MovieChat Forums > Reservation Road (2008) Discussion > The Ending ( Need your Opinion)

The Ending ( Need your Opinion)

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

When Ruffalo took the gun from Pheonix and pointed it at himself, Pheonix ended up walking away. What do you think that meant? He went there to kill him, but after seeing Ruffalo cry and say that not a day goes by where he doesn't think about his kid, Pheonix decides to leave him there. Really curious what the significance or meaning of that is.

Did he see that he was truly sorry and realize it was an accident and was going to let him make the decision on what he was going to do?

[–] irishaspaddyspig 10 years ago

No purpose is served by killing a man wracked with guilt.
Kill him and his suffering is over. Ethan's pain will never be relieved, whether or not he takes revenge.

a malcontent who knows how to spell

[–] NelsonVanAlden 10 years ago

Do you think he realized it was an accident? Would he have reported him to police if he Ruffalo didn't turn himself in?

[–] irishaspaddyspig 10 years ago

I think he always knew it was an accident. The fact that someone could drive away after killing his son was causing an additional pain and anger.
I don't think he would call the police.
Seeing his son's killer nearly as devastated as he allowed him to let go and finally grieve for his son without the anger distracting him from his pain of loss.
He let go completely when he embraced his wife on their porch. It became shared grief that pulled them back together.

a malcontent who knows how to spell

[–] Pregnat_asian_woman 9 years ago

Joaquin's character was under the impression that the guy who killed his son didn't care and was some kind of psychopath with no heart. But when he saw the man was just as ready to die as he was to kill him, it didn't really make much sense. He finally, hopefully, got some relief.

[–] Demarates 9 years ago

Indeed, he even talked about this killer "laughing at him". The man he confronted was nothing of the sort.

When I'm gone I would like something to be named after me. A psychiatric disorder, for example.

[–] always_keep_fighting 9 years ago

I think it was a combination of realizing that this guy's life would never be the same, just like his, and he could see how grieved he was. WP had lost his son, and now MR was going to lose his, though hopefully not forever. When MR tells JP not to make his wife and daughter lose their father, that got through to him as well. And like someone already posted, if he killed MR,his pain would end. By allowing him to live, JP knew he would suffer for the rest of his life, and that undoubtedly was a plus for him.
I think this was a very well-done story, and the actors/actresses nailed it.

[–] LTUM (974) 5 years ago

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