm glad Joe showed up...even though it looked really bad on Heidi's part...It was also sad that she would go to that level. But then again, she was lonely and mad at Joe...was she trying to get back at him in some way?"

I only saw it once but is it my imagination or did the 2 guys put something in her drink when they got back to her place and they were all on the couch?

"The golden rule...he who has the gold, makes the rules"

[–] techmanmac 15 years ago

I thought the most revealing scene about Heidi's charter was when she was staring at the man in the car. You just knew what she was thinking and hoping she was not going to approach or ultimately be with him. That's exactly what she was going to do when suddenly the wife shows up and gets in the car. Of course, the man staring back didn't help her any here either. Apparently, she craves any male attention she can get, whether it's because she had no father influence in her life or because of her mother's attitude toward men, who knows?
It's also obvious that Heidi is no little angel either. She must have had sexual encounters before the story starts, not that that justifies anything, just reality. Who's to blame? Well, you see this kind of stuff on Oprah and Jerry Springer all the time. I was not for sure how old she was suppose to be in this film, but I read somewhere she was 15. That would have explained a lot I think if it had been made clear. One would assume that she was young, but she was being admitted to bars, etc. without anyone asking. This was a little confusing to me. Maybe that's an Australian thing.
"I can't believe that one guy was going to take advantage of the situation." Well, believe it. This kind of thing happens all too often. It's human nature, I guess. And after all, she was putting herself out there looking for trouble and found it. A pretty young girl doesn't have to try too hard to get that kind of attention from all the wrong people.
Other movies with a similar subject include:
Lolita (both versions)
The Lover
The Crush
American Beauty
Christiane F.
The Girl With a Pearl Earring
Hard Candy
And the list continues. Just my thoughts on this.
BTW, what was that stuff Heidi eats at the restaurant? The best I could come up with was red hot peppers.

[–] sergia79 15 years ago

Yeah, it was a bowl of fresh chilli... Joe asked for them.

"You know mom, I'm crazy about this Asprin... can't believe we give it to children."

[–] aGuiltySoul 15 years ago

Here's a bit of my review/analysis of Heidi, Somersault, and Abbie' performance:

Heidi is a young lost teenage girl who is driven by her need for home, connection, friendship, and love. She instinctively follows her developing sexuality as the only means she knows to find them.

Abbie's stunning performance strikes a balance that portrays Heidi as equal parts promiscuous and innocent, resourceful and hapless, cunning and naive, woman and girl. Abbie gives a phenomenally sensual yet delicate performance.

This was my favorite Abbie Cornish performance before "Bright Star."

[–] filmfancy 13 years ago

Well said aGuiltySoul. Abbie Cornish was wonderful in this sensitive film. I would add that Sam Worthington was also terrific and the two had great chemistry together.

The whole film was beautifully done, from the sensitive portrayal of each character's inner loneliness to the overall melancholy tone. The music and remote setting fit as well.

There were many understated yet touching moments, such as Heidi looking at her diary decorated with glitter and pictures of unicorns, revealing her naivety and childish longing; or Joe desperately trying to get some kind of emotional response from his taciturn dad after returning home drunk.

As someone else mentioned, these two characters were inwardly alike in their loneliness and confusion. They both used their sexuality to avoid dealing with emotional pain. It's just that Joe, being male, was not looked down upon for having different partners.

I felt sad for Joe at the end as he seemed ready to open himself up more with Heidi. I was glad for Heidi though as it was better for her to return home with her mother, provided there would be better communication between them.

Although there seemed to be some genuine feelings between Joe and Heidi, Heidi didn't need someone treating her shabbily by coming and going whenever he wanted. She really needed stability, and hopefully she'll get some of that by going home, knowing that she is capable of being on her own if she just respects herself.

"Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night."

[–] voided-1 13 years ago

I think Heidi found she had immense power in her sexuality. This was probably the only way she could find to connect to people and affect them. Particularly men, but also more generally within social situations. She probably felt dissafected in all other ways, so sex was an outlet for her. This is probably also true about Joe in some ways. His sexuality was clearly troubling him. I think they were both trying to harness it and utilise it in ways that were damaging. When Heidi says she thinks it's good that they met, this seems to hint that they can both learn from thier encounter because of the similarities in thier character.

"A ship lost inches away from the bay."

[–] lindisney 14 years ago

i was kind of curious about the end as well. were we supposed to be seeing that joe was doing the things she said she does when she likes someone (touching their hand and giving them that look)? was that joe finally telling her how he felt? just not sure.