MovieChat Forums > The Good Night (2008) Discussion > Almost there..(conventiona l ending)

Almost there..(conventiona l ending)

posted 17 years ago by giaou13
8 replies | jump to latest

I strongly believe that Freeman's character should have died instantly in that accident!I just can not put up with any more Hollywood-conventional endings!I really do not know if there was a producer's pressure to make the director-writer end it like this,but as freeman's character had already chosen Paltrow(he would not have written the music piece otherwise)the last ten minutes are completely UNNECESSARY!!The director would have delivered a much more stronger message to the audience by "killing" freeman's character(beware when you wish your dreams come true,because maybe they will-or You do not really need more,you are just in a middle age crisis-you are just educated to be a consumer).This was a good movie but it could have been exceptional!It is a pity because it was almost there...

THE WORLD IS YOURS

[–] salndean2003 17 years ago

Doesn't make a difference. Jake Paltrow is the son of Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner, his sister of course is Gwyneth. He's on what you might call... a free pass. Still doesn't excuse him for boring the crap out of me.

[–] CiciRose 16 years ago

I agree, although I have to say I knew it was coming from the moment Mel mentioned how he hoped someone would figure out how to have a never-ending lucid dream. I sighed when that line came out, another conventional ending. Although seeing it a second time I didn't mind as much that he's in a coma, well, I should say that I thought the final shot (where we actually see him in the bed) was completely unnecessary, it's almost as if they were afraid people wouldn't get it without it spelled out for them. God forbid if they didn't get it, it be left slightly ambiguous.

[–] irabovsky 16 years ago

I understand where you're coming from- but I disagree. Although showing him at the end in a coma wasn't 'neccessary', I think it added to the film rather than took something away. Not everything in cinema should be ambiguous or else the flicks feel like they're trying to be indie and annoying.

[–] CoraJack 15 years ago

What do you mean "trying to be indie"...this movie WAS an indie film and the ending was ambiguous to me and I'm still trying to figure out if the next to last scene was a dream or not. To me--it's quite possible that the scene in his "dream house" was in real life and the last scene was just showing us that he was still alive thus making the 2nd to last scene a possibility.

I guess that as in all INDIE films (what do you have against indie films???) the ending is up to the viewer. Personally, that's what I like about most indie films, but this ending is driving me just about nuts.

[–] ixthvs 10 years ago

My first take was exactly what you've offered here, CoraJack, and I like it too. It opens the ending out into multiple options. Many people can't handle that, but I love putting my own mind to it. I was a bit surprised by the hospital scene too, because I thought the whole dream house business was his death or post-death dream. And you're right that he might wake from that coma, although the foreshadowing of the "permanent lucid dream" line does suggest that's where the director was going. I thought this film was heartfelt, realistic (in many senses of the word, but particularly emotionally)and full of excellent performances. I've never seen Danny DeVito play more earnestly real than in his work here.

[–] Thomasrq 16 years ago

I think it kind of was necessary. This is only my assumption, but to me showing Gwen at the bed side. Gave me the though that she has chosen him aswell.

If he walked across the street anything could of happened, in their relationship. I think him being in the coma, and showing her at this side, has shown that they both are with each other.

[–] nrvanagrl 15 years ago

Were you watching the movie timvassilopoulos? The point was that he ended up in a lucid dream state forever... killing him off would have been a pointless and unnecessary ending.

though I will say the whole surprise getting hit by a car had been overdone.

[–] CiciRose 12 years ago

I don't know if I wish it would've ended with his death, but I do wish they wouldn't have included the shot that show he's in a coma. The fact that we can clearly see he's dreaming is enough. Plus, it ruins any ambiguity the ending could have had (is he dead or in a coma?).

I normally don't care for ambiguous endings for stories like this, but this is a rare case where I think it would have fit beautifully, so much so that if I ever show the film to my family and friends, I'm stopping it before the coma shot.