MovieChat Forums > Life on Mars (2008) Discussion > Jeep a military vehicle?

Jeep a military vehicle?

posted 10 years ago by AxemanLOTRDT
7 replies | jump to latest

When Sam first arrives in 1973, he tells the cop that he was driving a Jeep. The cop replies incredulously, "You were driving a military vehicle?"

Granted, the Jeep was originally a military vehicle… in World War Two! By 1973, civilian ownership of Jeeps was common and Jeep had been manufacturing civilian versions for quite some time. It shouldn't have seemed out of the ordinary at all for someone in 1973 to say that he drove a Jeep.

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Every now and then say, "What the *beep*." "What the *beep*" gives you freedom.

[–] nitz_04 10 years ago

the jeep wasnt commerically available until after vietnam if my memory is ocrrect

In a world full of lies the truth is the only answer- Blaze J. Shilling

[–] schwatime 10 years ago

It was available long before then. The cop may not have been familiar with it, though.

[–] AxemanLOTRDT 10 years ago

A lot of surplus jeeps were sold off after WW2.

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Every now and then say, "What the *beep*." "What the *beep*" gives you freedom.

[–] sbaker777 10 years ago

They were "following" the same "joke" that was told in the original British series. They could have changed it to another vehicle, but the Jeep has "historical significance", whereas most other brands and models wouldn't.

If he had said any other vehicle produced in 2006 but not 1973, the cop would have asked WHAT is that?, and wouldn't have had the chance to make a reference to something that was of WWII vintage and wasn't sold to the public, until later, after the war.

It was a means to a joke.

Shoot him, cut out his tongue, then shoot his tongue.

[–] scott-269-715736 9 years ago

I have to agree the writers went out of their way to insert humor, which often came off as more of a distraction to the flow of the story.

I thought the cop's comment was extremely odd for 1973.

Civilian Jeeps (CJ models) were made from 1945 to I believe 1985. While not a common sight on the road they weren't considered an oddity. An driver of a CJ might say he was driving a CJ, possibly with the model number, but was far more likely to just say a Jeep.

If he had said I was driving a Wrangler at least that could have been confusing to the cop.

[–] TheManInOil 8 years ago

Some of the jokes are very forced. There's another moment in the show when he sees a pregnant woman and asks "Do you know what you're having?"

Gretchen Mol chides him, saying "There's no way to know what gender the baby will be." But realistically, that being the case, she wouldn't even have understood his question. A much more likely reply would have been: "A baby. Obviously."

[–] [email protected] (5497) a year ago

In the first episode, he also says to the cop. "I need to find my cell" and the cop asks him what he's selling. It's always startling to me to see how quickly new words and names come into common usage.
For a moment it reminded of Marty McFly at the lunch counter asking for , "A Tab", and the waiter says that he hasn't ordered yet. Why did he want his tab?

As for Gretchen Mol's character. I think she rightly assumed he meant boy or girl. A reply like, "A baby obviously" would come from a smart aleck (like me!).