MovieChat Forums > Changeling (2008) Discussion > I don't get this stupid bitch!

I don't get this stupid bitch!

posted 8 years ago by LuxuryJesper
7 replies | jump to latest

- Why not call a second doctor, to confirm/disconfirm the physical changes? – maybe a blood test to check his blood type?
Already after she'd spoke to the Captain about the changes, she clearly thought he was full of *beep* And afterwards - when the doctor he sent left, she was even more convinced about it. If you're so sure about something, even though an "expert" within the field says differently, why not get a 2nd opinion...

- Why not ask "Walter" personal questions, to which only he and she know the answers?

- Why not test his academic skills, to see if he's as good/bad at the stuff he was before?

- And most importantly, why not call a psychologist who can get some answers out of him?

It wasn't until John Malkovich's character approached her, that anything happened. Up until that point, all she did was just bitching and whining about him not being her son.

All these voices in my head, and not a single one I understand.

[–] beaconmike 8 years ago

Just a couple of thoughts (that may or may not be valid).

1) Keep in mind that around 1928 (when this story took place), women had only just been granted the 'right to vote' some 8 years earlier. Women were just starting to have a very minor voice in American society at that time. Christine Collins would have been raised as a child to be mostly subservient to men as it was a 'man's world' back then. Considering that Congress has never even yet passed a bill that makes it against the law to lynch someone (given southern Congressional opposition), you can begin to see the climate that existed for women back then.

2) Given the climate that existed, the Police were exerting an incredible amount of private and public pressure to have Christine 'at least play along for the sake of reducing pressure on the Police', that the case of the missing Walter Collins had been solved. People under suppression in 1928 didn't necessarily 'rock the boat and speak out', because they truly wondered what could happen to them. As you know, Christine was deemed mentally incompetent by a legal panel of people. It was those kinds of suppresive elements in society back then that kept most women under control. The film did not take place in 2016, where our society has changed incredibly in regards to Women.

3) I am reasonably certain that Christine knew all along that the impostor boy was not her son, but that she had to play the game, while trying to figure out how to find her real son. I don't think she was fooled one bit.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] LuxuryJesper 8 years ago

It's very easy to see that she thinks the captain is full of *beep* And after the visit from the doctor, she's even more certain of this. She keeps calling the captain, showing up at his office several times questioning his words, even though he's already given her his statement (which disproves your words about her feeling "suppressed" as a woman by men).

The other things you mention, are based on public stuff - the stuff I mention is based on private stuff. I'm not talking about her "speaking out" (which would be public), I'm not talking about the incident in which she's deemed mentally incompetent (this happened later on)

The stuff I've mentioned about looking into things yourself, is just pure logic. - Unless of course you're very stupid of not thinking of these things yourself.

All these voices in my head, and not a single one I understand.

[–] beaconmike 8 years ago

No Good Deed goes Unpunished!

[–] Trax-3 7 years ago

1) Keep in mind that around 1928 (when this story took place), women had only just been granted the 'right to vote' some 8 years earlier. Women were just starting to have a very minor voice in American society at that time.

If they only had "a very minor voice" they would never have managed to get the right to vote in the first place...

Nobody would have gone through with such profound change (the most profound of all changes in the last couple of centuries perhaps) because of "a very minor voice".

Major things like prohibition among others happened at the time because the women wanted it and they had the vote now.

[–] ihatemilkduds-543-396425 7 years ago

I'm way late to this party, but... did we even watch the same movie?

You don't recall her discussion with the dentist... the teacher... that whole scene with the imposter kid sitting in the wrong seat and "forgetting" his teacher's name... her statement to the press about having collected evidence from several experts on the matter.

I'm sure the power of the LAPD found ways to dismiss and vilify those testimonies.

[–] StrongRex (1294) 4 years ago

Yeah...she got WAY more than just a "second opinion."