Panic room plothole(?) (spoilers)
Phil7101
It's established early on that Jodie can talk to the robbers from inside the
panic room over the PA system, but they can't talk back to her. So why is it
that later on when the two robbers are in the panic room, she miraculously
finds an intercom to talk to them that nobody mentioned before? Did David
Koepp's 4 million dollar script just happen to omit this minor detail...
STEPHE96
Yeah, I noticed that, too. But the lamest contrivance in the script was the
911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us a break.
>
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Reagen Sulewski
news:20020329233148...@mb-mn.aol.com:
Well for one thing, the robbers were in a different room when that
happened. The robbers just never thought to check in the bedroom for an
intercom.
hi
"Phil7101" <phil...@aol.comomomomom> wrote in message
news:20020329233148...@mb-mn.aol.com...
A Thousand Points of Ice
news:20020330001445...@mb-fx.aol.com...
Yeah, the 911 angle was pretty lame. Also, what was not satisfactorily
explained to me was how did the cops know to come back to the brownstone
after she told them to get lost. And what happened to her ex-husband after
all this?
All in all, not Fincher's best work. I happen to love The Game, but most
people hate it or dont' understand it.
_______________
Icebreaker
Mimi: "I waited all night for you wearing nothing but this fur coat."
Drew: "So it is true! Their suffering didn't end after being skinned alive."
Phil7101
won't read it and get it SPOILED for them
David Holmes
But Burnham (Forest Whitaker) was the one who designed the system. That's
how they knew all about the Panic Room.
If there had been an intercom, wouldn't he have known it?
David
Unless someone else added it later.
"Reagen Sulewski" <r-sul...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:Xns91E131DBBA3...@24.66.94.159...
Rodrick Su
news:xkmp8.171566$q2.16576@sccrnsc01:
> Space ....
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> But Burnham (Forest Whitaker) was the one who designed the system.
> That's how they knew all about the Panic Room.
> If there had been an intercom, wouldn't he have known it?
>
The 3 men were on the ground floor when Megan Altman uses the intercom.
The outside intercom is located on the master bedroom, where Megan later
uses.
--
[ Rodrick Su [ ]
[ r...@tigana.com [ I might be crazier than you think ]
FIFI
Another plothole that I would like explained....
When Meg was looking at the house with the real estate agent and the other
guy (whose name escapes me), they said that the panic room door would not
close if there was an arm or or foot at the door - the green sensor light
would detect that and therefore, nothing would get "caught" at the panic
room door. But Raoul had his arm caught in the door and I haven't figured
out why that happened if the door was to be guarded by a sensor?
FIFI
"Rodrick Su" <r...@tigana.com> wrote in message
news:Xns91E179BBCFE...@207.217.77.22...
Moviezzz
get something out of the safe in that room. We won't hurt you."
Or why didn't they just come the next day, during daylight and say "Hi, my
grandfather used to live here and I think he left something in a safe upstairs.
Can I go check?"
Reagen Sulewski
news:qopp8.193173$eb.10...@news3.calgary.shaw.ca:
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> Another plothole that I would like explained....
>
> When Meg was looking at the house with the real estate agent and the
> other guy (whose name escapes me), they said that the panic room door
> would not close if there was an arm or or foot at the door - the green
> sensor light would detect that and therefore, nothing would get
> "caught" at the panic room door. But Raoul had his arm caught in the
> door and I haven't figured out why that happened if the door was to be
> guarded by a sensor?
The sensor only worked with two beams, one about chest level and the other
ankle level. If nothing was interrupting them (you can clearly see that
his hand isn't) then the mechanism isn't going to be tripped. It didn't
cover the entire height of the doorway.
Arthur Lipscomb
>
> A better question, why didn't they just say at the beginning "We just want to
> get something out of the safe in that room. We won't hurt you."
They tried that, she didn't believe them.
>
> Or why didn't they just come the next day, during daylight and say "Hi, my
> grandfather used to live here and I think he left something in a safe upstairs.
> Can I go check?"
There wasn't supposed to be anyone there that night or the next day.
Had they realized someone was living there in advance and the grandson
did that, there would be no incentive to cut the others in on it. In
fact, he basically decided to do that, which is what got him killed.
Robert Matthews
"A Thousand Points of Ice" <icebr...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> "STEPHE96" <step...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:20020330001445...@mb-fx.aol.com...
> > >
> > >OK maybe I missed a minor detail somewhere, BUT...
> > >
> > >It's established early on that Jodie can talk to the robbers from inside
> > >the panic room over the PA system, but they can't talk back to her. So why
> > >is it that later on when the two robbers are in the panic room, she
> > >miraculously finds an intercom to talk to them that nobody mentioned
> > >before? Did David Koepp's 4 million dollar script just happen to omit this
> > >minor detail...
> > >
> > Yeah, I noticed that, too. But the lamest contrivance in the script was
> > the 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us a break.
And Meg calling her ex-husband's girlfriend a bitch on the phone and
ordering her to put him on the line instead of just saying, "Three men have
broken into my house! Call for help!" (I can sort of understand how her emotions
might have taken over, but still.)
> Yeah, the 911 angle was pretty lame. Also, what was not satisfactorily
> explained to me was how did the cops know to come back to the brownstone
> after she told them to get lost. And what happened to her ex-husband after
> all this?
And that glucose meter: does such a thing exist? How is it supposed to work
if it isn't actually connected to the girl's bloodstream? And was there not one
single food item in the room that could have raised her blood-sugar level? I
would have thought that a room that's supposed to get you through a siege--a
room that's a equipped with a toilet, for heaven's sake--would have at least a
couple of days' worth of nutritionally complete food.
There were quite a few plotholes in the movie. I still enjoyed it a lot.
The slow-motion sequence was astounding; I could hardly breathe.
> All in all, not Fincher's best work. I happen to love The Game, but most
> people hate it or dont' understand it.
"The Game" is probably Fincher's best movie to date (it also has plotholes,
but within its hermetically sealed universe it's perfect), and unjustly
overlooked. It certainly ties with "Panic Room" as his funniest. (I'd like to
know why Salon's critic is so bitter; he wrote about "Panic Room" as if it were
a dour, humourless, bleak movie, but the audience I saw it with laughed a lot,
and so did I.)
Robert Matthews
Robert Chao
I wonder if most people are seeing the movie because of Jodie Foster's nightgown
or whatever you call that.
John Harkness
wrote:
>I doubt an ordinary flashlight can project that far.
>I wonder if most people are seeing the movie because of Jodie Foster's nightgown
>or whatever you call that.
>
>
Looked like a maglight flashlight, which are much more powerful than
your standard two-cell flash.
John Harkness
Andrew
: And that glucose meter: does such a thing exist? How is it
: supposed to work if it isn't actually connected to the girl's
: bloodstream?
I think the meter shown in the film is a little ahead of its time, but
they apparently are not far off. I attended a seminar where I saw
a slide of something not quite as advanced as was shown in the film:
it's sort of an arm band, more obtrusive than a wrist-watch type
thing. I'm not sure how it monitors blood glucose, but I know science
is experimenting/developing alternate ways to test blood sugar.
Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
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Rodrick Su
news:pyramus-EEAB5F...@nr-tor02.bellnexxia.net:
> In article <uabh6i9...@corp.supernews.com>,
> "A Thousand Points of Ice" <icebr...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>> "STEPHE96" <step...@aol.com> wrote in message
>> news:20020330001445...@mb-fx.aol.com...
>> > >
>> > >OK maybe I missed a minor detail somewhere, BUT...
>> > >
>> > >It's established early on that Jodie can talk to the robbers from
>> > >inside the panic room over the PA system, but they can't talk back
>> > >to her. So why is it that later on when the two robbers are in the
>> > >panic room, she miraculously finds an intercom to talk to them
>> > >that nobody mentioned before? Did David Koepp's 4 million dollar
>> > >script just happen to omit this minor detail...
>> > >
>> > Yeah, I noticed that, too. But the lamest contrivance in the
>> > script was the 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us
>> > a break.
Ahm, it happens.
>
> And Meg calling her ex-husband's girlfriend a bitch on the phone and
> ordering her to put him on the line instead of just saying, "Three men
> have broken into my house! Call for help!" (I can sort of understand
> how her emotions might have taken over, but still.)
Not a problem for me.
> And that glucose meter: does such a thing exist? How is it supposed to
> work if it isn't actually connected to the girl's bloodstream?
It's a new product that just came on the market within the past 12 months.
It's call Glucowatch (though the real product doesn't quite look like
that). It uses a small current to extract fluid across the skin. There is
a daily replacement of the sensor pad, but that is not a problem within the
contex of this movie.
> And was there not one single food item in the room that could have raised
> her blood-sugar level? I would have thought that a room that's supposed
> to get you through a siege--a room that's a equipped with a toilet, for
> heaven's sake--would have at least a couple of days' worth of
> nutritionally complete food.
The panic room was stocked by and for the previous owner, who is probably
not a diabetic. When Megan realized what was happening, she went thru to
look for anything with fast acting glucose content, which was what the
daughter did when they first went into the panic room. She didn't find
anything immediately, and Megan went thru on ALL of the consumable's label
to find sugar. Remember, glucose can be derived rather easily from
carbohydrate, which is probably what the rations contains. At one point
during her search, she read out loud that the thing she thought have sugar
have sugar substitute instead.
> There were quite a few plotholes in the movie. I still enjoyed it
> a lot. The slow-motion sequence was astounding; I could hardly breathe.
I'm a Type II diabetic (Sarah was a Type I) so my experience can be a bit
different. Other than some small nitpick point, there really isn't much
plot hole for me.
Rodrick Su
news:3CA6361B...@inreach.com:
> I doubt an ordinary flashlight can project that far.
It looks like a Xenon bulb diving flashlight. And believe me, it will got
that far (I own one).
ANIM8Rfsk
>> > script was the 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us
>> > a break.
Ahm, it happens. >>
aaalllllllll the time. Our 911 service is so bad, some companies instruct
their people to call the regular police or fire number and NOT 911, in case of
an emergency.
Douglas Bailey
> (I'd like to know why Salon's critic is so bitter; he wrote about
> "Panic Room" as if it were a dour, humourless, bleak movie, but the
> audience I saw it with laughed a lot, and so did I.)
I generally get the impression that Salon doesn't like *any* movies.
doug
--
---------------douglas bailey (trys...@world.std.com)---------------
this week dragged past me so slowly; the days fell on their knees...
--david bowie
A Thousand Points of Ice
news:pyramus-EEAB5F...@nr-tor02.bellnexxia.net...
> And that glucose meter: does such a thing exist? How is it supposed
to work
> if it isn't actually connected to the girl's bloodstream?
Others have already commented on this, but as a Diabetic myself, I do know
that there is, on the market, a fanny pack type device that can
automatically inject you with insulin, so a blood/sugar level
detector-wrist-watch-thingy is within the realm of possibility and
probability.
>And was there not one
> single food item in the room that could have raised her blood-sugar level?
I
> would have thought that a room that's supposed to get you through a
siege--a
> room that's a equipped with a toilet, for heaven's sake--would have at
least a
> couple of days' worth of nutritionally complete food.
I didn't see any food in there, did you?
> "The Game" is probably Fincher's best movie to date (it also has
plotholes,
> but within its hermetically sealed universe it's perfect), and unjustly
> overlooked.
It's in my Top10 all time favorite films list. The Panic Room reminded me
somewhat of SLIVER, only Panic Room is better. Wonder what Fincher could've
done with Sliver had he directed it instead of Noyce?
Dan Day
>OK maybe I missed a minor detail somewhere, BUT...
It wasn't explained, but I thought it was obvious.
>It's established early on that Jodie can talk to the robbers from inside the
>panic room over the PA system, but they can't talk back to her. So why is it
>that later on when the two robbers are in the panic room, she miraculously
>finds an intercom to talk to them that nobody mentioned before?
Simple: The robbers knew a lot about the system, but didn't
know absolutely every feature it had. They didn't know that there
was one spot in the house where an intercom could be used to
talk into the panic room. So it wasn't that they "couldn't"
talk back to her, it's that they didn't think they could.
This also makes sense because they would know most about the
features that the monitoring company would have to know about,
but not necessarily customizations that had been done
entirely for in-house use.
Jodie Foster, on the other hand, knew about it either because she
had been fiddling with that very control panel just before
going to bed (the film showed her experimenting with it), or
because she heard the PA voice come out of it once the thieves
were inside and looked over the panel at that time.
Dan Day
>
>Yeah, I noticed that, too. But the lamest contrivance in the script was the
>911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us a break.
It happens more often than you'd think. So do 911 busy
signals.
Dan Day
<icebr...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Also, what was not satisfactorily
>explained to me was how did the cops know to come back to the brownstone
>after she told them to get lost.
The young cop seemed pretty sharp, and apparently had
good instincts -- he kept thinking something might be up
even after the other cop bought the "three things in bed"
story and made fun of the young cop ("you gonna ask her
what the three things were?")
Plus, speaking of 911, even if they had put her on hold
and hadn't heard her emergency, simply calling 911 at
all logs your address at the 911 headquarters, and by
the time the cops had arrived they may have already had
gotten the cross-reference info about a 911 call from
that address.
There have been plenty of cases of people who have
called 911 and then not been able to speak at all
(or stay on the line) and cops have been dispatched
to the calling address to check it out based merely
on the "no one on the line' 911 call. One of the
funnier examples was the guy's cat who managed to
hit the 911 "speed dial" button on the phone when
he wasn't home. The police still came to the house to
check out the call.
For that matter, I'm almost certain that Jodie Foster
managed to say more than just "there are three..."
to her ex-husband before the line was cut, IIRC she
got out the entire sentence about there being three
men in the house. The cops may have gotten a fuller
story than they were letting on when they were quizzing
her.
> And what happened to her ex-husband after
>all this?
Went back to his bimbo after getting patched up in
the hospital, presumably.
ANIM8Rfsk
and hadn't heard her emergency, simply calling 911 at
all logs your address at the 911 headquarters, and by
the time the cops had arrived >>
You are assuming the 911 operator DOES something about the call. It's their
discretion, it's not like the system automatically sends cops to anybody who
dial. They can choose to send police now, or when they get the chance, or
never.
Andrew
: that there is, on the market, a fanny pack type device that can
: automatically inject you with insulin, so a blood/sugar level
: detector-wrist-watch-thingy is within the realm of possibility and
: probability.
