MovieChat Forums > Z for Zachariah (2015) Discussion > Was Ann about to choose Caleb or John?

Was Ann about to choose Caleb or John?

posted 9 years ago by MizzTessy
24 replies | jump to latest

During the end when John comes back alone after Caleb has fallen (or left as he stated), was Ann about to give him a breakup speech in the kitchen, essentially saying that she now wanted to be with Caleb or was she about to apologize for what happened with Caleb and ask John to forgive, because she loved and truly wanted to be with John? I felt that she was about to give John the classic breakup speech, particularly since she ran out of the door crying when he said Caleb had left. But since John didn't let her finish her speech I can't say with complete certainty that she was about to break off with John. I was wondering what others might have thought. If she was indeed about to break up with John, it seemed like a 180 considering she wanted him just the previous night and slept with Caleb as a second choice.

[–] pbc-9 9 years ago

considering she wanted him just the previous night and slept with Caleb as a second choice.

I don't agree that she wanted John. If she had met both John and Caleb at the same time there would have been no question who she would have chosen. I think she felt a responsibility to the relationship with John, probably because of her religion. But she couldn't resist Caleb.

[–] MizzTessy 9 years ago

She actually told John that he made her want to live again. She initially seemed to really care about John -- and it was beyond just a responsibility. She wanted him to stay at her farm. She was not even interested in Caleb until John planted that seed. John kept pushing her to explore and it was John who made the comment about them looking at each other, which really upset Ann because she said she didn't need to explore, she wanted John. So I think she would have initially chosen John, but John made a bad decision in pushing her to Caleb. So she finally did take John's advice and "explored". At that point she started developing feelings for Caleb and wanted to be with him.

[–] pbc-9 9 years ago

She actually told John that he made her want to live again. She initially seemed to really care about John -- and it was beyond just a responsibility. She wanted him to stay at her farm.

She was very happy to have him there, she thought she would be alone forever. That doesn't mean she loved him in a romantic way though. She tried to make herself have feelings for him, because she thought he was her only choice. But the fact that he did not agree with her faith was a huge problem for her and his drunken outburst made her very uncomfortable.

John didn't plant a seed that made her think about Caleb that way, he noticed how comfortable she was with Caleb from the minute they met. It made him insecure so he thought he would try to take control of it by giving her permission. Just as he tried to do with Caleb later by telling him that he told her to "work" Caleb by getting close to him.

[–] bottleshock34 9 years ago

Ann is young she probably never had a relationship before the world ended so she really doesn't understand what she's doing. Two men have just walked into her life especially when she thought she was alone in the world. So naturally she is going to have feelings for both men feelings of relief that she's not alone and feelings of wanting companionship.
She's also exploring her sexual impulses hence she wanted to have sex with loomis but after finding him drunk and all and then deciding to go to caleb.
I believe that she didn't know what or who she wanted.

"Some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions"

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MizzTessy 9 years ago

The way you she ran out of the house after John told her Caleb had left made it seem as though she really wanted to pursue a relationship with Caleb. I initially thought she was about to tell John what had happened between her and Caleb the night before and ask for his forgiveness but she literally ran out of the door chasing after Caleb. Then she fell into a sort of depressed stupor when she couldn't find him. Had she slept with John I think that would have cemented their relationship. Ultimately it seemed like sex was the deciding factor for her.

[–] michaelsimpsonjrimdb 8 years ago

You misunderstood the scene. She wanted to have sex with him AFTER the drunk incident. The next night she tried to have sex with him and he turned her down and said they should take it slow.

[–] MizzTessy 9 years ago

That is a very interesting perspective. I don't think Ann loved anyone. I think she cared for both men but I think she mistakingly equated sex with love and that's probably because she'd never been in a relationship before. I think she was supposed to be pretty young in this movie and I'm not sure how long she'd been living alone. Ann herself never made it seem as though she had an issue with John's lack of faith. I think Caleb tried to exploit this area though.

I wondered why John kept pushing her to explore her options when it didn't seem like she was considering that at all (at least not at that point). I thought he was doing it to protect himself from getting hurt -- very much in line with what you said about him trying to "take control". If she chose Caleb after John encouraged her to pursue her options, he could always say he told her to do so and make himself feel better.

[–] pbc-9 9 years ago

I don't think Ann loved anyone. I think she cared for both men but I think she mistakingly equated sex with love and that's probably because she'd never been in a relationship before. I think she was supposed to be pretty young in this movie and I'm not sure how long she'd been living alone.

Yes, she was very young, a teenager, in the book she is 16. I agree, she wasn't in love with either of them but she cared about them both.

Ann herself never made it seem as though she had an issue with John's lack of faith. I think Caleb tried to exploit this area though.

I agree Caleb tried to exploit the religious issues. But she would have to have some worries in order for that to work and she was definitely upset about tearing the church down and that Loomis wasn't upset about it. Her faith is what had been keeping her going and was a huge part of her life.

I wondered why John kept pushing her to explore her options when it didn't seem like she was considering that at all (at least not at that point). I thought he was doing it to protect himself from getting hurt -- very much in line with what you said about him trying to "take control". If she chose Caleb after John encouraged her to pursue her options, he could always say he told her to do so and make himself feel better.

I watched the movie again and I still can't figure out why Loomis didn't really seem sexually interested in Ann. He wanted to be in control, to be the power figure, it seems like his best option would have been to make love to her when she asked or at least even once Caleb got there since he was threatened by that. Maybe he couldn't do it because of the radiation poisoning. Or maybe there was another reason.

