MovieChat Forums > Right at Your Door (2006) Discussion > Was Brad being selfish?

Was Brad being selfish?

posted 16 years ago by klawbie
43 replies | jump to latest

I've thought this over and over, and my opinions are still split. I understand survival instinct, and I can empathize with his decision to make her stay outside. But I cannot imagine watching my loved one cry and beg for me to let them in, and refuse them. I don't know how I'd live with myself knowing that I chose my own life over their's. But Brad was being logical, and I only wish I had the courage to make that same decision.

BUT, I finally decided that he was being selfish, because it was never about losing one life instead of two. It was only about saving his. He expected his wife to just sit outside his window patiently dying, because if she hadn't, she would infect him. But when it came down to him being the one infected, he had no problem putting the entire neighbor at risk. Brad's instinct was to save himself, just like any other human being, but he never considered who he might hurt along the way.

Any other thoughts?

[–] tiger-lily-1 16 years ago

His character bothered me, even though he seemed attentive to her in the first scene....we later find out that she was supporting them; that they had had an argument the night before; that he was estranged from his family. There was something very needy and selfish about his character. Once the bombs went off and he tried to go find her but couldn't, he was unsure of what to do - seal the house, not seal the house, wait for her to return, lie to her mother......there was something inherently selfish about him. The ending bothered me, though - I felt like the writers were trying too hard to be clever. I liked the idea of the movie better than the actual script.

[–] frankgaipa 16 years ago

See or read Touching the Void. It's a very similar situation.

fg

[–] Soule187 16 years ago

I thought it was a pretty bad decision, because he had no friends or family it seemed like, and she was his entire world. What's the point for him to let her die alone in the yard and have to live the rest of his life regretting his decision? He seemed like he would probably have offed himself immediately afterward anyway.

That being said, I don't think anyone could be blamed for making either choice in that situation. It wouldn't have been to her advantage to get inside, unless just to prevent further exposure (but in that case he did let her in a section of the house). So he wasn't really hurting her. It's more of the principle, I guess, but when the principle means life or death is it really worth it? Sometimes, I think. Not always.

[–] scottmc2000bc 15 years ago

I think the girl is selfish. She shouldn't put his life in danger.

I wouldn't want to jeopardize my wife's life If she was inside and I was out. I'd want her to live. The woman is at fault.

[–] xyztun 15 years ago

Well, here's the thing; when Lexi first arrived at the house, Brad was right to keep her outside because he was responsible for the life of the neighbor's handyman. However, after the handyman's departure, it became a trickier moral decision.

By the way, how was BRAD the lethal carrier? He had no symptoms!

[–] Reva_C 15 years ago

Hm...I think that everyone would like to think they'd do the right thing by their loved one in such a situation...unfortunately, humans do strange things under stress. I have to admit at different points I thought both were 'selfish', but only because they were both scared, and people aren't logical when they're scared. I thought the strangest thing was that just when she'd settled down and accepted it, it was him that started to freak out.

I'm not sure that selfish is quite the word to consider in such a situation...I think it's more about what extents will people go for self-preservation.

[–] bogwart-1 15 years ago

He wasn't the lethal carrier, her mobile phone was contaminated and they left it covered in the house, where the heat accelerated the growth of the virus or whatever it was.

[–] anthony_retford 14 years ago

Carriers of diseases never have the symptoms. Did you ever hear about Typhoid Mary who was the carrier for that disease?

[–] azul_the_defiler 15 years ago

No, but he was being a wuss. Tell her strip down-leave the clothes outside,hose off then tape off a way to the shower (the water in your water heater is not exposed)bleach your wounds bandage yourself in the bathroom. Now you can leave her there, inside not exposed to ash. Now decide if you are going to risk dying later to be with your wife and die like a hero.

[–] KittyKat214 15 years ago

What do you people want!

You complains when the main character risks themself to save the someone, and you also complains when the main character didn't risk themself to save the other person.

Make up your damn mind.

[–] apocolypsejunkie 15 years ago

I would not leave my spouse outside to die like a dog on the front porch. We go together or not at all.

Now the president of my place of employment I would very much leave outside on the porch with relish, heh heh

If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.

[–] Charles-31 15 years ago

This was what so astounded me about this movie. They seem to assume the only choice is let her in and both die or leave her out and she dies, which turns out not to be the case, anyway. He should have been doing everything he could to help her and that includes trying to decontaminate her as much as possible and getting her into shelter, all of which he should have started immediately. He "eventually" thinks of shelter, but only to make her more comfortable, and the shower is just to make her feel fresh and clean? She may have been exposed, but why assume continued exposure would not cause any more harm? This movie is loaded with the "it's too late already" attitude everywhere. Why would people make that assumption so quickly? All in all a stupid movie.

[–] Strict_Vagetarian 14 years ago

that's exactly what i thought!! take her in the house, and then quarantine her in the house. if you say you love your wife, die with her! same if you say you love your husband, die with him!

Warner Music Group Sucks!

[–] T_Winterhalter 15 years ago

If I was in Lexy's position. I wouldn't LET my wife open the doors. I wouldn't accept infecting her and a complete stranger (who had his own family).

Yes, I think when she tried to break in, she was being very selfish. If I was in Brad's position I wouldn't have instantly resented her for trying to kill me.