True - it's called an insulin pump or "the pump" as my friend calls
hers - but that simply pumps insulin in via an infusion, into fatty
tissue. And the pump doesn't monitor blood sugar itself. Trying to
intervene in the blood stream is a lot more complicated than pumping
insulin into fatty tissue, though it looks like it will happen down
the line: an insulin pump that also monitors blood glucose, i.e. an
artificial pancreas, essentially.
Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
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hi
there is something that diabetics use to tell what their levels are that
doesn't have to be attached. they just put a tiny smidge of blood on it and
it gives them their reading.
PS - if all movies did not have plotholes, they wouldn't be able to make.
thats why Ive learned to ignore and just watch film.
The Game? I LOVED that film.
"Robert Matthews" <pyr...@nospam.mac.deleteme.com> wrote in message
news:pyramus-EEAB5F...@nr-tor02.bellnexxia.net...
Rodrick Su
news:3ca6686c$0$17315$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au:
> what does the glucose meter look like?
You can see a picture of the real product @ their website.
http://www.glucowatch.com. The movie version is sort of future wishware,
but actual product does exist. It just doesn't look as nice.
> there is something that diabetics use to tell what their levels are
> that doesn't have to be attached. they just put a tiny smidge of blood
> on it and it gives them their reading.
This version doesn't uses blood. Instead, it draws fluid from the skin via
electric current.
robert w hall
"Robert Matthews" <pyr...@nospam.mac.deleteme.com> wrote in message
news:pyramus-EEAB5F...@nr-tor02.bellnexxia.net...
> "The Game" is probably Fincher's best movie to date (it also has
plotholes,
> but within its hermetically sealed universe it's perfect), and unjustly
> overlooked. It certainly ties with "Panic Room" as his funniest. (I'd like
to
> know why Salon's critic is so bitter; he wrote about "Panic Room" as if it
were
> a dour, humourless, bleak movie, but the audience I saw it with laughed a
lot,
> and so did I.)
As did the audience I saw it with. Esp. funny was the interaction between
the three thugs. Leto fussing about his burns, Raoul, etc was very funny.
Overall, I liked it. Very suspenseful at times.
A couple things I thought were wrong/unrealistic:
1) it took a loooong time for the police to stop by after the husband
called;
2) if this were real, wouldn't the NYPD have shot (20-30 times) Burnham as
was on the fence (he was black, this is New York) instead of talking to him?
Rob
>
> Robert Matthews
robert w hall
> "FIFI" <noe...@noemail.com> wrote in
> news:qopp8.193173$eb.10...@news3.calgary.shaw.ca:
>
> > SPACE....
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Another plothole that I would like explained....
> >
> > When Meg was looking at the house with the real estate agent and the
> > other guy (whose name escapes me), they said that the panic room door
> > would not close if there was an arm or or foot at the door - the green
> > sensor light would detect that and therefore, nothing would get
> > "caught" at the panic room door. But Raoul had his arm caught in the
> > door and I haven't figured out why that happened if the door was to be
> > guarded by a sensor?
>
> The sensor only worked with two beams, one about chest level and the other
> ankle level. If nothing was interrupting them (you can clearly see that
> his hand isn't) then the mechanism isn't going to be tripped. It didn't
> cover the entire height of the doorway.
Right... same as with my garage door which has a sensor a few inches off the
floor (I can jump over it and out without stopping the door's movement..)
Rob
> >
>
Arthur Lipscomb
>
> On Sat, 30 Mar 2002 09:03:28 -0500, "A Thousand Points of Ice"
> <icebr...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> > Also, what was not satisfactorily
> >explained to me was how did the cops know to come back to the brownstone
> >after she told them to get lost.
>
> The young cop seemed pretty sharp, and apparently had
> good instincts -- he kept thinking something might be up
> even after the other cop bought the "three things in bed"
> story and made fun of the young cop ("you gonna ask her
> what the three things were?")
I really liked that the cop asked her to signal him by blinking. I was
ticked off that Jodie didn't give him a signal.
Jodie could have said my daughter is being held hostage, and there are
cameras watching everything, so pretend to leave. But, for sake of
argument even if her character wasn't bright enough to think to say
that, the cop came out and told her to use a nonverbal signal in case
someone was listening (which as Jodie knew, they couldn't hear her).
>
> > And what happened to her ex-husband after
> >all this?
>
> Went back to his bimbo after getting patched up in
> the hospital, presumably.
Presumably.
I don't know what was going on in the daughter's mind when she said he
wouldn't help. That didn't make any sense. It's not as if there was a
back story previously disclosed which would indicate his indifference to
the murder of his ex-wife and daughter.
robert w hall
"Arthur Lipscomb" <aalip...@ucdavis.edu> wrote in message
news:3CA682B8...@ucdavis.edu...
> Dan Day wrote:
> >
> > On Sat, 30 Mar 2002 09:03:28 -0500, "A Thousand Points of Ice"
> > <icebr...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> > > Also, what was not satisfactorily
> > >explained to me was how did the cops know to come back to the
brownstone
> > >after she told them to get lost.
>
> I really liked that the cop asked her to signal him by blinking. I was
> ticked off that Jodie didn't give him a signal.
Oh, I think she did. Since we didn't see her face during the entire
conversation, I think she did signal him. And they returned later...
Rob
Arthur Lipscomb
Yeah, I wondered about that as well. But then I figured if she had
given a signal, either she or the cop would have mentioned it in an
offhand comment at the end. Either she gave a signal the audience isn't
privy too, or the cop just didn't believe her. Perhaps the husband's
girlfriend called the police when he didn't return and the police put
two and two together. However, I can't think a scenario that would
reasonably justify an entire swat team.
mvshaney
Heh, in my area, 911 personnel have recently begun a media campaign to reduce
911 call volume cause they're overloaded. Seems people around here think it's
appropriate to call 911 to report a stray dog or noisy neighbors, call for help
with a flat tire, or even ask for directions!
ANIM8Rfsk
reduce
911 call volume cause they're overloaded. Seems people around here think it's
appropriate to call 911 to report a stray dog or noisy neighbors, call for help
with a flat tire, or even ask for directions! >>
Sigh. Our ex-mayor did that. She was late for some meeting, and called 911 to
ask where it was being held. They were unimpressed. Note that she's our
EX-mayor, now.
Robert Matthews
"A Thousand Points of Ice" <icebr...@mindspring.com> wrote:
> "Robert Matthews" <pyr...@nospam.mac.deleteme.com> wrote in message
> news:pyramus-EEAB5F...@nr-tor02.bellnexxia.net...
> >And was there not one
> > single food item in the room that could have raised her blood-sugar level?
> > I would have thought that a room that's supposed to get you through a
> > siege--a room that's a equipped with a toilet, for heaven's sake--would
> > have at least a couple of days' worth of nutritionally complete food.
>
> I didn't see any food in there, did you?
Yup, I did. When Meg was rifling through the boxes, there was a fairly
short shot of a bunch of foil packages lying on the floor, at least one of them
ripped open. It's called retort packaging, and it can preserve food for years. I
think she was just looking for something that would raise the girl's glucose
level almost immediately, and not finding it. There are dessert items in retort
pouches, but maybe there weren't any in the panic room--maybe it just had
main-course stuff, enough to get you through a few hours or a day.