[–] vibetribeweb 9 years ago

Why do you care? The racial element of the movie(the reason it was made in the first place) was created to cause division among people, and you fell for it with this post. If she picked John, then how would you feel? I can tell for sure that white men, the power dynamic in most of the world, would be all butthurt. I know this because in REAL life, I often attract white women as a Black male, and there's ALWAYS some white guy looming around who is upset about it. And now you're here trying to make your COVERT judgement of who is better, Black men or white men, with your silly question. You already know that we'll never know the REAL answer as to who she was about to pick, so you come on here to get butthurt whites to agree that the white chick would have picked the white dude over the Black dude. You use the reason of him drinking as the excuse so you can remain looking clean. Nice try. You're dirty as you can be. Smh....

[–] po_ho_fo_sho 9 years ago

Your comment is garbage. OP didn't even mention race. Get over your insecurities and see past skin colour.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Damn_Monkey 9 years ago

What elephant in the room? The only one here putting race into the subject was you.

I'm a white guy, but I connected more with Chiwetel Ejiofor's character, and when Chris Pine showed up, was really hoping she would choose him.

When she ended up going for Chris Pine's room near the end, I just shook my head. But in all honesty I feel that Chiwetel Ejiofor did push her towards it.

The colour of their skin had nothing to do with it.

Seriously, get over yourself.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] marilyng-08110 9 years ago

Funny, I must have missed that part of the movie because what I witnessed was that he REFUSED to mercy kill some white boy who MAY have been Ann's brother. He simply kicked him out of HIS vehicle which was his legal right..

At the end, John told Ann that he did kill the boy and he thought is was her brother, said at least he looked like her brother.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Darkside7 9 years ago

Lol, you racist pig clown; as if whites don't use vulgarity. Your weak and pathetic response to that guy in an effort to debunk and discredit his opinion, actually turned into an example and explanation as to why he has that outlook on YOU PEOPLE to begin with. You puny coward, continue to type out your hate for blacks behind closed doors where its "safe".

[–] kzenkilla 9 years ago

You are the worst.

[–] pbc-9 9 years ago

I never even thought of the race issue when I watched it. The characters were not portrayed as if they were thinking or worried about race issues. It is interesting that so many people on this board are worried about it.

And the reason that anyone would "care" is because it is a movie about a fv cking love triangle! WTF else would the question be about a love triangle other than that? 

[–] harveythepooka 9 years ago

Your view of the movie is totally skewed by your own personal opinion. The movie isn't about race at all. The fact is that Anne and John had nothing in common, I mean NOTHING. He's middle aged, she's young, he's highly educated, she's uneducated, he's from the city, she's from the country, he knows about machinery, she knows about farming, he's not religious, she is etc. His being black and her being white is just one more thing they don't have in common. The fact is she had everything in common with Caleb. They were from the same area, same values, both blue collar, both religious, closer in age etc. And they both happen to be white so that's just one more thing they have in common.

IMO the better question is is there anyway a situation where one black and one white man were competing for the same woman that wouldn't press your buttons? I have to assume the answer is no.

Back on topic of who would she choose, I have to say she wouldn't choose. She wanted both men to stay and imo she didn't have romantic feelings for either of them. She felt loyal to John because he was there first but she probably liked Caleb more because she had more in common with him, he made her laugh etc.

The night when John got drunk and got grabby with her is the night she realized that sex would get him to stay with her. She then went and offered herself to him. IMO she didn't have romantic feelings for him, I don't even know if she was attracted to him but she thought with sex she could keep him from leaving her and keep her from ever being alone again. She then tried the exact same thing with Caleb. She had sex with him to keep him from leaving. Again, I don't know if she had feelings for him, if she was even attracted to him or if she just did it to keep him from leaving.

She wanted both men to stay. But imo it's not really Anne's story. The story is all about John because his feelings are the ones that drive the story forward. He thought she was just some hick and didn't want the "hassle" of sleeping with her because it would change their relationship. As he said, only when Caleb got there did he appreciate Anne and no matter if he killed Caleb or what in the end it was all about John and his feelings.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] swaggypete 9 years ago

The movie isn't about race at all

It had a little bit of race in it because John brought it up when he was encouraging Ann to "explore" and if she and Caleb wanted to get all white people with each it was okay.

Ann was not thinking about race at all but John likely had insecurities about the fact that she and Caleb were a more typical pairing.

The fact is that Anne and John had nothing in common, I mean NOTHING. He's middle aged, she's young, he's highly educated, she's uneducated, he's from the city, she's from the country,

True, very true.

[–] movieLoader 8 years ago

She was about to suggest a threesome, that is actually the natural thing to do. End of the world, only 3 people there, 2 men and 1 woman. This means the woman must have babies with both in order to repopulate. It's inevitable. They may as well all be lovers, then make babies, and all will be well. John and Caleb don't need to get it on, they could work out a schedule if there's any problems. You know.

Get the electricity working first, then the reward is booze and sex. She would naturally be attracted to Caleb more, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't be into a bit of John if you y'know what I mean.

[–] Kurt_Stein 8 years ago

She clearly wanted to be with Caleb - he was far better looking and they had much more in common. Plus, he's white whereas John was black. John murdered Caleb because he was jealous and knew Ann wanted Caleb.