I saw this movie years ago when I was a teen. I always assumed Vernon's "take a shot" offer was genuine, and that Bender backed down purely out of fear.
I watched the scene again and see it a bit different now. Vernon's offer seems like entrapment, and I wonder if Bender is also apprehensive for that reason, as well as being afraid of fighting?
On the one side, it's very much entrapment and he's already trapped.
Bender knows this and knows that Vernon could do anything he wanted, with complete confidence that no-one would take Bender's word to the contrary.
Bender's only choice is to do nothing and wait it out, before looking to see what retaliations are available to him thereafter.
On another side, Bender is also scared.
Vernon has put the pair of them in the exact same situation that Bender usually finds himself in with his father. Big strong older man, authority figure, essentially bullying the kid and beating him down. Bender is genuinely expecting to get a kicking here and Vernon has no tangible reason not to do it, if he feels like it.
Watching that scene again, I genuinely am scared for Bender. I mean here we have a teacher/principal/authority figure who has put the both in them in a situation where there are not witnesses. They are completely alone. And back in the day if a teacher crossed a line with a student, most other adults would be in support of the teacher, and say the kid was asking for it - no matter even if the teacher crossed a line. Vernon could do anything he wanted to to Bender. And I think Bender knows this and therefore knows to just keep his mouth shut and not give Vernon what he wants. If he were to hit Vernon, Vernon could knock the crap out of him and then tell the police, etc. that Bender attacked him and Bender would be the one in trouble.
shareI think it's nicely ambiguous. You can read it as Bender being afraid, you can read it as Bender not being violent (he was more of a class clown who used his mouth to harass people, he wasn't making physical threats), you can read it as Bender being afraid and it demonstrating Bender doesn't actually fight back against his abusive father as he claimed to impress the others at lunch, and you can read it as Bender being smart, recognizing what he was trying to do, and not taking the bait, understanding Vernon was trying to get him to swing on him so he could get him expelled and/or arrested.
I think it's nicely ambiguous.I think so too. Bender doesn't back down because of fear ... he sizes the situation up and makes a conscious choice. Vernon's probably had as much of Bender as Bender has of Vernon. 🐭 share
Bender was just a big mouth who couldn't back it up. He went down in two seconds in the fight with Andy.
shareAgreed. I can't stand him, and thus I ultimately could not swallow the movie as it expected us to sympathize with him by the end.
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Andy was a wrestler, he wrapped him up and put him down... But the essence of this film is to show that every character had layers. They weren't just "Big Mouths" or "Nerds" etc... You missed the point.
shareBender was just a big mouth who couldn't back it up. He went down in two seconds in the fight with Andy.
Remember the fight with Andy? Bender pulls out the knife, like he's a tough guy now (after immediately losing the fight) because he had the knife.
shareRemember the fight with Andy? Bender pulls out the knife, like he's a tough guy now (after immediately losing the fight) because he had the knife.
Andrew would have taken the knife from him just as easily as he beat him in the fight.
shareAndrew would have taken the knife from him just as easily as he beat him in the fight.
Andrew would have taken the knife from him just as easily as he beat him in the fight.
That was both a psychological reassertion of his own sense of security, as well as more intimidation of Andrew. Possibly also a cover-up of his failure just prior.
Pulling the knife makes Bender feel safe, as does showing it off to the others.
Showing Andrew that he could have been stabbed if Bender so chose is a dominance display
Remember the fight with Andy? Bender pulls out the knife, like he's a tough guy now (after immediately losing the fight) because he had the knife.
He never threatens to hurt anyone in the entire film
Andy physically abused another student and publicly humiliated him
what does the KNIFE
mean
to
YOU???
and he DID threaten with that knife.
WHAT??? what does being a woman have to do with fighting or not fighting? I am also a woman who works in a poor/bad area of the South Bronx. and women are worse with bullying and being physically abusive than men.
so you and your 'women don't do fighting' IGNORANT thought is moot.
bring a knife to a gunfight
WHAT??? what does being a woman have to do with fighting or not fighting?
I am also a woman who works in a poor/bad area of the South Bronx. and women are worse with bullying and being physically abusive than men.
oh, you should just shut up and walk away right now... talk about off topic... WHERE IS ANDY'S GUN???
MORON.
and Carl Lee killed two crackas in cold blood when they were going into the courthouse for raping Carl's 10 year old daughter.
temporary insanity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! srsly, bender's father physically abusing Bender DOES NOT COMPARE to Andy being coyly encouraged to 'fool around but don't get caught' by his douchebag father. back then, verbal abuse wasn't abuse. Andy, Allison, Claire and Brian all had it worse than Bender. Bender had physical proof that his father was a prickhole. everyone else had hearsay.
mentioning another movie is OFF TOPIC to you???? god, you are weird.
the only abuse that existed back in the 80's was the physical. and even then, much was considered discipline.
you are forgetting that this movie was made back in 1985ish before verbal abuse was considered abuse. to be honest, parents still verbally abuse their kids to the point of telling three year olds to stand up like a man and stop your bullshi7 bawling.
I don't think Andy REALLY did it for his father's approval, I think he just snapped.
what makes you think I have not been physically abused? or mentally? or verbally? or pretty much all other abuses their are right now?
stop thinking this with a 2010 mentality.
Reading the paper can really be depressing. Mr. Dithers fired Dagwood again.
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Agreed. Bender was all talk and no action. He got his butt kicked by Andy and almost peed his pants when Vernon threatened him. A true punk in a denim jacket.
Mostly fear. I mean he is just a kid, and this adult is cramming it at him.
shareI agree, as an adult, it takes on a complete different aspect. I think you can see fear but also confusion in Bender. He was TRAPPED as was said already. I love this film for so many reasons... That scene is a powerful one. I like this topic
shareFear and cowardice.
When really pushed into a situation where he can't simply bluff himself out of it Bender has always backed down.
What happened in the closet was a good leasson for Bender.
Fear and cowardice.
When really pushed into a situation where he can't simply bluff himself out of it Bender has always backed down.
What happened in the closet was a good lesson for Bender.
Fear
The look on his face says fear to me. I don't read anything else on his face during this scene. I can't see him thinking to himself, "This is my chance. I really wanna beat Vernon down. Easy, John. It's a no win situation. Don't do it." Never once in that scene does it look like he wants to punch Vernon but is restraining himself.