MovieChat Forums > The Dinner (2017) Discussion > The ending was explained......

The ending was explained......

posted 6 years ago by Silverman (270)
3 replies | jump to latest

We know from the step-mom talking on the phone that the black kid was ok and that crazy guy only hallucinated killing him.

We also know that they probably ended up hiding the murder and Gere likely said nothing.

The first clue is that when gere found out his Bill passed, they were so elated that they had temporarily forgotten about black kid - revealing the truth of his priorities.

The second clue is that earlier in the film, crazy guy narrated and said something like “ you are going to want to like my brother, but don’t be fooled- he will end up disappointing you”. This means that gere will likely loose his nerve and go from confessor to fellow conspirator, and he will likely try to contain the guilt of black kid by talking him down - thus dissapointing the audience by placing his career and recent success over the moral imperative of black kid.

At first I felt cheated by the ending, but after giving it a moment, it’s kind of clever how they gave you all the information you need.

[–] brux (14666) 6 years ago

I think you are hard on the Gere's character. You lose your job, your wife, you kids and everything. That was hard to watch. The sickness of Laura Linney and her son ... I wanted to rip that kids face off. That was truly ugly. What would real people do faced with relatives that do something like that, where the public doesn't know and might not find out.

It is kind of reassuring to remember that the Unibomber's brother turned him it as a suspect.

Whatever happened this is a movie that makes you think ... but in aural agony there is so much noise and craziness in it.

[–] Skater61 (36) 5 years ago

Aural agony is right. It might have been an arty, moody scene but in the moment it was impossible to follow. I had to rerun it twice.

@Silverman says Paul was hallucinating. I saw a rock in his fist and the scene cut before Paul was finished with Beau. Why doesn’t Beau come running to the safety of his father? I had no earthly idea what Paul had done to the poor kid.

Keep in mind the first time we saw the ATM we viewed it from an angle in which the boys appear less malicious, and no arson results. So how do we know Paul didn’t harm Beau?

I was disgusted that the film ended in such a confusing way.

Can anyone comment on the books ending?

[–] Renovatio (2990) 6 years ago

I thought the step mom only got voicemail... [spoiler]Beau is probably dead... [/spoiler]