tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post3652101761985338114..comments2024-03-19T03:21:49.937-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Downer EndingsLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-54582770984464431702020-04-18T18:21:54.212-04:002020-04-18T18:21:54.212-04:00M.A., I'm afraid I am one of those who will qu...M.A., I'm afraid I am one of those who will quickly and happily leave a movie without finishing it. I do the same with novels and even short stories. There are too many good ones out there for me to waste my time with one that isn't keeping my interest. And yes, I realize I probably wind up missing out on some good movies/novels/stories that way (because sometimes the ending redeems it). But that attitude does serve as a reminder to me, to try to make what I write compelling enough to keep the reader turning pages. The attention span (and the tolerance) of the reading/viewing audience isn't what it used to be.<br /><br />Thanks again for dropping in, here.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-4225327794702458932020-04-18T18:01:43.848-04:002020-04-18T18:01:43.848-04:00Thanks, John! I always love to read your column he...Thanks, John! I always love to read your column here! Gets my mind in the mood to write something! Also, I would never really tell someone to leave or turn off a movie before the ending, but gosh, sometimes you just want to because you know what's coming!<br /><br />Have a good rest of your weekend there! Hope you and your family are all well and safe!Mary Ann Joycenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-2263083085986496052020-04-18T17:43:13.407-04:002020-04-18T17:43:13.407-04:00Hey Mary Ann! Yes, those are all good. I started...Hey Mary Ann! Yes, those are all good. I started to mention not only Old Yeller but King Kong, etc. And Sling Blade in particular is a downer. (Though certain folks certainly got what they deserved, in the end. One, at least.)<br /><br />I bet not many of us can recall The Parallax View. Good memories. And yes, I remember Pay It Forward too, but never thought about it for these lists.<br /><br />Thanks for mentioning these! And, for those of you who don't know, Mary Ann's daughter is in the movie business--what a great job!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-50861929557490876532020-04-18T17:28:57.852-04:002020-04-18T17:28:57.852-04:00Some of my favorite movies have sad/depressing end...Some of my favorite movies have sad/depressing endings, and then you're right, sometimes it's just not really necessary. There are some that came to my mind that you didn't mention. Of course, the classic, "Old Yeller." Why we watched it as kids is beyond me. I guess we all looked forward to "The Wonderful World of Disney" on Sunday nights, and Netflix didn't exist, so that's what we watched.<br /><br />I also thought about "Pay it Forward" which has a terrific young Haley Joel Osment, and (sorry) Kevin Spacey, and is a really touching, (sorry again) sweet movie until Osment is tragically murdered at the end. (Also sorry if I ruined it for you.) I would literally tell people who were going to see it to walk away when there was 10 minutes left or else risk crying your eyes out. Other than the ending, it was good!<br /><br />And what about "The Parralax View?" I bet it's been a long time since you've seen that one? All I can say is, "Poor Warren Beatty." <br /><br />And the last one I'll mention, though there are many I could, is "Slingblade." You really want a new life for Carl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton) and he seems to have finally made a life with his surrogate family, but alas, it's not to be...Mary Ann Joycenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-48223731305284205352020-04-18T15:35:46.717-04:002020-04-18T15:35:46.717-04:00Whoa -- a good one, Larry. Another one of those s...Whoa -- a good one, Larry. Another one of those stories that I'd already read in novel form before seeing the movie. And one of those "if it CAN go wrong it WILL go wrong" tales. Thanks for pointing that one out.<br /><br />Hope you and family are doing well, during all this. Take care!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-87567397260452430932020-04-18T15:13:29.556-04:002020-04-18T15:13:29.556-04:00The movie that left me most depressed was “A Simpl...The movie that left me most depressed was “A Simple Plan.” Just thinking of it now depresses me.Larry Chavisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-56733303280277525722020-04-18T13:06:01.077-04:002020-04-18T13:06:01.077-04:00Well said, Melodie. I find myself remembering the...Well said, Melodie. I find myself remembering the times I've closed a novel or finished a story or left a theater and felt cheated--and I never, ever want to commit that sin with my own writing. I bet your students are enjoying that class!!!! <br /><br />Be safe, and keep in touch!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-37619588703782959172020-04-18T12:09:39.728-04:002020-04-18T12:09:39.728-04:00I've just finished teaching a three hour class...I've just finished teaching a three hour class this morning (moved to online) and it is SO fresh in my mind that you must satisfy the reader. Very few people want to read or watch for 2-4 hours to find that their beloved protagonist has kicked the bucket and it was all for naught...and therefore a waste of that 3-4 hours. Yes, maybe HEA isn't realistic, but I try to give my readers a happy-for-now, and a chance for my characters to celebrate and reflect. I may hint to more trouble to come, but satisfying my promise to the reader is paramount.Melodie Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07870938103759179132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-20953880472228201332020-04-18T11:28:23.464-04:002020-04-18T11:28:23.464-04:00Kristin -- Yep, I prefer the escapism too. Make m...Kristin -- Yep, I prefer the escapism too. Make me feel good--don't make me think TOO much about the lessons life offers. And I too love it when a character changes his/her attitudes in the course of the story, whether the ending's an upper or a downer.<br /><br />Eve, I actually put Cuckoo's Nest in the list and took it out again for some reason. And I had completely forgotten Johnny Got His Gun. <br /><br />Anon, you are right on all counts. As for Shane, I've only watched that movie a hundred times, and in my mind Shane was riding off to die, having made the ultimate sacrifice--he's certainly slumping in the saddle in that final scene. An open ending, I guess.<br /><br />Thanks, folks, for the comments!<br />John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-10709426908859366092020-04-18T11:04:25.031-04:002020-04-18T11:04:25.031-04:00You forgot the most referenced and remade of all d...You forgot the most referenced and remade of all downer and dark endings: Shakespeare tragedies. Consider the adaptation: West Side Story- the ending was only half as dark as the original, but still dark. <br /><br />Tons of war movies fall into the bleak, nearly every one dies category, where they might have won the battle but at great cost. <br /><br />As for bleak endings in books-- I had to stop reading Elizabeth George because of her endings. The devastation she wrought on her characters was too much for me, left me feeling too depressed, even sick to my stomach.<br /><br />Note: I distinctly remember Shane riding away, not dead, at the end of the movie. His future is bleak, but he's not dead yet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-17923651740578891472020-04-18T10:28:37.706-04:002020-04-18T10:28:37.706-04:00Great post.