Robert Matthews
Denise Perry
This makes sense. I also thought it was rather suspicious that when the cop
mentioned she could blink to give him a signal, she specifically did NOT blink,
so much so that it did not look normal -- everyone blinks regularly -- she
appeared to be fighting the normal urge, as opposed to making a "blink" sighal.
It would be (movie) cheating for her to have blinked off-camera to give them a
signal.
>
>> And what happened to her ex-husband after
>>all this?
>
>Went back to his bimbo after getting patched up in
>the hospital, presumably.
This is where it's at!
http://www.will.uiuc.edu/WILL_Contents/WILL/news/livewill.ram
Denise Perry
<pyr...@nospam.mac.deleteme.com> wrote:
>In article <uabh6i9...@corp.supernews.com>,
> "A Thousand Points of Ice" <icebr...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>> "STEPHE96" <step...@aol.com> wrote in message
>> news:20020330001445...@mb-fx.aol.com...
>> > >
>> > >OK maybe I missed a minor detail somewhere, BUT...
>> > >
>> > >It's established early on that Jodie can talk to the robbers from inside
>> > >the panic room over the PA system, but they can't talk back to her. So why
>> > >is it that later on when the two robbers are in the panic room, she
>> > >miraculously finds an intercom to talk to them that nobody mentioned
>> > >before? Did David Koepp's 4 million dollar script just happen to omit this
>> > >minor detail...
>> > >
>> > Yeah, I noticed that, too. But the lamest contrivance in the script was
>> > the 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us a break.
>
> And Meg calling her ex-husband's girlfriend a bitch on the phone and
>ordering her to put him on the line instead of just saying, "Three men have
>broken into my house! Call for help!" (I can sort of understand how her emotions
>might have taken over, but still.)
>
Am I the only one bothered by the fact that here is Jodie Foster's character,
who obviously married an older, very rich man (so rich that she can afford this
millionaire's brownstone) and now she's upset that he's traded her in for a
younger model. She doesn't appear to have a profession of her own (when asked
what she does, she says she's going to take classes at Columbia, I believe).
Her character acted as if it would not be normal to be upset by a call from the
previous wife at 4:30 in the morning (going along with earlier comments that
Jodie's character seemed the more needy of her and her daughter).
robert w hall
"Denise Perry" <dpe...@uiuc.edu> wrote in message
news:3ca722b2....@news.cso.uiuc.edu...
<snip>
> Am I the only one bothered by the fact that here is Jodie Foster's
character,
> who obviously married an older, very rich man (so rich that she can afford
this
> millionaire's brownstone) and now she's upset that he's traded her in for
a
> younger model.
<snip>
You are not the only one. When I first saw the husband, I was thinking--
why did her father show up?? I was dissapointed that her character didn't
have an ex-husband closer to her own age. It just felt wierd to me..
Rob
Dan Day
>Space ....
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>But Burnham (Forest Whitaker) was the one who designed the system. That's
>how they knew all about the Panic Room.
I didn't get the impression that he had designed or built
the particular security system for that house, just that
he worked for the company which monitored (and possibly
had built it originally way back when), and had built
similar systems for them.
Sherri_lu
they hold it up
Ang
>> > And what happened to her ex-husband after
>> >all this?
>>
>> Went back to his bimbo after getting patched up in
>> the hospital, presumably.
>
>Presumably.
>
>I don't know what was going on in the daughter's mind when she said he
>wouldn't help. That didn't make any sense. It's not as if there was a
>back story previously disclosed which would indicate his indifference to
>the murder of his ex-wife and daughter.
That was a little bit confusing to me initially as well, but I presume it was
meant to underscore an implication that the Altman divorce was not a pretty one
and that it has colored Sara's perception of her father. Perhaps the line
would've worked better had there been more (less subtle) indications of a great
rift between Meg and her husband. Since seeing the movie I've been saying that
it could've run longer, leaving time for more character development, rather
than immediately jumping into the drama the very night Meg and daughter move
in. Then again, perhaps the general moviegoing public lacks the attention span
for such a thing.
***********
"Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence."
- Henrik Tikkanen
Bob
Sherri_lu wrote:
Its simple. The father is a hugely successful businessman. Well known. Very
rich. He simply traded in his last trophy wife ( our heroine ) for a new trophy
wife..
Bob
robert w hall
"Sherri_lu" <sher...@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:b7e111c6.02033...@posting.google.com...
> >the husband was only 11 years older than her look at the license when
> they hold it up
> > You are not the only one.
Interesting..though the actor (Patrick Bauchau) is 63, and Jodie F. is 39,
so it's really a bit more than 11 years.... :)
Rob
Jayhawker
"STEPHE96" <step...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020330001445...@mb-fx.aol.com...
: >
: >OK maybe I missed a minor detail somewhere, BUT...
: >
: >It's established early on that Jodie can talk to the robbers from inside
the
: >panic room over the PA system, but they can't talk back to her. So why is
it
: >that later on when the two robbers are in the panic room, she
miraculously
: >finds an intercom to talk to them that nobody mentioned before? Did David
: >Koepp's 4 million dollar script just happen to omit this minor detail...
: >
: >
:
: Yeah, I noticed that, too. But the lamest contrivance in the script was
the
: 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us a break.
I'm not sure where you live, but that is not weird. I had to call 911 while
I was working the midnight shift in St. Louis once, and was on hold for over
5 minutes.
Jayhawker
Jayhawker
"robert w hall" <robert...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:IJup8.14471$Eb5.1...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
:
:
: A couple things I thought were wrong/unrealistic:
: 1) it took a loooong time for the police to stop by after the husband
: called;
Yeah, bu they probably had plenty of other calls to respond to. We had
already established that 911 was overloaded.
: 2) if this were real, wouldn't the NYPD have shot (20-30 times) Burnham as
: was on the fence (he was black, this is New York) instead of talking to
him?
:
I assume this is a joke. While it would have been a realistic, I don't
beleive EVERY black man gets shot, especially in the back.
Jayhawker
Smaug69
Well, the husband probably tried to call her back after her line went
dead and then decided to go over to her house when he couldn't reach
them by phone. He probably heard the part about there being 3 men in
the house(I can't remember if he said he called the police when Meg
asked him) and even if he didn't his new girlfriend/wife would have
been very upset when he didn't come back home or call and she couldn't
reach them by phone. Add to that, the 911 call- which would have been
logged and the Meg's number traced- and the suspicions of the police
officer at the front door and it all adds up to something bad going on
in that house. Hostage situations normally always call for SWAT teams.
That's their bread and butter.
Smaug69
Geoff
<chil...@ix.netcom.com> deposited this nugget in this here
newsgroup
Just saw the film last night. That was one thing I wondered
about, knowing that Nicole Kidman had apparently been first
choice for the Foster role. Kidman, I can see as a cast-off
trophy wife, even if she is only 35. Foster, on the other
hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife. I would think
they got married for different reasons.
Regards,
Geoff "Whatever those might have been."
"Words, words. They're all we have to go on."
