MovieChat Forums > Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) Discussion > I couldn't stop wondering...

I couldn't stop wondering...

posted 9 years ago by jayhawk-18
5 replies | jump to latest

Why did they stalk him at the post office, why didn't they write first to get a reply?

Why did nobody else reply to the ad?

Why did she not ask him what happened the first time he went back in time?

Why was he able to call her, I don't recall them trading numbers when they first met?

Why did he need to steal all that equipment if he had done it once already?

Why did they need weapons?

Why did he say at the end 'I've changed the mission, we're going back for you'? I thought it had been agreed that they were going back to a date he had in mind which would also be convenient for her plans, although what plans are those exactly...how is she going to stop her mother from dying? Wasn't it cancer?

edit - I've since become aware that this had actually ran in a newspaper somewhere and the makers of the movie decided to use it verbatim in the film.

The movie was likeable and the characters were amusing enough, but there were too many spots where I realised that gaps in the plot were being papered over with jaunty music and montages.

I thought the most interesting aspect was the subplot involving her boss who has been given the chance to go back in time as it were and re-evaluate his choices in life.

[–] spookyrat1 9 years ago

Why did they stalk him at the post office, why didn't they write first to get a reply?

I think the producers were looking to create more humour.

Why did nobody else reply to the ad?

Who knows. Does it really matter?

Why did she not ask him what happened the first time he went back in time?

I agree. It just seems weird that she never asked him about the first trip.

Why did he need to steal all that equipment if he had done it once already?

I don't know. She probably should have asked him that too. Maybe he was updating the hardware.

Why did they need weapons?

He's that sort of guy isn't he? Eccentric is arguably understating the obvious.

Why did he say at the end 'I've changed the mission, we're going back for you'?

I think he was genuine when he said his earlier trip had been successful (re: Belinda). Therefore he has decided to refocus the mission on Darius's needs concerning her mother.🐭

[–] realbullet 9 years ago

Why did they stalk him at the post office, why didn't they write first to get a reply?

Because they are reporters on a deadline (plus the head reporter wanted to visit the hometown of his boyhood crush -- the story idea was just an excuse.)

Why did nobody else reply to the ad?

In the context of the story, hundreds responded to the advertisement, but none seemed qualified to Kenneth.

Why did she not ask him what happened the first time he went back in time?

Because she did not (at first) believe him. She is only trying to get the story. He would not have told her anyway until he began developing trust in her.

Why was he able to call her, I don't recall them trading numbers when they first met?

Do you need to see every detail to know that it works?

Why did he need to steal all that equipment if he had done it once already?

IMO -- his "once before" is literal. We all travel through time once. An alternative idea is that he was not as successful as he could have been.

Why did they need weapons?

Because somebody was after him.

Why did he say at the end 'I've changed the mission, we're going back for you'? I thought it had been agreed that they were going back to a date he had in mind which would also be convenient for her plans, although what plans are those exactly...how is she going to stop her mother from dying? Wasn't it cancer?

Because it is all an allegorical love story. "Time Travel" means making a commitment. When he says, "we're going back for you", it is equivalent to asking her out. He is giving up on his old girlfriend and moving on with Aubrey Plaza. (Contrast this with the senior reporter who could not give up on his old girlfriend.)

It's like in the end, he says, "You take my hand and I will show you who can travel through time." When she takes his hand, they are making a commitment to each other.

I thought the most interesting aspect was the subplot involving her boss who has been given the chance to go back in time as it were and re-evaluate his choices in life.

Jeff, the senior reporter, is a contrasting (and interesting) character. The story is about regret. Even then, he still doesn't understand. He tells Arnau that the secret to life is cool glasses. When Arnau gets to the room, the first thing the girl does is remove those glasses. That's because Jeff still doesn't get it.

Darius and Kenneth let go of the past and move on together.

👿 I know something you don't know ... I am ambidextrous!

[–] Tychoxz 9 years ago

She gave her number on a Campbells' can when they first met.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Just_Jimmy 8 years ago

If he goes back to prevent Darius' mom from dying, that may screw with the time continuum and they may never meet now in the future because her life is better.