MovieChat Forums > The Trip to Bountiful (1986) Discussion > Carrie was surprisingly forgiving of her...

Carrie was surprisingly forgiving of her father mild spoilers

posted 16 years ago by fiatlux-1
10 replies | jump to latest

I was surprised that Carrie talked so well of her father, as he basically ruined her life! He kept her from marrying the man of her dreams, the love of her life.

I guess she made her peace, but I don't know if I could have done that! And it saddens me when I watch that scene where she talks of how they loved one another, and how she still wears a picture of him around her neck! Its a pity she couldn't stand up to her father, but I would imagine things like that didn't happen in those times or in those situations?

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] netshopper-2 15 years ago

If you watch the special features with the play's writer, he described writing the story based on stories he heard as a child. He mentioned one about an aunt who fell in love with her first cousin in relation to TTTB.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] PenTheater 15 years ago

Sign of the times maybe?
I think people were more forgiving back then, of family.
But of course humans don't always forgive and forget, they bottle it up and spew it out other ways.
This whole family had major disfunctions because "tolerance".

Is life to short to put up with these kinds of families?

The story makes us ponder these things.

[–] TheMagiciansWorkshop 14 years ago

altenpensacola, it was certainly a sign of the times. Worse than that was forgiven back in those days I'm sad to say.

[–] PenTheater 14 years ago

Yes indeed.
Oh, I know myself.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] PenTheater 10 years ago

I thought about your post for awhile now. I wasn’t led to believe that is what happened, but since we will never know I don’t want to debate it.
Even if it only "could have happened" or only in her thoughts, (which is just as "bad" right?)

I do love the comment, and the outlook on her character.
Because we are so busy saying how bad Jessie Mae is and while rooting for Carrie Watts to get back home (even if it is only a memory), that we forget the possible dynamics of her(Carrie). And in this case, whether she actually had relations with Ray or not, we get to think about her younger side and how she herself was or could have been like Jessie Mae when she was younger. So in this case, making us feel a little more empathy for Jessie Mae. !

I will keep your idea in mind next time I watch it. You have added more to or discovered even more to Horton Foote’s great characters and story.

[–] fiatlux-1 10 years ago

I always thought she said "I DID" as in "I did [love him]."
I never heard "I did IT."

Carrie was carrying a photo of him, around her neck in a locket no less, even to the present day.

Interesting theories though about Ray John Murray being a louse.
I too wondered at that whole 'drunk & married out of spite' bit. It seemed a rather rash thing to do!
Ray didn't sound so "nice" after hearing that.

But it was hard to tell if he was a jerk or just so in love (and needy)& enraged that he behaved rashly.

And to be fair, we do not know how long a time passed between Carrie's 'dumping him' & his loveless impulsive marriage either.

I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus.
Didn't he discover America?
Penfold, shush.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] fiatlux-1 10 years ago

While I wondered about that line too, I always figured it was referring to the fact that she lusted after a man she was not 'supposed' to like, and also because she married a man she did not love.

A lot of very religious people tend to worry obsessively over what they perceive as *sins*. Carrie seemed like just such a person.

I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus.
Didn't he discover America?
Penfold, shush.

Carrie was surprisingly forgiving of her father *mild spoilers*

Carrie was surprisingly forgiving of her father mild spoilers