2 questions
what is the point of the friend of james caan's character who bleeds out in the car?
who was the guy who was going to kill himself but the phone call stopped him? did we ever see him in the movie again?
Questions should be the other way around.
The guy who was going to kill himself but the phone call stopped him is Abner Mercer, an old crony of Joe Sarno, James Caan's character. He is played by the wonderful character actor, Geoffrey Lewis, who is Juliette Lewis' real life father.
Now I know your weren't paying attention...something that surely spoils this film...because you ask why we don't see Abner again. He is the character who bleeds out in the car, after he is shot in the shoot out in the Mexican hotel. He hangs on long enough for Joe to catch up with him and then embraces the death he had earlier been courting. (The scene also has some of the humor that drifts in and out of this film.)
Abner Mercer: I'm dyin', Joe.
Joe Sarno: I'm sorry, Abner.
[sighs]
Abner Mercer: Joe?
Joe Sarno: Yeah, Abner. I'm right here.
Abner Mercer: If it's not too much trouble, I'd kind of like to be alone.
[Extends hand]
"I'd never ask you to trust me. It's the cry of a guilty soul."
To answer your first question, the point of having Abner is that Sarno has to have somebody to be his eyes and ears "in the field" while he's running back and forth to meet everybody. He has to run to the jail to get Jeffers and Obecks out, meet with the Chidducks, meet with Longbaugh, set up the ransom exchange. Somebody has to keep track of where the girl is all of that time, so he calls in his old buddy Abner.
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