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That stupid hand written letter spoiled the movie -SPOILER

posted 17 years ago by spotlightne
25 replies | jump to latest

I was really enjoying this movie until the final scenes when the letter was sent informing the death of the little girl.

I struggled to read the slanted hand written words, and only managed to decypher 'ill'. When the woman cried I presumed the girl had died but I wasn't sure.

Later we saw the girl wasn't there, but I was still puzzled what had gone on.

It was only Cary Grant telling us in very mixed-up language that the girl had been ill and died suddenly.

I thought this was a very bad moment in the movie. What should have been done was when the woman was reading the letter, a voice of the 'mother' should have been heard reading out the words too.

What do others think?

[–] artdirector-2 17 years ago

Yes. very difficult to read on TV. Remember though on a theatre screen where it was intended to be seen it would be alot easier to read.

[–] orangysky 17 years ago

I agree; they should have had the mother's voice reading the letter during that scene.

[–] joanmcgittigan 17 years ago

Yes, it certainly would have been better had the mother's voice in that scene. But it is too bad for it to spoil the final scene's for you, it ws so beautifully done by both Dunne and Grant. I would be happy to send any of you the dvd and in color if you would like, just write to me here.

[–] Painbow 16 years ago

Yes, it was a pivotal moment in the film and yet it was given to us in the form of a letter that was impossible to decipher....annoying

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[–] netshopper-2 14 years ago

Maybe this is a sign of the times as it was written in classically styled cursive writing...the kind us old folks learned while in third grade. I had no trouble reading it at all and did not feel a modern voice over was needed. Since this film came out in 1941 and not 2008, it probably worked for the viewers of the day.

[–] Blondfashionisto 14 years ago

I didn't really have trouble reading the handwriting (it was actually written in a very good hand) but I do agree that it would have been effective to have Irene Dunne doing a 'voice-over' as well.

I've seen other movies where they don't read aloud the contents of a note - The one that immediately springs to mind are the communications in 'Stella Dallas' (a telegram and letter). So, perhaps, the filmmakers felt voice might not work for some reason. Though, it also comes to mind some people may have trouble reading written communications in movies especially long passages (i.e. someone who is dyslexic for instance; not to mention illiterate movie goers).

Frankly I wonder how young people nowadays will manage when it comes to writing. They rarely have to - it's all done via computer, etc. now. But, I still love to receive a nice hand-written card or letter.

‘Six inches is perfectly adequate; more is vulgar!' (Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Re: An open window).

[–] luverofmovies 11 years ago

Blondfashionisto, I had no trouble reading it either, and the second page mentioned their daughter had a very sudden illness before her death.

I wondered at first what a few others here were talking about concerning the letter, but then I remembered hearing somewhere that cursive handwriting hasn't really been taught too much in schools lately, so maybe it would have been harder to read. Possibly printing is the newer way to write, as well as using computers. People in that era when this movie was made took great pride in their handwriting, at least my mother told me she and her friends did.

I'm with you about how nice it is to receive a nice handwritten note or letter. At my mother's funeral, a couple of long ago letters were read. My niece, who has barely known anything but computer/text, etc, correspondence, said how nice it would be to have something more personal like that to always keep.

[–] diva_k13 14 years ago

I agree, I did strain to read the letter....but think: if Irene Dunne had done a voice over-that wouldn't have been as personally effective as the audience reading what happened and letting the information sink in. Perhaps the director wanted the audience to be directly impacted as Mrs. Oliver was. We are reading the letter along with her.

[–] pennyserenade1208 12 years ago

I agree with diva. I think it was more effective to have Mrs. Oliver reading it from the letter. The suddeness of Trina's death was poignant.