MovieChat Forums > Hocus Pocus (1993) Discussion > Thackery Binx's talking abilities...

Thackery Binx's talking abilities...

posted 11 years ago by gebharma
14 replies | jump to latest

At which point is he supposed to develop the ability for speech? He can talk to Danny, Max, Allison throughout the WHOLE movie but in the first 11 minutes his dad shoo's him away. Why doesn't he just say like "Dad, it's me. You literally just killed the only people that could turn me back into a human. Grab that book at get home and figure out how to turn me back. By the way I resent that beast comment..."

In all seriousness though, why can't he talk when he's first turned into a cat but can later? It just bugged me.

[–] MarblesLove 11 years ago

I pin it down to one of two things. Either:

1.) He didn't know he could talk yet.

or

2.) He didn't want to freak his dad out by talking to him in the form of a cat.

[–] The_ApprenticeUK 11 years ago

I agree with LABR and most likely it would have been looked at as witchcraft and they would have probably killed the cat.

[–] meccie13 11 years ago

been looked at as witchcraft and they would have probably killed the cat.

I agree, I think if he did speak to his dad, he probably wouldn't have believed it was his son, perhaps just a trick made by the witches.

[–] merbrat2u 9 years ago

I think that he *couldn't* or didn't know, but, Hey. He had 300 hundred years to figure it out! Winnie learned how to say "Hello, I want my book" in french, while they were being baked. ;o)

[–] toking65000 10 years ago

Yeah it could have been the second one, b/c IF he talked before the mob, the crowed would have likely thought he was a product of the Witch's witchcraft and may have killed him too.

I know he was under an immortality spell, but maybe at the time he didn't realize it and thought it would still hurt to be burned or whatever they would do to him.

Create a society in which you would like to live, not knowing what you're going to come into it as.

[–] kaydie-fee 11 years ago

Why would the witches give him the ability to talk in the first place? I mean I love this film but you think they would just turn him into a normal cat so he couldn't warn anybody about lighting the candle or advise people on how to stop them if they came back to life

[–] The_ApprenticeUK 11 years ago

Witch error much like human error oh and its a film :)

[–] drek258 10 years ago

Possibly to torment him even further knowing that if he was to talk, he'd most likely get the same treatment in those times.

www.youtube.com/buntonatar

[–] Dream_Demon 10 years ago

I personally think that Thackery couldn't speak yet in cat form. After all, he had just been turned into a cat, thus he wasn't used to having a cat's body. He was also desperately trying to get his father's attention, so if he was able to speak at the time, he would've tried to avoid being lynched like the sisters by proving he's the real deal through telling his father things between father and son that nobody else would know. Even if he does get lynched and come back, he could still prove his innocence by not actually harming anything except for prey like birds and mice for example.

Welcome to my Nightmare- Freddy Krueger

[–] deadbodieseverywhere17 9 years ago

I personally think that Thackery couldn't speak yet in cat form. After all, he had just been turned into a cat, thus he wasn't used to having a cat's body. He was also desperately trying to get his father's attention, so if he was able to speak at the time, he would've tried to avoid being lynched like the sisters by proving he's the real deal through telling his father things between father and son that nobody else would know. Even if he does get lynched and come back, he could still prove his innocence by not actually harming anything except for prey like birds and mice for example.

I agree with this totally. I can't get on board with the reasoning of not wanting to be killed by the mob. I don't think a 15 or 16 (can't remember his age exactly) year old boy would have thought far enough ahead to not speak for fear of being thought of as a witches trick.

"The Martian Manhunter is the heart of the Justice League." - The Flash (Barry Allen)

[–] theoctobercountry 10 years ago

I'll agree with what the others have said---if Thackery had tried to talk to his parents while in cat form, they would have likely destroyed him (seeing as he was the product of witchcraft).

The REAL question, however, is this---how on earth did anyone ever know what happened to Thackery in the first place? He wasn't telling his story to anyone in cat form, so how did his fate become public knowledge, so much so that the teacher in school was able to tell his story to her class? Hmmm, little bit of a plot hole, there.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] AmberTribal 9 years ago

I'll agree with what the others have said---if Thackery had tried to talk to his parents while in cat form, they would have likely destroyed him (seeing as he was the product of witchcraft).

The REAL question, however, is this---how on earth did anyone ever know what happened to Thackery in the first place? He wasn't telling his story to anyone in cat form, so how did his fate become public knowledge, so much so that the teacher in school was able to tell his story to her class? Hmmm, little bit of a plot hole, there.

The teacher's story only implied no-one saw him again not that he had been turned into a cat (that was more for the viewer's benefit). Plus the farm-hand would have woken everyone up and mentioned his master's son had gone after Emily as ordered to so some elements of the story would have become a local legend.

"My outside finally matches my inner. I'm Blast Mode beautiful and don't you forget it!"

[–] cinedragon 10 years ago

I think he got the ability to talk when the witches returned. Why? I don't know, but I think before that, he was unable to speak.