MovieChat Forums > Babyteeth (2020) Discussion > Spoilers [interpretations]

Spoilers [interpretations]

posted 4 years ago by Artoisa (2)
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This was such an extraordinary film. I loved the cinematography, the actors were great, the absurd and comical elements. All the characters were likeable, meanwhile having human flaws (except for the terrible classmate in the wig scène). The only thing that bothered me a little bit are the coloured titles announcing a new scène. I also thought it really worked not to focus on what kind of cancer Milla had or what kind of drug addiction(s) Moses was battling with. Instead focusing on the relationships and coping with the situation. Some of my interpretations.. I was wondering what other people thought:

- When Milla meets Moses, it seemed like he saved her life and she was contemplating of jumping in front of the train. So the impact of his appearance was very big on Milla, next to physical attraction/interest and excitement. Did you also think she was on the verge of ending it all?
- When Milla walks outside in the end of the film, do you think this is really happening or that this is the moment she dies and she literally walks out of her body? The next day Moses does mention she woke up around 4 am.
- Also, I interpreted that losing her babyteeth was about becoming a woman/her deflowering or did it also had some connection to her nearing death?
- Do you think Moses was in love with Milla as heavily as she was infatuated with him? I felt that it was more a relationship of mutual dependance (he got clean and got to see his brother, and a family that cared for him) and she got to experience romantic love. Not to say he did not love her, but it was important and profound in different ways.
- Would it have added to the film if we knew more about the relationship between Moses and his mother? She did not let him in the house, but after a while, Isaac was at the beach and the birthday so they must have reconciled in a way. I would have love to see a scène dedicated to that. I would also have made it question Moses' motive for staying and feelings towards Milla less. But maybe they left it out to make the heartbreaking conversation between Milla and her dad (promising to take care of Moses) more impactful.

[–] Frogger (1) 4 years ago

I just watched this too, and really enjoyed it. My thoughts in response to some of yours:

-When Milla walks out at the end: I'm not sure if it happened or not, but after seeing the beach scene at the end, when she says she can't wait to go up into the sky (or something like that), it gives a much more poignant context to her staring up at the treetops and saying that the birds are crazy. I found that scene so beautiful even before realizing how important it was going to be.

-The tooth: I read it the same way you did. She's growing up but she's also moving on and shedding who she was.

-I think Moses was perhaps more in love with the *idea* of Milla (and with her family as well). Seeing what her parents were willing to do for her must have put his own parents into a different perspective for him. I think he saw someone who was young and had definite privileges and it might have taken him back to his own teen years before things went south for him. It's not like he's ancient, but I think he already had a bit of nostalgia for and appreciation of a young person with their whole life ahead of them (huge irony, of course) and they haven't made any big mistakes yet.

-I wondered if Moses's mom was going to be at the party after the title "everyone was invited"; I wonder if that title was even a reference to the fact that she had been invited, but declined to attend--? In my mind she let Isaac come because of Anna and Henry being there to "chaperone". I think the fact that he was there is a sign, however, that she will come around but that it will take her more time.

-That final scene was amazing, by the way. I love Ben Mendelsohn and he really broke my heart there.

Thanks for your post. I came here hoping that someone else had seen this and felt the urge to write about it!