--Guildenstern, in Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead"
Dawn Taylor
Geoff wrote:
>Just saw the film last night. That was one thing I wondered
> about, knowing that Nicole Kidman had apparently been first
> choice for the Foster role. Kidman, I can see as a cast-off
> trophy wife, even if she is only 35. Foster, on the other
> hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife. I would think
> they got married for different reasons.
Men marry much younger women for all sorts of reasons. And they come in all sorts of
shapes and sizes.
At least that's what I've observed <ahem> ... Geoff.
Dawn
Bob
Geoff wrote:
> On Mon, 01 Apr 2002 06:36:05 -0800, Bob
> <chil...@ix.netcom.com> deposited this nugget in this here
> newsgroup
> >>
> >>
> >>Sherri_lu wrote:
> >>
> >>> >the husband was only 11 years older than her look at the license when
> >>> they hold it up
> >>> > You are not the only one. When I first saw the husband, I was thinking--
> >>> > why did her father show up?? I was dissapointed that her character didn't
> >>> > have an ex-husband closer to her own age. It just felt wierd to me..
> >>> >
> >>> > Rob
> >>
> >>Its simple. The father is a hugely successful businessman. Well known. Very
> >>rich. He simply traded in his last trophy wife ( our heroine ) for a new trophy
> >>wife..
> >>Bob
>
> Just saw the film last night. That was one thing I wondered
> about, knowing that Nicole Kidman had apparently been first
> choice for the Foster role. Kidman, I can see as a cast-off
> trophy wife, even if she is only 35. Foster, on the other
> hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife. I would think
> they got married for different reasons.
>
> Regards,
> Geoff "Whatever those might have been."
>
>
Jodie Foster, when dressed to "the nines" is a very attractive lady.
As for the film, look at her twelve or so years ago, and you could see a "trophy
wife". The character of the husband looks much older than her.
Mind, this is only theory on my part. Aside from the girlfriend on the side, the
reasons for the disintegration of the marriage are really not discussed
in the film, IIRC. Anyway, I did not see it as a "plot hole". But then, a am NOT the
worlds greatest authority on marriage breakups ( and hopefully will never be.)
Bob
Bob
Jayhawker wrote:
One of the major complaints about 911 ( as I have read, and not experienced) in
New York City is being put on hold when you call in.
Bob
Geoff
<dta...@clackamasreview.com> deposited this nugget in this
here newsgroup
>>
>>
Ack. I cannot disagree. I was only commenting on Bob's
characterization of Foster's character as a "trophy wife."
That, to me, implies certain characteristics that I don't
see in Foster. That's all.
You're certainly right about men marrying younger women for
all sorts of reasons. I've done it twice already. ")
Neither one of them, however, was what I would call a trophy
wife.
Regards,
Geoff "Well, okay, maybe a bowling trophy."
Geoff
At this stage of the game, I should hope not! ")
I don't deny that Foster is a very attractive lady. I've
always liked her looks. But still, I've never seen her as a
trophy wife. Too smart, too headstrong, too independent.
She's just not the right type, sexy as she is nonetheless.
So, no, I don't see it as a plot hole at all.
Just...puzzling. Something to yak about.
Like the poor, befuddled folks who couldn't figure out
whether the kid was a girl or a boy. Sheesh!
Regards,
Geoff "Gender confusion: it's perplexing!"
STEPHE96
I don't doubt that people calling 911 sometimes DO get put on hold...but to
hang an entire suspense plot on such a contrivance strikes me as pretty
desperate.
Bob
STEPHE96 wrote:
> I don't doubt that people calling 911 sometimes DO get put on hold...but to
> hang an entire suspense plot on such a contrivance strikes me as pretty
> desperate.
>
>
From what I have read, in LARGE cities, being put on hold for a 911 call is not
that uncommon.
'Bob
Bob
Geoff wrote:
I get this insane picture in my mind of you throwing a young lady down the alley, she
skidding towards the pins.
I think I should start drinking again. AAAARRRRGGGGGHHH.
Bob
STEPHE96
Again, I don't doubt that it DOES happen, but in a suspense film...let's just
say the audience I saw it with starting laughing and groaning when she was put
on hold.
In a comedy it might work, but I don't think "Panic Room" was supposed to be
THAT funny!
Marty Feldman
i'm not surprised. it really does seem to depend on where you
live...and probably what day/time you call.
one day, we'll hear, "your call is very important to us. please hold
the line. did you know that most emergencies can easily be handled
through by-stander assistance? please use our faxback service for
more details, or see our FAQ at www.itsallyourfaultanyways.com. press
1 for fire, press 2 for ambulence, press 3 for tips on how to use your
glock...
>
> Jayhawker
Bob
STEPHE96 wrote:
> Again, I don't doubt that it DOES happen, but in a suspense film...let's just
> say the audience I saw it with starting laughing and groaning when she was put
> on hold.
>
Where do you live? (city, I'm not asking for your address.)
Ang
>Again, I don't doubt that it DOES happen, but in a suspense film...let's just
>say the audience I saw it with starting laughing and groaning when she was
>put
>on hold.
>
> In a comedy it might work, but I don't think "Panic Room" was supposed to be
>THAT funny!
The audience I saw it with (totally PACKED house) found much humor in the film,
more so than I did. Leto's dialogue got the most giggles. I've heard from
several people that the humor served to temper the "scariness" of the film and
thus was an asset. I enjoyed the humor aspect, particularly Jodie's improper
politeness toward the robbers on the intercom: "excuse me, get out of my
house." Then the *daughter* (emphasized for those with gender identification
problems) encouraging her mother to sound tougher by using expletives. :-)
As for being put on hold in a 911 call, I did hear a couple groans and giggles
from the crowd after that one. I live in what you may consider a big city (Las
Vegas), but fortunately I have not yet had the occassion to test whether such a
thing happens here. :::knock on wood:::
Ang
Marc Fleury
> Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
A chacun son gout.
--
Marc.
Marc Fleury
> Or why didn't they just come the next day, during daylight and say "Hi, my
> grandfather used to live here and I think he left something in a safe upstairs.
> Can I go check?"
Burnham believed that they were on tape. They had already broken in by
the time they realized the house was occupied. If they came back the
next day, the residents would recognize them from the security tapes.
(He didn't realize at the time that the cameras were not recording.)
--
Marc.
Geoff
deposited this nugget in this here newsgroup
>>> Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
>>
>>
>>A chacun son gout.
Ack. I don't speak French. Could you translate, please?
Regards,
Geoff "Just another dumb American."
Geoff
kas...@uselessspamaccess1.net (K. Smith) deposited this
nugget in this here newsgroup
>>
>>> > Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
>>
>>the second one.
>>
>>Which works very well in the movie now that I know it was Nicole Kidman on
>>the other line when Foster made the phone call to her husband.
Very good point, K. Thank you for the clarification.
Regards,
Geoff "Bob started it, not me."
Ronald O. Christian
wrote:
><< But the lamest contrivance in the
>>> > script was the 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us
>>> > a break.
>
>Ahm, it happens. >>
It happened to me. I called to report a fire and immediately got put
on hold. Panic Room is supposed to take place in New York, right? I
hear it happens quite often there.
>aaalllllllll the time. Our 911 service is so bad, some companies instruct
>their people to call the regular police or fire number and NOT 911, in case of
>an emergency.
