MovieChat Forums > Secret Window (2004) Discussion > THE SHERIFF?!

THE SHERIFF?!

posted 10 years ago by vchantapanya
13 replies | jump to latest

Okay so last night was my first time watching it(I know, I'm late). It was good, but totally predictable. Anyways, I'm a little confused about the sheriff...

So when Mort went to the sheriff, he was totally nonchalant, didn't care, inattentive, like he already knew he was a nut case? Later on in the movie, Mort goes to the post office I believe, and the sheriff says that he really needs to speak to him. All of a sudden he wants to talk to Mort? I'm a little lost on that and it's been bugging me. Lol. Thanks in advance!

[–] EmptyLight 10 years ago

Yeah, I noticed that too. Whoever wrote and directed this, didn't know how to proceed with the character. Bad character writing, I guess.

I believe the sheriff wanted to speak to Mort because he knew he was the killer, but couldn't prove it. He wanted to say to him what he said to him in the ending.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] EmptyLight 10 years ago

lol wat

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] KingCobra686 10 years ago

I agree that the sheriff shows a pretty drastic change in attitude real fast.

If you look at the story from his perspective, Mort is somewhat douchey writer who lives out in the woods near town and spends most of his time sleeping and doing nothing. The sheriff probably considers him melodramatic or goofy or whatever, but he probably doesnt think about him very much or care what he gets up to. Mort comes to him with a story about somewhat stalking him and the Sheriff doesnt care. I'm guessing he just assumes that Mort is being dramatic.
But once characters start getting killed and things start getting more serious, the Sheriff is smart enough to notice that something is going on. Its pretty obvious that Mort is acting differently when he avoids the Sheriff rather than bugging him to do something. Maybe the Sheriff noticed that 180 shift in attitude towards him and decided to investigate. Plus, we saw the movie mostly from Mort's perspective, which wasnt exactly a clear depiction of what happened. You could rightfully assume that there might have been other interactions with characters in town that would lead to suspicion.

[–] First_Epistle_of_John 9 years ago

Bingo. The sheriff isn't used to serious goings-on and once he realizes the real deal is going on around him, he takes a second look at Mort and starts to apply himself seriously.

[–] blackswan-545-352343 9 years ago

i'll have to watch the movie again,

but weren't there 2 missing persons at that point?

marc
😭

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] KingCobra686 8 years ago

Depends on how quickly people noticed that the two were missing. One was the random old guy from town and one was the bodyguard guy that Mort had hired. Its possible that people had noticed the first guy missing and reported it already to the sheriff.

[–] bml84 8 years ago

Because he's a (very) small town sheriff not used to any violent crime or actual investigatory work.

He changes at the end simply because everyone knows Depp is guilty (arson, disappearances and odd tales of strange men all in the space of one week centred on one man) but simply can't prove it.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ss5mmyers (160) 7 years ago

He was coming to tell him there was no record of a John Shooter most likely. That and the rest of the events convinced the sheriff what was really going on.