MovieChat Forums > Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004) Discussion > Question about the END of the movie (SPO...

Question about the END of the movie (SPOILER)

posted 19 years ago by Apryl
16 replies | jump to latest

Some one asked me if Michelle was put to death at the end of the movie.

I told them, with authority, 'yes, she was put to death'.

It was then pointed out that they (Michelle and Bp. Jakes) were discussing her getting an appeal

I told them, with authority, 'no, she got no appeal. She was put to death'.

Ok... since that person that asked me isn't here, I'm going to ask those that saw it, or read the book, was she put to death?

See, I'm thinking, it was left only a little bit open ended because that's for US to think about, and that wasn't important...... but dang, wasn't she put to death?

And the house.... wasn't that door for that 'little girl' that was 'alive and well', and had been 'hiding'?

Help me out here.

[–] allofthis21 19 years ago

mmm....i think she had to have died bcuz of the title of the movie. She went to Heaven. there was nowhere on this earth that she could go where she would be free from her pain. so finally got to be free when she went to Heaven.

and i mite add that reggie burned in hell

[–] misssimilacchild 19 years ago

no she didnt die..

i read the book and it went in more detail.. but she didnt die ..

we are reading this selection in my book club you are free to join us..

http://s7.invisionfree.com/Seasoned_Souls/index.php

[–] desulaha 18 years ago

In response to allofthis21's post on 12/15/04 - I don't think that we could safely say that Reggie burned in hell. If he had accepted Christ as his Savior before dying - he would also go to Heaven.

The movie didn't touch on this - did the book?

[–] Ataliah 18 years ago

So this guy rapes and abused her, but decided to embrace a faith, he gets the same happy afterlife as a person who didn't decide to be cruel to others? That's a terrible belief. I'd like to think God looks at our deeds and not our faith. My god, what's the point of living a decent life if a rapist can go unpunished by a "neck verse"

[–] mhcjgds 17 years ago

If you accept Jesus on your death bed, yes, you still spend eternity in Heaven. The thief on the cross next to Jesus at Calvary was told that he would be in Heaven.

I think it was specifically left vague as to whether or not Reggie accepted Christ. We are not to judge. When he stood in the kitchen and lied about touching Michelle, then no, he was not being truthful. But, if he was truly repentent when he went to the altar, and accepted Jesus, then Yes, he would go to heaven.

He was apologizing to Michelle when she shot him. I believe he was repentant and trying to change. Otherwise, he had no reason 10-15 years later to apologize. He had lived that lie for so long, that unless he was truly trying to change, then he had no reason to finally admit to what he did.

We are rewarded in Heaven by our deeds on earth. So although he may go to Heaven, that doesn't mean that he will have the same rewards as one who lived right and followed Christ for a longer period of time.

We are not promised our next breath, and therefore we can't rely on making a "deathbed" confession to solidify our eternal home in heaven. We should accept Jesus and live right as followers of Christ, but through our Father's grace, He allows us up until our last moment to accept that He gave His Son and that Jesus died for us and to pay for the debt of our sins.

[–] dblouin 15 years ago

"We are rewarded in Heaven by our deeds on earth. So although he may go to Heaven, that doesn't mean that he will have the same rewards as one who lived right and followed Christ for a longer period of time."

You, like the other person I posted to, need to read Matt 20:1-16
a parable about heaven.

Don't think for a minute you have more golden bricks leading to your "mansion." Time in service is not a criteria for God's grace, or eternal blessings. Nor is personal righteousness. Our actions on earth are an overflow of the abundance of the grace we have received. But for one to measure another's overflow is to presume to know that person better than God does. Careful, my friend, you are treading on holy ground.

[–] dblouin 15 years ago

I realize this post is coming late to the debate, however...
You've obviously read the book of James more than Romans or the gospels. Of course you'd like to believe that God looks at our deeds (read YOUR deeds) rather than our faith (read YOUR faith). You believe you are a good, decent, righteous person. And if you are, that is wonderful. But if you pride yourself on your goodness, decency, or righteousness, you might be suprised at the things you see when you meet God. Will he condemn you? No? But, you will have full knowledge, of Him and of yourself, and it will only be His grace which covers you. That is why the character Reggie is thought to be heaven-bound upon his death. Not because of his "last-minute" confession (only God can know the true intention of Reggie's heart), but because of God's own intention.