In fact, that's a well-known phenomenon in queueing theory. When an
unregulated high priority resource becomes available, usage increases
to the point where the low priority resource is faster. It's why I
have local police and fire numbers in the Pilot, so I don't have to
deal with 911.
Ron
http://roc85.home.attbi.com
"If UN peacekeeping had been involved during the US civil war,
it'd still be going on today."
ANIM8Rfsk
have local police and fire numbers in the Pilot, so I don't have to
deal with 911. >>
Yep. Plus, the 911 operators here are nasty and incompetent. I had prowlers
in my back yard in the middle of the night. I called and said "there are two
men in my back yard; I *think* it's just teenagers fooling around, but I can't
tell 'cause they're crouched in the bushes; one is dressed all in black, the
other in camaflauge"
to which she replied, in the snottiest tone possible
"Did you actually SEE someone, or do you just THINK you heard something?"
yeah, lady, I though I heard two possibly teen age males crouching, one in
black, one in camo
Denise Perry
>Someone said:
>
>> > Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
>
>Millionaire Men Fact: First wives are never the "trophy wife". It's always
>the second one.
>
>Which works very well in the movie now that I know it was Nicole Kidman on
>the other line when Foster made the phone call to her husband.
>
Look at the husband's age versus Jodie's -- what makes you think she was the
first wife?
This is where it's at!
http://www.will.uiuc.edu/WILL_Contents/WILL/news/livewill.ram
Dawn Taylor
"Ronald O. Christian" wrote:
> On 30 Mar 2002 23:46:49 GMT, anim...@aol.comNOSPAM (ANIM8Rfsk)
> wrote:
>
> ><< But the lamest contrivance in the
> >>> > script was the 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us
> >>> > a break.
> >
> >Ahm, it happens. >>
>
> It happened to me. I called to report a fire and immediately got put
> on hold. Panic Room is supposed to take place in New York, right? I
> hear it happens quite often there.
It happened to me when I lived in California. I was working in a coffee shop (the
same one used in "Pulp Fiction," to make this even more on-topic) and a guy came
in, ranting and raving, saying he was going to go get a gun and come back and kill
everyone in the place. I jumped on the pay phone, dialed 911 ... and was put on
hold as soon as they answered.
Dawn
Douglas Bailey
> >>> Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
> >>
> >> A chacun son gout.
>
> Ack. I don't speak French. Could you translate, please?
"To each his own."
doug
--
---------------douglas bailey (trys...@world.std.com)---------------
this week dragged past me so slowly; the days fell on their knees...
--david bowie
robert w hall
"Geoff" <gbur...@erinet.com> wrote in message
news:3cac9e2c$0$1420$272e...@news.execpc.com...
> On 3 Apr 2002 20:41:12 -0800, ma...@panel1.com (Marc Fleury)
> deposited this nugget in this here newsgroup
> >>gbur...@erinet.com (Geoff) wrote
> >>> Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
> >>
> >>
> >>A chacun son gout.
Ewwww...gout is foot disorder, right?
robert w hall
"Denise Perry" <dpe...@uiuc.edu> wrote in message
news:3cacb233....@news.cso.uiuc.edu...
> On Thu, 04 Apr 2002 14:34:26 GMT, kas...@uselessspamaccess1.net (K.
Smith)
> wrote:
>
> >Someone said:
> >
> >> > Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
> >
> >Millionaire Men Fact: First wives are never the "trophy wife". It's
always
> >the second one.
> >
> >Which works very well in the movie now that I know it was Nicole Kidman
on
> >the other line when Foster made the phone call to her husband.
> >
> Look at the husband's age versus Jodie's -- what makes you think she was
the
> first wife?
More likely #2 or #3...
Rob
Michael Black
>
> Again, I don't doubt that it DOES happen, but in a suspense film...let's
just
> say the audience I saw it with starting laughing and groaning when she was
put
> on hold.
>
> In a comedy it might work, but I don't think "Panic Room" was supposed to
be
> THAT funny!
If that wouldn't have happened, the movie would have ended a lot sooner. It
is, after all, a suspense film. By having us on the edge of our seats with
the being put on hold to 911 and then not knowing how much the father heard
keeps us more in suspense. I belive that was the entire idea of the film,
n'est-ce pas? By adding a completely PLAUSIBLE plot device it makes it that
much more suspenseful.
--
For the latest news about the Met schedule and
newly released Opera recordings head to
http://www.michaelblack.com/
View my DVD collection:
http://www.dvdprofiler.com/mycollection.asp?alias=Violator
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Ang
>Millionaire Men Fact: First wives are never the "trophy wife". It's always
>the second one.
>
>Which works very well in the movie now that I know it was Nicole Kidman on
>the other line when Foster made the phone call to her husband.
It was??!! I hadn't heard that.
John Harkness
>From: kas...@uselessspamaccess1.net (K. Smith):
>
>>Millionaire Men Fact: First wives are never the "trophy wife". It's always
>>the second one.
>>
>>Which works very well in the movie now that I know it was Nicole Kidman on
>>the other line when Foster made the phone call to her husband.
>
>It was??!! I hadn't heard that.
>
>
It was one of those domino effect things -- Kidman re-injured her knee
just as Foster's film, Flora Plum, was put on hold when her star,
Russell Crowe, injured something (shoulder, I think) -- Foster stepped
in to replace Kidman.
John Harkness
blu...@megsinet.cutcaps.net
> > yukon...@aol.commune (Ang) wrote:
>
> >> kas...@uselessspamaccess1.net (K. Smith):
> >>
> >>
> >> Which works very well in the movie now that I
> >> know it was Nicole Kidman on the other line
> >> when Foster made the phone call to her husband.
> >
> > It was??!! I hadn't heard that.
> >
> >
> It was one of those domino effect things -- Kidman
> re-injured her knee just as Foster's film, Flora Plum,
> was put on hold when her star, Russell Crowe,
> injured something (shoulder, I think) -- Foster stepped
> in to replace Kidman.
>
John,
I suspect the thing that Ang hadn't heard was that Nicole Kidman
actually did make the movie, providing the voice of the new girlfriend
on the phone when Foster calls her husband. Nice 'n' bitchy. Just a
clever inside joke for those who know the film's history.
I had heard this on the radio recently. IMDb is confirming it under
their "Trivia" section of the film: "CAMEO (Nicole Kidman): as the voice
of Stephen Altman's girlfriend."
Jay
4/5/02
http://members.core.com/~bluejay/
Douglas Bailey
> yukon...@aol.commune (Ang) wrote:
> >From: kas...@uselessspamaccess1.net (K. Smith):
> >> ...now that I know it was Nicole Kidman on the other line when
> >> Foster made the phone call to her husband.
> >
> > It was??!! I hadn't heard that.
>
> It was one of those domino effect things -- Kidman re-injured her knee
> just as Foster's film, Flora Plum, was put on hold when her star,
> Russell Crowe, injured something (shoulder, I think) -- Foster stepped
> in to replace Kidman.
I knew that Foster had replaced Kidman in the main role, but can you (or
anyone) confirm K. Smith's claim that Kidman plays the voice of the
second wife?
I mean, I think it would be clever if it were true, but I certainly
didn't recognise the voice in the film.
blu...@megsinet.cutcaps.net
>
> I knew that Foster had replaced Kidman in the
> main role, but can you (or anyone) confirm K. Smith's
> claim that Kidman plays the voice of the second wife?