Here's two more: "One Flew O...Great post.<br />Here's two more: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Johnny Got His Gun" (which gave me nightmares after I saw it). Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-3401737496245165872020-04-18T10:13:54.662-04:002020-04-18T10:13:54.662-04:00Interesting food for thought. While I prefer HEA ...Interesting food for thought. While I prefer HEA endings, because escapism, I can appreciate a downer ending IF the MC has a satisfying character arc. Kristin Kisskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06716211423569846271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-41324037935408247052020-04-18T09:45:05.036-04:002020-04-18T09:45:05.036-04:00Art--I only just saw your note. I agree with you ...Art--I only just saw your note. I agree with you and Tara: The Mist left me with a bad feeling, and it was all because of that ending. It truly was unnecessary--as I said, the novella didn't end that same way. Steve mentioned the word heart-wrenching, and the movie version of this one was.<br /><br />I also agree that yes, downer endings can be truly good and satisfying. When Witness ended I was sorry the two leads didn't get together, but I also realized that made perfect sense. The culture gap was, in that case, just too wide, and the romance wouldn't have worked. But both of them (and we as an audience) learned a lot about life in the process. Same thing, in a different way, with Casablanca.<br /><br />Thanks, Art, for the thoughts.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-32756518117974087202020-04-18T09:37:29.027-04:002020-04-18T09:37:29.027-04:00Hey Steve. Yep, I actually almost included Mystic...Hey Steve. Yep, I actually almost included Mystic River in one of the lists--I read that novel before seeing the movie, and boy did that book have a great and surprising (and logical) ending. It's the book that got me started on Lehane--I'd met him once, at a booksigning--and I've now read all his novels, and have them here at home. And yes, Gone Baby Gone was wonderful as well, with another of those powerful endings.<br /><br />Thanks for mentioning Lehane. He came to mind for this column mainly because of the huge surprise at the end of Shutter Island. For me, that ending WAS a bit of a downer, maybe because it came out of NOwhere. John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-31212318063208296112020-04-18T09:33:36.948-04:002020-04-18T09:33:36.948-04:00I know you said this wasn't about films that w...I know you said this wasn't about films that were good or bad, and I agree that there are some films here I don't care for... but overall, I found myself scanning through and realizing: Apparently I really like films with downer endings!<br /><br />...however, I'll agree on The Mist. I get Tara a new horror film for Halloween each year (it's her birthday), and that was the film one year. When it was over, we swore to not even keep the DVD in our house! And I did indeed get rid of it. I thought that movie was so interesting for the first half or so, but that ending.... Art Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02409008167752619352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-89966946070176685422020-04-18T08:49:39.510-04:002020-04-18T08:49:39.510-04:00Great post and list, John.
Can I add two more, bo...Great post and list, John.<br /><br />Can I add two more, both films made from Dennis Lehane novels (as was Shutter Island)?<br /><br />In both cases, I liked the films but felt they had to simplify the very complex novels, which diluted the impact a little.<br /><br />Mystic River is a punch in the gut with one of those "oops" revelations. I started reading Lehane's books after seeing that movie, and he brought me into the 21st century of crime, along with Don Winslow.<br /><br />Gone, Baby, Gone has one of the most heart-wrenching endings of any mystery I can recall, and it's set up beautifully and logically. Affleck's film is good, but had to cut a great deal, and I have issues with some of the casting, even though I understand his choices. <br /><br />I need to go back and look at some of these films again.Steve Liskowhttp://www.steveliskow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-62809809542860644042020-04-18T08:09:37.780-04:002020-04-18T08:09:37.780-04:00Paul and O'Neil -- Thanks for the early-mornin...Paul and O'Neil -- Thanks for the early-morning (for O'Neil and me, at least) comments.<br /><br />Paul, I bet I've watched Casablanca a dozen times. And, yes, if not for that ending it wouldn't have been the movie it was. Glad he didn't get on the plane. And I suspect not many folks have seen Miracle Mile. Their loss, right?<br /><br />O'Neil, I just plain forgot Dr. Strangelove. MY loss, there. It remains one of the oddest and still most enjoyable movies ever. I once won a radio trivia call-in contest (prize: a free lunch at a fast-food place here in Jackson) for being able to correctly name the subtitle to that movie. Which really does, I guess, qualify as trivia. Thanks for the addition to my sadly incomplete list. Take care!John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-21201672708685239632020-04-18T07:49:39.316-04:002020-04-18T07:49:39.316-04:00Cool posting. you might add DR. STRANGELOVE: OR HO...Cool posting. you might add DR. STRANGELOVE: OR HOW TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB to your 'A continuation of the disaster/crisis' list.<br />O'Neil De Nouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142721824657611738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-6105606376889604392020-04-18T06:01:26.156-04:002020-04-18T06:01:26.156-04:00Great list, John. And I'm glad you included Mi...Great list, John. And I'm glad you included Miracle Mile, an interesting little gem, imo. As for my favorite with a downer ending, or at least not the ending one might have wished for in the best of all possible worlds: Casablanca. My favorite film, period. And it's on TCM today for anyone who wants to catch it.Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.com