MovieChat Forums > Frágiles (2005) Discussion > Great movie but major plot flaw (SPOILE...

Great movie but major plot flaw (SPOILER WARNING)

posted 18 years ago by adriankoh-1
19 replies | jump to latest

The premise in this movie is that ghosts are able to go anywhere to be near the one they love. In other words they are not confined to their place of death. Hence Maggie (the girl) ends up in a strange hospital in order to be near Amy (Callista Flockhart's character).

So why can't Charlotte travel in order to be close to the ones she loves too? Which would of course undermine the whole foundation of the plot, i.e. that she is acting now because the children are being taken away from her...

Unless I missed something in the film? Has anyone else commented on this before?

Nevertheless a most enjoyable, atmospheric piece.. the ghost was frightening all right!

[–] SkulleryMaid 18 years ago

Charlotte loved the girl, Mandy, and wanted to take care of her forever. She stayed in the hospital because she "loved" -- in her own crazy way -- the kids. this was all explained in the movie when they realized that the only way to save them was to keep them in the hospital. The nurse wouldn't let them leave.

[–] adriankoh-1 18 years ago

My point is that if the kids were moved to another hospital, all Charlotte would need to do was to go along as well.. no need for all the havoc.

[–] Beechwill 18 years ago

I believe you're intended to see that she also loved the things associated with Mandy, hence her protectiveness of the alphabet blocks. She loved Mandy AND all the place's associations. She was obsessed with the orthotic limbs, the blocks, perhaps the old photo, other toys...which is why she "lived" on the vacant floor full of those things. That's the impression I got.

[–] Roving_eye 18 years ago

ya adrian, you're right, this is major flaw; because the two old lady's explaining the ghost, clearly state that its not rooted to either the place of death or the place of living; it simply roots itself to what it loves. So the ghost should have been mobile, and followed the kids instead of trying to keep them there.

kudos

the roving eye

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Feuerrader 17 years ago

Why did she break boy's legs at the beginning of the movie? She just attacked him, I don't call breaking someone's bones love. He wasn't even about to leave the hospital (or did I miss some line?).

[–] lady_amalthea-1 17 years ago

coz they were transported to other hospital

[–] movienerd1986 13 years ago

I agree, I think she stays because Mandy died there. Because she's obsessed with Mandy and maybe the hospital itself, and the blocks, rooms, etc. where "her" kids were. So, she COULD have followed the other children, but she wanted her cake and eat it too. At least that's my take on it.

[–] hellznrg 18 years ago

charlotte wouldn't leave the hospital because in addition to being obsessed with the children, she was also attached to the hospital itself.. but maggie wasn't particularly attached to the hospital..

[–] rburg_55 17 years ago

Charlotte was attached to Mandy but Mandy was killed in the hospital and stayed there, so Charlotte stayed there and also loved the others kids and the hospital as well so she stayed there and didn't want the new children to leave.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Obscure_beauty 17 years ago

The ghost was in love with the children but also in love with the hospital and her job. She was obsessed with being a nurse looking after children.

Maggie didn't love the hospital so she just followed Amy

[–] Cemetarygirl 17 years ago

Why is it that Charlotte is trapped Well just look at her. We can all become victims of ourselves. Stuck in a relationship,stuck in a job, house etc etc. Do you think that after what Charlotte did she was capable of rational thought. She was not rational in her life. Is it rational to break a childs bones in order to keep them with her. You want an irrational troubled woman to realise that she didnt need to throw herself down a lift-shaft in the way that she did, to know that she could have gone with Mandy? Oh and because of the circumstances of Mandys death it is highly unlikely that Charlotte would have been welcome in the after-life. Whereas Mandy moved on and Charlotte became stuck, and unrepentant exactly where we found her. In the story.
Your statement is the main flaw as is your knowledge of the after-life and what for some can happen.
Admittedly the story-line was to create a story, and so the grotesqueness was for effect. But that is the art of a good Ghost story.

[–] addicted_to_life 17 years ago

I actually watched the movie yesterday with a friend and we commented on the same thing. If she doesn't want to leave the children why not go with them. We heard the two old ladies say that ghosts are not bound to the place they died, or even lived. Saying that she loved the hospital and all it's stuff aswell is a good explanation which makes perfect sense.
We're not talking about Charlotte going with Mandy. Mandy died. It's about the children that are in the hospital now and are about to be taken to another hospital. Charlotte starts acting up, because she knows the children will be taken away from her. So if she can go with whatever or whomever she loves, why not just go with the children. Charlotte loves the hospital, the place where she lived with and took care of Mandy. So she can't bear to leave. It makes more sense to me now.
In my opinion, some might be overlooking things. It's a freaky ghost in a nice old fashioned horrormovie. I think they did a great job.

I'm sorry for the long post. Just trying to make it clear for myself.

[–] rokchick03 17 years ago

while reading all ur posts i was thinking exactly what furdion stated....one of the reasons why charlotte was stuck in the hospital and couldn't go with the children was for the simple fact that she killed herself...she was simply not allowed to move on and thus had to remain in the hospital...

another thing i think some of you missed was that maggie's reason for staying with amy was not just cos she loved amy....but because amy had 'mr.sleepy'...think about it...the chick was so attached to her blanky that she volunteerily went onto the second floor where psycho charlotte was just so that she could retreive it....

but overall, i was shocked at how good this movie turned out....and the effects for charlotte....dang creepy....brilliant ending....the whole sweet ending really balanced this movie out...kinda reminds me of the ending of dark water although that movie's ending was kinda sad....

[–] oceanaire 14 years ago

maybe because of the fact that charlotte committed suicide, which typically results in one's future in hell, she was trapped in the hospital. she wasn't a friendly spirit and perhaps her inner rage was meant to be contained in the hospital. maggie saved lives, not took them away.

i dunno, just a thought

[–] Ghost_Of_Me 13 years ago

Charlotte loves the hospital, the place where she lived, worked, and took care of children, especially Mandy. So she can't bear to leave that place. She loves the hospital and the children in it, so she snaps legs and arms to try and keep them in the hospital. Maggie at the end can leave because she loves Amy and her blanket. Makes sense if you think about it. Not to mention that Charlottes spirit wasnt a nice one, she had alot of rage inside.

[–] unknown_soul278 12 years ago

Charlotte was obsessed with Mandy (it never said she was obsessed with the others, and Mandy died (Charlotte suffocated her) in that hospital. Mandy was supposed to leave, then Charlotte started breaking Mandy's bones to keep her there. She could not stay near Mandy since Mandy was dead, but she stayed where she knew Mandy. I guess she could have followed Mandy to the afterlife, but I figure Mandy went to Heaven and Charlotte wasn't too welcome... child abuse and torture, child murder, suicide... don't religious people believe actions like that condemn a soul?

The wild, cruel animal is not behind the bars of a cage. He is in front of it.

[–] raf-33 9 years ago

I'm amazed that in two pages of posts everyone seems to have gotten the idea that she loved the children, she didn't, she was a sadist. She stayed behind because she could torment children, just like she tormented them before she was found out and forced to commit suicide.

She likely WAS rooted to that location, but what the old spiritual nutters meant was that she wasn't remaining for the hospital, but for the kids in it.

Ya Kirk-loving Spocksucker!