If you had to stand before a moral judge, could you be absolutely certain that you could mount an adequate defense of your life based on your actions? ALL your actions, and actions only (as you imply that this is the only appropriate standard for judgment)?
Do you think, when you pass through the veil of this life to the next, that there is no reckoning? Regardless of whether you think "the blood of Christ" covers all sin, certainly, there is no thing which will be unknown to you. In the light of God's perfection, when passing into that light, every dark thing will be illuminated. Mercifully, it will be overcome, but that doesn't mean that these things will have been passed over; they will be passed through. It will be an awesome thing to fall into the hand of a Living God--but it is a merciful thing that He is also LOVE.
Do you truly wish to base your living a decent life or not on the notion that some might come late to faith, regardless of their work or sloth, love or hate, compassion or apathy, vice or virtue, and be given the same reward as you?
Read Matthew 20:1-16

Yours,
Deb

[–] citylove9 18 years ago

so, because he accepted Christ...
even though the movie insinuates that he didnt, because when loretta's charachter asked if he had ever touched the girl, he lied. he was trying to get loretta's charachter to believe that he was changing so that she could give him money to pay off his habit. i dont think he accepted Christ, (not that I believe that heaven is only filled with people who "accepted Christ" I'm pretty sure Ghandi will make it to heaven...)

[–] anewtvshow 19 years ago

She did not die. At the end of the original cut of the film it read: "Michelle's death sentence was overturned six months later. At her new trial, the original murder conviction was reduced to manslaughter. She was released on parole two years later. Michelle Jordan now counsels battered and abused women across the country."

[–] valencia-harrington 19 years ago

Good!!! cuz the end left me goin crazy about whether she died or not. but it was still a really good movie. i just wish they would have made it a lil more clear.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mariawong_99 19 years ago

For Apryl

The house with the door meant that she was finally ready to release the little girl in her and her pain. Before she had locked it away, no door out, so it festered into rage, self depreciation, drug abuse, abusive relationships etc.
Yes she had been in hiding especially since her own mother did not believe her accusations. Sexual abuse is terrible, but not being heard is actually even more devastating. (Would her mother have "heard" her and taken action to defend her/come up for her, the outcome of Michelle's life would have been very different most likely).

[–] JodeenSings 19 years ago

The version I just rented explains that Michelle was not a real person but a composite character.
I think the point that TD Jakes wanted to get across was not whether we die a bodily death but a spiritual death.
I think the house with the door symbolizes Michelle's character being freed from the bondage that her childhood home represented.

[–] NoellaSue 18 years ago

I just saw the movie and reading the threads. Do you remember that TD Jakes told Michelle that with no open door, no one would be able to live in that house. I believe the open door meant that Michelle was finally ready to let others into her life with the ultimate being Jesus - Remember the verse, I stand at the door and knock... Hence, "Woman, Thou Art Loosed"!

[–] dsg310 18 years ago

I was a little confused about the ending as well. When I read the book afterwards, it said what happened to Michelle. She was able to get a new trial; the fact that she was sexually abused by Reggie was brought up in the trial, therefore reducing her crime from first degree murder to manslaughter. She was eventually released from prison. Twana came to pick her up, but Michelle was a little surprised to see her mom there as well. As always, the book goes into a little more depth about why the characters were the way they were.

I saw this movie the day it opened and the next day. I was a little disappointed when I bought the DVD because there were no deleted scenes, no trailer, etc. I really enjoyed watching it, even though there was a scene or two that really disturbed me. I loved it because it represented a lot of unheard people out there, and nothing about the movie was sugarcoated.

As far as the house she built, I think it represented her life and how so many people mistreated her that she just closed up and didn't want anybody to get too close to her (the house w/o the door). She was afraid to let others into her life. When they showed the door at the end, it represented the fact that Michelle was finally able to let go of all her pain and struggles. She opened up her heart and felt free.

[–] darksidelingua 18 years ago

I have only watched the film, but I thought that it was left open ended. We don't know whether she was put to death or not.