MovieChat Forums > The Trigger Effect (1996) Discussion > Did Matt find out Annie's infidelity?

Did Matt find out Annie's infidelity?


I always wondered if in the final scene when Matt picks up the photo of his family from Joe's wallet, he figured out something between him and his wife had ocurred....
What do you think?
By the way I love this film. Such an underated gem!!!!!

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[deleted]

I got the feeling that the picture of Annie, Joe and what I thought was the kid, that at some point before the film started, Joe took Annie and the kid out somewhere. I also got the impression that Joe was envious of Matthew's life and the fact that Matthew had a family. At the same time, while he might've thought that something could've happened, the fact that Joe was on the verge of dying and that since Matthew was shown compassion by Raymond earlier, that he could be capable of the same. That's just my take.

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I actually thought the pic was of Annie and Matthew (not Joe) with the kid. I got the impression that when he looked at it Matthew realised that Joe was envious of Matthew's family life (and he didn't necessarily fancy Annie)therefore the jealously that he felt towards Joe would maybe be forgotton about. I don't know - but I didn't make any connection between the photo and Annie's infidelity - but then I like ahppy endings!

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Underrated? 5/10 is extrememly generous. I've never seen so many loose ends in a movie. Annie infidelity, the black guy, what's his story? What about the redneck who stole their car?

One of the worst movies I've seen in a few months.

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[deleted]

The black guy and Matt (do I know U), met at the movie theater when Matt gave him a dirty look but it was the WRONG black guy.

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[deleted]

Joe and Annie didn't actually DO anything - maybe just shared a few laughs and kisses. Remember, Matt walked 5 miles in the hot sun to the house, 5 miles back to get the gun, 5 miles back to the house, had the harrowing gun fight with Raymond (won't say what happened in case someone's reading this and hasn't seen it). Matt was so worn out he didn't have the energy to go into a rage, plus he didn't have the heart to yell at Joe who was severely injured. Joe and Annie were just photographed together in the photo booth. It's not like they were being intimate in the photo.

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That is correct 5 miles in the hot sun.I am stuck in Pittsburgh where we do not receive sunshine even in summer.Good film though.

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I just realized the original post here is 10 years old, but since there are a couple of recent posts, I decided to go ahead. The photo in question is not of Joe with Annie and the baby. It is Matt, Annie and the baby. I thought this when I first saw it a couple nights ago, then when I discovered this topic here, I went back and looked while freezing the frame. It is definitely Matt in the photo acting silly with his wife and child. The big clue was the scene from the night when the three were drinking and Joe and Annie were humiliating Matt with their flirting and some less than flattering remarks about him. When Joe and Annie were in the kitchen alone, Joe mentions liking a picture that was hanging on the cabinet and Annie says something about it being silly. Though the picture is never shown close up, there's no doubt Joe eventually took this photo and that's what Matt discovered in Joe's wallet as he was being loaded into the ambulance.

I found the relationship between these three much more compelling than the wider theme of how man's animal instincts come out in times of crisis. Annie very nearly led them to a disaster of their own. Annie obviously felt her husband was a weakling and she engineered a setting where Joe would spend the night with them even though Matt was clearly less than enthused about it. The only affection she showed her husband until near the end of the movie was when she found out he stole the medicine for their baby. This obviously turned her on sexually. The tension filled night of drinking was the most compelling part in the movie for me. There are few things more humiliating for a man then to see the woman he loves openly flirt with another man while the two of them direct snide and disrespectful remarks toward him. It would have to be devastating for the husband. On top of that (in answer to the original question here) Matt did know his wife slipped out of bed and went downstairs to Joe on their night together in the home. If you remember, after going down and instituting the hug and kiss with Joe, Annie breaks away and returns to bed and is quietly crying beside her husband. The camera shows that Matt is awake and aware of the whole thing.

I also thought the final scene where Matt comes home from work and Annie is at the sink cleaning dishes was very interesting. Annie has a forlorn look on her face and she reaches back and rubs her neck in a weary gesture. Matt comes to her and they give each other a strong hug. I don't know if Annie is still torn about her lifestyle or if she is feeling guilty for her actions where she betrayed her husband in every way short of actual sexual intercourse. I prefer to think it is the latter. Or, maybe their minds are still filled with all the events that took place and they are still coming to grips with the world they live in and how they will navigate the future. Either way, neither has the slightest hint of a smile on their face, leading you to believe their problems are far from over.

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[deleted]

When Annie gets back in bed with Matt after having just kissed Joe, Matt probably smelled the cigarette smoke on her and deduced that something had happened.

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THe "infidelity" scene was hilarious. I literally laughed out loud when he kisses her and then she pushed him off her.

Oh, my bad. She just wants to hug!

Then she goes back to bed all disgusted and guilty. Woooooo!!

It's not good drama, it's bad comedy.

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