MovieChat Forums > Enid (2009) Discussion > Anyone else laugh at.... (SPOILERS!!!)

Anyone else laugh at.... (SPOILERS!!!)

posted 14 years ago by divechaz
11 replies | jump to latest

..the burial of the pet dog?

I know, I'm embarassed to admit it, but I just couldn't help myself.

Here was this touching moment, Enid's eyes all big and mournful as she's stroking the dog who's become so old and tired, and her husband trying to be strong about it. She's so sad and unhappy that he's not getting better ("Like the Doctor SAID he would!!!....")

And then cut to the gay voice over as she's busy typing away about how he's such a LOVELY dog, running about, stealing sausages from the larder, and she's giggling away while her husband's digging the grave outside.

The contrast of her sadness and the (dangerous!) escape into fantasy was captured so perfectly, I couldn't stop laughing

[–] torrgran 14 years ago

Nope, didn't laugh at that bit. I don't understand "the gay voiceover", it was HBC's voice wasn't it? But you got a rise out of it, so that's good (for you)

[–] divechaz 14 years ago

Oh, sorry, maybe I wasn't quite clear about the voiceover.

Yeah, I believe it was HBC. It was her voice narrating what she was typing up in the letter on her typewriter. Her tone was just incredibly bubbly and happy and delighted, I guess it was the contrast with the grave digging that gave it such an amusing tint (for me :)! ).

[–] torrgran 14 years ago

Yes, that was funny divechaz!

[–] hooper-xxx 14 years ago

Why do you refer to Helena Bonham Carter as "HBC?" It's The HBC.

[–] badgerking10 14 years ago

Both on the grounds of having lost several well-loved pets myself and on the grounds of how that scene showed just how completely divorced from reality the woman was, I certainly didn't laugh.

[–] Mike_severed_my_spine 14 years ago

I thought it was pretty funny as it did show just how selfish and self involved she was despite the fact that the dog was basically a more agreeable child in her eyes.

Often adressed as "Oh god no! Please stop, i dont want to die!!!!!!

[–] Maui3 14 years ago

IMO, that scene was meant as an ultimate irony of the film and character of Blyton and quite frankly, if you have any sense of irony and looking deeper it was quite a chilling scene, actually. And in that respect it was NOT funny at all.

[–] harrykins 14 years ago

Enid Blton wrote prolifically for children's magazines, in which her family life featured heavily. She portrayed a chocolate box ideal of her home, in which the dog (Topsy, if I remember correctly?) had a starring role. After the death of the dog, Enid felt unable to reveal the news to her young readers and continued to write about him, for some time, in the present tense.

Although I felt the drama to be overly harsh on the whole (it skipped all of Enid's outstanding early work as a teacher, for example, which was a shame), I thought this scene was well scripted, clever, and IRONIC - a possible insight into the mind of a fascinating woman. It is in no way the BBC having a laugh about a dead dog!

Beautiful costumes, wonderfully acted and a sumptuous recreation of a vanished era. Pity about the poetic licence but, hey, this is drama I guess!

[–] smoke0 14 years ago

Yes, it was funny, because it was so disturbing. Others who disagree are trying to typify the situation according to their own experience with losing pets and either can't or won't see what is really going on, so they dismiss the abject humor and miss the point of the scene.

Revenge is a dish that best goes stale.

[–] nyxi 14 years ago

Yep, gasped in shock and then laughed.

[–] Moss-37 14 years ago

What made me laugh is the way she spoke to her kids,espiecally the youngest..now that was funny...it was more like a comedy then a potray!