>
Doug,
I posted about this earlier today, but maybe that post didn't reach
your server (if a post falls in the woods . . .). I mentioned I had
heard recently on the radio that Nicole Kidman did the "bitch" phone
conversation with Foster in the movie. IMDb also confirms this in the
"Trivia" link on their "Panic Room" page: "CAMEO (Nicole Kidman): as
the voice of Stephen Altman's girlfriend."
> I mean, I think it would be clever if it were true, but I
> certainly didn't recognise the voice in the film.
>
It is clever, and shows that Nicole left the film on good terms.
As for her voice, when the hell does she ever sound like herself? She
typically sounds more convincingly American than most Americans do.
Jay
4/5/02
http://members.core.com/~bluejay/
Ang
That voice coulda been anyone, as far as I'm concerned. But I do think it
woulda been kewl if she'd kept her Aussie accent during the part. BTW, what was
Stephen Altman's nationality supposed to be? And what it the actor's normal
accent or faked for the character? The character of Meg's husband was truly
intruiging to me. Not at all what I expected.
Sirius Sam
> From: blu...@megsinet.CUTCAPS.net:
>
>>wrote
>>
>>>
> That voice coulda been anyone, as far as I'm concerned. But I do think it
> woulda been kewl if she'd kept her Aussie accent during the part. BTW, what was
> Stephen Altman's nationality supposed to be? And what it the actor's normal
> accent or faked for the character? The character of Meg's husband was truly
> intruiging to me. Not at all what I expected.
Meg's husband's was a regular cast member on the forgotten NBC series
(because it came on Saturdays, when nobody is home) Pretender. His accent
on Panic Room is similar to his accent in Pretender.
Sherri_lu
the US! like Mel Gibson Nicole left the US when she was 13ish
<
blu...@megsinet.CUTCAPS.net> wrote in message news:<3cae4c81$0$3112$ac96...@news.raex.com>...
> "Douglas Bailey" <trys...@world.std.com> wrote
>
> >
> > I knew that Foster had replaced Kidman in the
> > main role, but can you (or anyone) confirm K. Smith's
> > claim that Kidman plays the voice of the second wife?
> >
carlos andrade
> >
> >OK maybe I missed a minor detail somewhere, BUT...
> >
> >It's established early on that Jodie can talk to the robbers from inside the
> >panic room over the PA system, but they can't talk back to her. So why is it
> >that later on when the two robbers are in the panic room, she miraculously
> >finds an intercom to talk to them that nobody mentioned before? Did David
> >Koepp's 4 million dollar script just happen to omit this minor detail...
> >
> >
>
> 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us a break.
>
>
>
1- The husband shows up at the house alone and without weapons.
2- She does not tell the cops anything because she is afraid the
robbers might kill her daugther, but then she proceeds to break all
the video cameras. (wouldn't the robbers threaten her daughter again
to make her stop?)
3- The robbers knew she might had used the phone after rippig the
cable from the wall, but they don't seem concern that she might had
called the cops. Why take a chance and stay?
4- She wears glasses at the beginning and end of the movie, but it
looks like she has good eyesight in between. (she even reads the
ingredients in the food packages)
John Harkness
wrote:
> It is clever, and shows that Nicole left the film on good terms.
>As for her voice, when the hell does she ever sound like herself? She
>typically sounds more convincingly American than most Americans do.
>
>Jay
Well, no -- I've seen her on chat shows, and she still sounds Oz in
her natural speaking voice -- and in movies, the American accent goes
a bit haywire under duress -- check the big scenes at the end of The
Peacemaker, when she's hollering at the sniper through her cell phone
to "TIKE THE SHAWT!"
John Harkness
robert w hall
"Ang" <yukon...@aol.commune> wrote in message
news:20020405233652...@mb-mj.aol.com...
> From: blu...@megsinet.CUTCAPS.net:
<snip>
BTW, what was
> Stephen Altman's nationality supposed to be?
That wasn't clear, but the actor is Belgian, I think (according to IMDB).
Rob
blu...@megsinet.cutcaps.net
> > blu...@megsinet.CUTCAPS.net wrote:
>
> > It is clever, and shows that Nicole left the film
> > on good terms. As for her voice, when the hell
> > does she ever sound like herself? She typically
> > sounds more convincingly American than most Americans do.
> >
>
> Well, no -- I've seen her on chat shows, and she still
> sounds Oz in her natural speaking voice
John,
Yes, I know. Same is true of fellow "down under" personnel such
as Russell Crowe or Guy Pearce. However, all three are excellent at
changing nationality, complete with regional quirks, in movies. That's
why it's always fun to hear them discuss a movie in a DVD documentary--
they sound so different when not in character.
-- and in movies, the American accent goes a bit haywire
> under duress -- check the big scenes at the end of The
> Peacemaker, when she's hollering at the sniper through
> her cell phone to "TIKE THE SHAWT!"
Ha! Never noticed that. She didn't yelp "Crikey!" at some point
did she?
I'll have to take your word on "The Peacemaker"-- didn't see it,
mate. Crikey!
Jay
4/6/02
http://members.core.com/~bluejay/
blu...@megsinet.cutcaps.net
> Other problems,
>
Carlos,
Call me the problem solver (alternatively, the quicker
picker-upper).
> 1- The husband shows up at the house alone and without
> weapons.
>
He didn't get the full message. If he had, he probably wouldn't
have shown up without a police escort. He heard enough to be concerned
and stop by. It took so long for the police to show after he arrived,
I'm assuming he made a routine call to them (i.e low priority)-- all
consistent with someone who doesn't quite know what is going on.
> 2- She does not tell the cops anything because she is
> afraid the robbers might kill her daugther,
Before we go on, I want to mention that I had some problem with
this part originally. Meg (Jodie Foster) knows she's on video, and she
knows the thugs can't hear her. Why not calmly tell the police about
the situation? Easy for me to say, watching in a theater. From her
perspective, however, I can see not wanting to risk an overreaction from
the police. If she told the officers and even if they went away to make
things look good, they would have to make a move eventually out of duty.
Even without telling them, Meg could safely suspect, in such a rich
neighborhood, that the police would at least keep an eye on things in
the area the rest of the night. Rather than hand ultimate decision
making to the same police department that put her on hold in her time of
need, she preferred not to risk her daughter's life. She clearly has
her own plans anyway.
> but then she proceeds to break all the video cameras.
> (wouldn't the robbers threaten her daughter again
> to make her stop?)
>
I agree that Koepp and Fincher could have handled this slightly
differently. I don't fault Meg's decision to bust the cameras. Her
hope would be that the gang that couldn't shoot straight would be
preoccupied with the safe. If they later looked up and saw all the
cameras not working, they wouldn't be able to rule out a malfunction.
Having them see her going sledge-o-matic on the cams, their immediate
reaction should have been, "Hit one more camera, and I'll shoot your
daughter's leg off!" Granted, Meg had busted most of the cameras by the
time they noticed, but the film would have been a bit smarter if they
didn't notice until she broke the last one.
> 3- The robbers knew she might had used the phone
> after rippig the cable from the wall, but they don't seem
> concern that she might had called the cops. Why take
> a chance and stay?
