I think I've made some in-roads on the time-line problem.
<<First off, it starts at the dinner party at the Carvers, which I see as a Sunday night, because the next day the kids are at school>>
Actually, when Elena is getting ready for the party at the Carver's, she says to Paul on the phone, "See you next week," which makes me think that this is Saturday. Then we see no scenes on Sunday. We get plenty of scenes on Monday, which ends with Ben going to bed early. Then we see Mikey and Sandy doing homewoek on what I believe is Tuesday night. This would give Carver Sunday, Monday and Tuesday to be out of town on business, which is not unusual. Where I come from, Thanksgiving break is only Thursday and Friday (or at least used to be when I was going to school more or less around the time of the film). This means that Mikey is giving his "smell" report to the class on Wednesday. Later that day, he and Wendy tell Janey, "No homework. Thanksgiving break." When Wendy gets home, Ben is leaving to pick up Paul on the 4:40 train.
Now I still have problems with some of the things that happen within this time line. For instance, are Ben and Janey really committing adultery yet again on Thanksgiving afternoon?! Personally, I'd find that hard to work into my holiday schedule.
"Footman...shine my shoe. Shine my shoe."
reply
share
codyhoskins
17 years ago
Actually, I find it difficult to see Mikey's presentation on Wednesday because the characters are wearing completely different clothes from the scenes where they're at school compared to when they're at home. Furthermore, the scene with Janey and Ben talking about Elena is not on Thanksgiving, it's on Friday, the eve of the key party. Listen where Ben tells Janey about "yesterday at dinner" which refers to Thanksgiving dinner. When Ben's getting ready for the party, Elena asks what he and Wendy have been up to, then he tells her about Wendy and Mikey's exploit in the basement, which indicates this comes right after Ben brings Wendy home.
reply
share
DryToast
17 years ago
Yes, I see now that the Ben and Janey rendezvous is Friday. So, just talking through this...
If Mikey and Sandy doing their homework together is Monday night, more or less simultaneous with Ben's going to bed early, and Mikey's "smell" presentation in class is on Tuesday, and Janey abandons Ben in the guest room on Friday, then:
- Jim Carver leaves for Houston on Sunday morning and returns Monday night before the sons' bedtime;
- The Mikey classroom scene is the only scene on Tuesday;
- The Hoods' Thanksgiving dinner is the only scene on Thursday.
Or is it possible that the dinner party at the Carvers' is not Saturday but Friday? That would make it easier for me to buy that round trip to Houston and putting the homework scene on Monday.
Mind you, I don't think all the Monday clothes match either, but listening to the commentary it seems as if the filmmakers were making a phantasmagoria of 1973 and dressed the characters excessively in the current fashions. So maybe there were some extra, unrealistic costume changes.
I'd be annoyed if these kids had three days off from school for Thanksgiving, because I never did!
"Footman...shine my shoe. Shine my shoe."
reply
share
scottythefield
14 years ago
lol jealous! We Canadians only get ONE day off on our Thanksgiving! (Second Monday in October)
reply
share