MovieChat Forums > 99 Homes (2015) Discussion > My problem with the ending

My problem with the ending

posted 8 years ago by Hiphophippie23
34 replies | jump to latest

You don't end up in the back of a police car in hand cuffs just for shouting "I gave the judge forged documents!!" or whatever the exact comments Nash yelled at the end to diffuse the situation. Ha! It reminds me of the episode of The Office where Steve Carell shouts "I Declare Bankruptcy!!!!", as if that's all it takes.

For starters, the average cop knows very little about white collar crimes and Real Estate law in general. Even if the cops on the scene drove straight to the court house and picked up that case file, they wouldn't have the slightest clue what they were looking for. It's all complete hearsay at that point! It's similar to if you shouted "I dealt lots of crack" in front of an officer. He might search you and/or your car, but you wouldn't be in cuffs on the way to the station. The final scene just didn't work at all for me and detracts from the movie as a whole.

What makes the end even less satisfying, is that even if there was an officer on the scene (why would there be?) who specializes in those type of cases, Nash wouldn't stand a chance in court against against a giant like Carver. His lawyers would tear that case to shreds.

[–] Prismark10 8 years ago

I get a feeling if I shouted 'I gave the judge forged the documents' in front of armed police, I will be taken away in handcuffs.

It's that man again!!

[–] Hiphophippie23 8 years ago

Really? On what grounds would you be taken away? For all they know you could be quoting a song or movie. Without specifics they wouldn't do a thing. Even if they had a stack of files in their hand, in which you had committed numerous acts of fraud, they wouldn't be able to find it. The average cops are seriously clueless when it comes to white collar crime. They just aren't trained for it.

Now, there are specialized officers who prosecute these types of crimes, but there was no reason for any of them to be on the scene at the ending of this movie because at that point it was a domestic disturbance/trespassing issue with local cops. The ending just didn't make sense.

[–] callum9999 8 years ago

I'm really struggling to understand what you're finding so difficult to grasp? Perjury is a criminal offence - if you admit to perjury to police officers then they're going to take you to the station...

You seem to be under the impression that the police arrest (though there was no indication he actually was arrested) guilty people. They don't, they arrest suspects. If stating that you committed perjury to police officers doesn't give grounds to suspect that you may have committed perjury, I have no idea what would... The police don't have to understand the specific case while on the scene, that's what an investigation is for. If the police are so thick as to not understand what a forged document is (the content is completely irrelevant) then they can find a genius who does when they get back to the station.

[–] pd78w 8 years ago

In order to commit perjury, a person has to be under oath. I don't believe that was the case at any time for Nash's character.

However, since the police may have thought that Nash's admission to holding forged documents was reasonable grounds for suspecting he had committed a crime, it's sensible to arrest the guy and then let the courts or a judge figure it out.

[–] Hiphophippie23 8 years ago

Difficult to grasp? First of all, as the other person stated, I believe the crime was forgery not perjury. Secondly, I'm well aware the police arrest suspects and not only people they know for a fact are guilty. However, they sure as heck don't go around making arrests solely on hearsay. If they threw someone in a squad car every time they overheard something suspicious then every person singing rap lyrics or rehearsing for a violent movie/play would be behind bars. You have no clue what you are talking about. The end of this movie was rushed and the ending made very little sense.

[–] sean-van-der-smythe 8 years ago

Dude, you're grasping at straws; the guy clearly wasn't singing or quoting a movie; he said quite clearly what he had done. You make it sound less credible by calling it "hearsay" but it wasn't someone else who had said it (even if they had, it could be grounds for arrest); he himself admitted to it. I don't think he was put in handcuffs; he was just put into the back of a car while they went and spoke to that big cheese.

[–] Hiphophippie23 8 years ago

Grasping at straws?? There are a ton of people on these message boards for this film who agree that the end of this movie was rushed and made little sense. So he wasn't put in handcuffs, fair enough. If you really think that the cops responding to what was essentially a trespassing and domestic disturbance situation with a man with a gun, would actually believe, be more concerned with, and follow up on a "forged documents" off the cuff comment then you have no idea what you are talking about. They would be all over the man with the gun.

[–] slidell333 8 years ago

Don't fret over him, man. He's not even from this country. He said my "moral compass" because I said don't think that every person is entitled to a home in this country wether they pay on it or not...so..we should just let these people stay because "I grew up there!" even though they took out $85k against their homes for tools. And I'm a very liberal person..

[–] aupple 8 years ago

It was a standoff situation with an armed man. It can be argued that you can say anything, you can even lie if it helped de-escalate the situation... so all anyone had to argue is that Nash just told the armed man what he wanted to hear - it doesn't mean it's the truth.

As for taking nash and carver in for questioning, that part didn't make sense unless there was already a case being built against Carver.

[–] wrightinchicago 8 years ago

The guys in suits who took Nash were FBI or detectives IMO. They would want to talk to him about fraud.

[–] lanceus 8 years ago

I also think at the very least, the detectives on the scene (whether at the time or shortly thereafter) would want him brought in since he just admitted he committed fraud upon the court. Not a stretch at all. As for the handcuffs, I don't know what normally goes on in Orlando. Not sure if the scene of Nash getting into the police vehicle was minutes after the standoff, or after detectives has questioned him for a bit.

I do agree that Nash wouldn't have much of a chance against Carver's word later on, unless he had some form of proof about how they ripped of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Or maybe the government didn't need a lot of proof in order to start ripping Carver's life apart.

[–] daredevil1-1 8 years ago

Nothing was more unsettling than the last shot with the creepy Arab child staring eerily at Garfield not really knowing what his cue was supposed to be lol.

[–] moviefool09 8 years ago

Films, unfortunately, have to "wrap things up" in a quick action, which often means operating in a way that is not 100% realistic. It's happened on many films before.

I can forgive the filmmaker for that ending because I felt like the emotion was earned and the point was made.

Great film.

"The future is tape, videotape, and NOT film?"

[–] Howlin Wolf 8 years ago

Agreed. It's forgiveable because we the audience know the truth, and it's 'fair' - even if fairness doesn't exist in the real world.



"Your mother puts license plates in your underwear? How do you sit?!"

[–] Hiphophippie23 8 years ago

HA! I hadn't noticed that, thanks. Lol

[–] activista 8 years ago

@daredevil

"Creepy Arab child"? There was nothing "creepy" about that child---what a silly thing to say.

[–] Satantangoandcash 8 years ago

I don't think they arrested Nash, they were just taking him in for questioning. I was left wondering if the men in plain clothes were already aware of the forgery and were at the scene to pick up Carver or if they were there because it's routine to send non-uniformed officers or Federal agents or whatever they were to that sort of armed stand-off situation.

[–] robatmuskoka-89-696422 8 years ago

Exactly !

[–] denise1234 8 years ago

They handcuff and put folks in cop cars for a lot less these days 

"A distant ship, smoke on the horizon. You are only coming through in waves."

[–] Hiphophippie23 8 years ago

That's very true. However, it's almost never well dressed middle aged white males in suburban neighborhoods.

[–] bdickus 8 years ago

Agree, it's a formality.. Also separating Nash from the situation. An armed man he admitted to 'delivering' the forged documents not forging them himself. It was Freeman and his boys. So Nash would be asked to give a formal statement and eventually testify. Also, to separate him from Carver, who seemed to be having a casual chat with the Detectives at the end as he had a good reputation with the police.

Why btw, two separate law enforcements show up? The Sheriffs dept doesn't have enough man power in Orlando?