MovieChat Forums > Pacific Heights (1990) Discussion > Lots of Artistic License

Lots of Artistic License

posted 17 years ago by glpatton
5 replies | jump to latest

I've seen this movie twice--first time the last half or so, after he is in and "doing his thing," and last night the whole way through. It is a good psycho thriller, but Keaton's stay wouldn't have lasted that long. And I'll avoid the movie in the future...to slow and ridiculous.

I've been a tenant more times than a landlord and, yes, tenants have an enormous amount of rights, but wanton destruction of property isn't one of them. Every lease I have ever seen had a clause that indicated damaging or destroying property was cause for eviction and the tenant was responsible for the damage. Certain changes were OK--curtains, and painting (with owner permission), but to do what he was doing and continue to live there? Sorry, don't buy it. Locks cannot be changed. Despite the "tenant rights", landlords do have entry rights, normally in the case of emergencies, but can gain entry with a warrant.

The arrest scene after the fight? I can't write LOL enough to cover the absurdity of that scene. The cops drive up, handcuff Bodine, throw him in the back of the car and drive off without any investigation? Plus, any investigation would have discovered that the timing between the 911 call and the fight were backwards.

I'm not sure who was "dumber" in this show--the couple or law enforcement.

On the other hand. Thinking of being a landlord? Have an airtight lease and do background checks. This "might" save you.

[–] Nikon11 17 years ago

Sure, but you'd have to take the tenant to court, and win. But by that time, you may have lost the place because you couldn't afford to pay the mortgage, because the tenant has stopped paying you, and you can't evict him until you've been to court.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Nikon11 17 years ago

Have you ever been a landlord?

Exactly, how would you have, "...had him out..."?

This sh!t happens in real life. This movie is just an exaggerated example.

[–] andyd-1 16 years ago

..she was unlucky when she rented her flat out whilst she was abroad, the tenant never paid any rent after moving in, it cost money and took months to kick him out. He left the place in a wreck.

[–] ProfSpielberg 10 years ago

Oh please, landlords can't get a "warrant" just to enter an apartment.. Not without supplying probable cause to the police first. You don't know what you're talking about. In reality most landlords don't need to lawfully investigate to sniff out the big offenses -- drug dealing, uninhabitable conditions, maltreatment of animals, etc. -- because it's either apparent indirectly, or they just ignore getting permission. They can give reasonable prior notice of entering (24 hrs basically) but, by changing the locks, Keaton's character nipped that option in the bud. During eviction notice-to-quit process (and waiting for the hearing) the management is prohibited from changing locks or shutting off utilities, not the other way around. And even though the level of damage inflicted by Keaton et al. would clearly void the terms of the lease the remedy to enforce that is the exact same thing: court-mandated eviction, which doesn't begin & end when you snap your fingers.