MovieChat Forums > Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) Discussion > Lazy, lazy plot development

Lazy, lazy plot development

posted 11 years ago by Buwzo
4 replies | jump to latest

Maxwell; "You can't have salmon from British rivers as the fishermen are kicking off. You can have these farmed salmon, or no salmon."
Jones: "As an expert, I know these farmed salmon will never run. So I guess it'll have to be no salmon."
Maxwell: "Ok, cool."

A short time later...

Jones (with huge excitement): "Sheikh! Sheikh! Great news! We can use the farmed salmon! They CAN run! They WILL run!"
Sheikh: "Well that really is great news, you obviously have done some research or have uncovered new evidence to suggest that farmed salmon are bad ass and can indeed run upstream."
Jones: "...Well, actually no..."
Sheikh: "Oh, ok... So, how do you know they will run?"
Jones: "...I just know!"
Sheikh: "Really? Don't you want to explain this sudden U-turn that will hugely affect the outcome of the project the film is about? Won't the audience who haven't dosed off by this point find 'I just know' a bit hard to accept as a believable reason for you changing your mind??!"
Jones: "..."
Sheikh: "..."
Jones: "Nah, we'll be ok."
Sheikh: "Cool, lets go to Yemen."

[–] CarmelaG 11 years ago

Uh, I don't think it was lazy. I think the good doctor changed his mind. He had a bit of an epiphany when his wife told him it was "in his DNA" to return to her. Hokey, implausible, whatever. Lame? But I don't think it was lazy. It was a deliberate turning point. I haven't read the novel, but likely it was in there, too. I actually thought this was a charming movie and enjoyed it.

[–] readerf61 9 years ago

It is hokey. But when I was a child, they actually taught us that Newton recognized the law of gravity while watching an apple tree, and occasionally one would fall to the ground. (Or that one fell on his head!)

Or that Crick "dreamed" the double helix of a DNA strand.

Apocryphal tales, but in reality, sometimes a great notion just strikes, someone says the right words, in the right order and a lightbulb goes off.

I found the scene quite believable. But then, I liked the movie.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

OP, you're forgetting about the "faith" the sheikh told Fred to have in the program and himself. So Fred goes with his gut instincts. Definitely not lazy writing!🐭