>
I don't completely recall the aftermath of the phone call. Did she
yell out in frustration (indicating her attempt failed)? Might they
suspect Meg would immediately tell them the cops are coming had she
successfully made the call? Or could they simply be playing the odds?
I mean, the time between the wire getting pulled out of the wall and the
time it took to strip and connect the wires, it would have taken an
amazing cool-headed effort by Meg to pull this off. Combine
underestimating Meg's abilities with her small window of opportunity and
with the fact they figured to be already in too deep (they thought they
had been videotaped)-- all this could add up to a decision to stay.
> 4- She wears glasses at the beginning and end of the
> movie, but it looks like she has good eyesight in
> between. (she even reads the ingredients in the
> food packages)
She probably has a slight vision problem that the glasses help
correct. I have a slight problem with my vision. It is so slight, I
don't bother with glasses. Other people have far less tolerance for
even such minor eyesight troubles. Such a person might enjoy the slight
benefit of corrected vision from glasses, but, would not have a severe
enough problem that he or she couldn't function quite well without them,
especially in a crisis situation. Again, I'm sure a doctor would
recommend glasses to me, but I function fine without them at all times.
An aside: "Panic Room" writer David Koepp wrote and directed
"Stir Of Echoes"-- an underrated supernatural thriller starring Kevin
Bacon. This 1999 film costars Kathyrn Erbe (female lead of "Law &
Order: Criminal Intent") and Illeana Douglas. BTW, Koepp's DVD
commentary is informative and rather funny.
Jay
4/6/02
http://members.core.com/~bluejay/
Douglas Bailey
> > I knew that Foster had replaced Kidman in the
> > main role, but can you (or anyone) confirm K. Smith's
> > claim that Kidman plays the voice of the second wife?
>
> I posted about this earlier today, but maybe that post didn't reach
> your server (if a post falls in the woods . . .). I mentioned I had
> heard recently on the radio that Nicole Kidman did the "bitch" phone
> conversation with Foster in the movie. IMDb also confirms this in the
> "Trivia" link on their "Panic Room" page: "CAMEO (Nicole Kidman): as
> the voice of Stephen Altman's girlfriend."
I'd seen it (after I posted) on IMDb, but that's hardly a reliable
source either. Thanks for the additional source...
Bob
"K. Smith" wrote:
> Someone said:
>
> > > Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
>
> Millionaire Men Fact: First wives are never the "trophy wife". It's always
> the second one.
>
> Which works very well in the movie now that I know it was Nicole Kidman on
> the other line when Foster made the phone call to her husband.
>
> --
> ~ K ~
How do you know that Foster was the first wife? HE looked a lot older than
HER. Perhaps Foster was the FIRST TROPHY WIFE, with the new one being the 2d
TROPHY WIFE.
Hmmmm. Has there ever been a film titled "TROPHY WIFE'?
Perhaps I should register the title.
Bob
robert w hall
"Bob" <chil...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:3CB079DA...@ix.netcom.com...
>
>
> "K. Smith" wrote:
>
> > Someone said:
> >
> > > > Foster, on the other hand, doesn't strike me as a trophy wife.
> >
> > Millionaire Men Fact: First wives are never the "trophy wife". It's
always
> > the second one.
> >
> > Which works very well in the movie now that I know it was Nicole Kidman
on
> > the other line when Foster made the phone call to her husband.
> >
> > --
> > ~ K ~
>
> How do you know that Foster was the first wife? HE looked a lot older
than
> HER.
about 23 years older in real life. So I'm assuming she's #2 or #3...
Perhaps Foster was the FIRST TROPHY WIFE, with the new one being the 2d
> TROPHY WIFE.
Could be...
Rob
John Harkness
wrote:
You can't copyright a title.
John Harkness
Marc Fleury
>Hmmmm. Has there ever been a film titled "TROPHY WIFE'?
>Perhaps I should register the title.
Register it with who?
--
Marc.
aa #1971
robert w hall
"Marc Fleury" <marcf...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:8621bu8rvrr67hlgq...@4ax.com...
> Bob <chil...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> >Hmmmm. Has there ever been a film titled "TROPHY WIFE'?
> >Perhaps I should register the title.
>
> Register it with who?
Maybe he's thinking of the domain name--i.e. trophywife.com.
Rob
>
> --
> Marc.
> aa #1971
Bob
carlos andrade wrote:
>
> 4- She wears glasses at the beginning and end of the movie, but it
> looks like she has good eyesight in between. (she even reads the
> ingredients in the food packages)
This depends on why she is wearing glasses. I have to wear glasses to read anything beyond about 3
feet or so, but up close, I see better without my glasses. ( I started wearing glasses a little over
50 years ago. This development of being able to see better close up without them is only within the
last 10 years or so. yes, I have bifocals.)
Bob
Bob
John Harkness wrote:
Aw shit. There's another million down the drain.
Bob
Dawn Taylor
Dammit.
Dawn
-------------------
It is absurd to divide people into good or bad. People are
either charming or tedious. -Oscar Wilde
Dawn Taylor
wrote:
>On Sun, 07 Apr 2002 09:54:50 -0700, Bob <chil...@ix.netcom.com>
>wrote:
>>Hmmmm. Has there ever been a film titled "TROPHY WIFE'?
>>Perhaps I should register the title.
>>Bob
>>
>You can't copyright a title.
Maybe he could register www.trophywife.com
Marc Fleury
>Maybe he's thinking of the domain name--i.e. trophywife.com.
Taken. Owned by Mr Steve Smith of London, England.
--
Marc.
aa #1971
Jeff Coleman
"ANIM8Rfsk" <anim...@aol.comNOSPAM> wrote in message
news:20020330184649...@mb-cg.aol.com...
> << But the lamest contrivance in the
> >> > script was the 911 operator putting Jodie Foster on hold! Give us
> >> > a break.
>
> Ahm, it happens. >>
>
> aaalllllllll the time. Our 911 service is so bad, some companies instruct
> their people to call the regular police or fire number and NOT 911, in
case of
> an emergency.
>
Indeed--in the words of Flavor Flav, "You call a cab, 'cause a cab'll come
quicker..."
Get up, get get down.
Jeff
--
www.progressions.org : Comics : "Urban adventure with a pop twist"
www.isaacpriestley.com : Music : Latest album "Days of Being Dumb"
Jeff Coleman
"STEPHE96" <step...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020401195313...@mb-df.aol.com...
>
> I don't doubt that people calling 911 sometimes DO get put on hold...but
to
> hang an entire suspense plot on such a contrivance strikes me as pretty
> desperate.
It does? How much do you know about suspense? Ever watched a Hitchcock
film? Going to the police is DULL. It's another element of suspense that
they can't get any help from the various avenues they try. The 911 call
doesn't work, the flashing light signal just makes the guy close his blinds.
It all builds up to isolate them in their dangerous scenario--the daughter's
conviction that the father won't help them helps build the surprise when he
DOES try to help them.
It occurred to me that Jodie Foster could have opened the panic room door
and used her cell phone. She'd be able to close it easily the instant the
thieves came in the room so it would be safe, but it would also be dull. It
was much more exciting the way it is.
I appreciate Fincher and this movie a great deal, because, like Hitchcock,
he's concerned MUCH more with making a tense, exciting, suspenseful movie
than with satisfying the trivial gripes of the "plausibles".