I disliked someone's comment about wishing to die with their loved one. Sheesh man, your life must suck. Personally there are tons of reasons I would want to go on living. Not to mention I would feel horribly guilty if my loved one gave up their remaining life so they could die with me. You think it sounds romantic, I think it sounds insane. Life goes on buddy.

To summarize. Brad tried to keep her alive, himself alive, and the Spanish guy alive. Lexy tried to kill them all. The twist is. she succeeded and killed Brad. Nice job!

[–] apocolypsejunkie 15 years ago

Well aren't you just overflowing with the milk of human kindness. Sociopath.

Further more, I'm not your "man" nor your "buddy".
If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.

[–] dasbanjo 15 years ago

He's a sociopath for not wanting to die in vain? His statements are actually quite logical. Exept for the part about Lexi "trying" to kill them, which she didn't. She did however disregard the fact that that might be the outcome of her breaking the window. I'm not going to critisize any of them for being selfish. Lexi's lack of reason, however, was irritating.

[–] Strict_Vagetarian 14 years ago

how was she being selfish by trying to save herself by going into the house? wasn't he doing the same thing? and he wasn't being selfish?

whats the point of living without the people you love??

Warner Music Group Sucks!

[–] inko8 14 years ago

yes, indeedy, puncturing a quarantined building in a panic-fueled zombie fit was what lexi did. but that fact aside, this movie seemed like total b.s. anyway --especially to anyone who has watched "surviving disaster"-- even w/o tv advice from a navy seal, your own common sense should be giving you a headache after watching this poorly-written excuse of an outer limits episode.

as soon as this ended, i came to imdb and looked for the first entry on the cell phone of death and gave the movie two stars. instant gratification.

[–] dws100 15 years ago

Big *beep* I would probabily do the same thing.

Not just because of myself but also because they were trying to bury him alive. And I wouldnt go down like that without a fight also.

[–] apocolypsejunkie 15 years ago

What a pack of self-absorbed $hit heads. In light of what's getting cranked out of schools and today's "parenting" skills, I guess this should be no suprise. Still depressing, though.

Brad still got his for demonstrating the same attitude,..snicker snicker

If my answers frighten you then you should cease asking scary questions.

[–] drcoffyne 15 years ago

You do what you have to, to ensure the safety of the ones you love. If I was him, I would not have even hesitated before opening up and letting her inside. Of course, that presumes that we don't have kids. That detail would change everything.

If, on the other hand, I was outside, there is no way in heck I would allow my wife to open up and risk herself. True love is putting someone else above yourself. I pity those of you who are too crass to understand that.

[–] whookie 14 years ago

@drcoffyne

If both parties felt that way in a relationship then everyone is being moronic trying to defend or attack only one character for their choices.

Lexi desperately wanted to get inside, Brad wouldn't let her in because he was told not to... So who's the selfish one? Both are as bad as each other if you think along the lines of what you do drcoffyne. Not saying thats bad, just expanding upon your comments in relation to the characters in the actual film rather than your real life sentiments.

[–] dirklance_160 14 years ago

I can guarantee that apocolypsejunkie is a female.

First of all, to make it clear, I personally would not have let her in. I watched this film with my girlfriend of 5 years who has lived with me for 4 of them. We both agreed that it would be asinine to let ourselves die for one another. Why would I kill myself to be with my wife? This being a women who I could have never even met and fell in love with.

When I was born, I was not attached to this woman at the hip. I am my own person and for all I know she would do the same should the roles be reversed. And on the other side, if I was outside wanting in, instinctively at first I would be angry, like the woman Lexi in this film. However, I would have to understand that being let in the house would essentially kill both my partner, and in this case, the other man who was in the house with my partner. It's is selfish to want to take 2 other peoples lives. There's no real argument to that.

That would be like me saying, "honey, I have ebola. I want to make love to you tonight so that you catch it and you can die with me!" Yeah that's not sociopathic.... but somehow me wanting to keep 2 lives from being selfishly taken, is. You should really have thought this argument out.

And on to a point by the OP... he said that at the end of the film he tried to run out into the streets contaminating people so that made him selfish.

Ok well as far as I'm concerned, if you were trapped in a house that was probably as hot as an oven with no fresh air to keep your self alive only to find out that it was all in vein. THEN had people board you up inside your home. You would, and I would bet money on this, scramble to leave the house no matter what. THEN throw in the fact that they were trying deprive you of oxygen... would you seriously NOT try and get air? After 20 some years of naturally breathing air do you really expect to say... "oh well, guess this is whats best for everyone, I'll suffocate now".??? No, you wouldn't.

You would naturally try and find oxygen. You wouldn't stand there and let yourself run out of air. And do not even try and tell me that you would.

[–] inko8 14 years ago

i agreed with T_Winterhalter and i'm "a female." kinda blows that theory all to hell, doesn't it?

so unnecessary was your bigoted sexist generalization, yet the rest of your post makes perfect sense...
so i guess the lesson here is, "always keep reading," and "bigots are people, too!"

[–] dirklance_160 9 years ago

Yes I'm a bigot because I assumed that a woman was picking up for a woman who was acting selfishly. Of course I am! Makes much more sense than simply being at fault for making an assumption. I would bet you copious amount of cash that if I could, I would find that at points in your life, you picked up for someone of the same sex even if it wasn't warranted and, I would also bet, that you have thought sexists things yourself. I hear them all the time from people I consider to be completely neutral. So get off your high horse and reconsider your own d*** assumption that I'm a bigot.

See how I manage? I manage well.

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