I saw this movie when I was 17 and had no idea what the ending meant, back then we didn't have IMDB and there weren't really explanations on google.
I went back and watched it today, remembering the ending and certain scenes but not much else and I didn't hold out much hope to get it.
I actually am surprised at how much of an impact it had on me now and how much I thoroughly understand what I saw. If you're confused:
The facts:
Danika did lose her brother as a child. She became an obsessively overprotective mom as a result. We know she has some mental health issues. She hears the bank robbery vaguely in the background on the phone when her boss calls her before she hangs up.
She catches her husband with the nanny, possibly kills him, drives off with her kids and gets in an accident (if it is an accident and not an intentional red-light run, which would explain the bomb on he school bus delusion). She's the only survivor.
Her mental illness takes a turn, and basically, most of the movie is her delusions of what life would have been like if things had gone on-and happily. Except...what if a girl gave her son AIDS, what if she saw the girl who went missing (newspaper headline in her cart at the end) and didn't save her, like she didn't save her brother. Etc.
She had trusted the nanny with her secrets and to take care of her kids, which is why the nanny had the therapist role in her head.
Is it the same thing as "and it was all a dream?" Not really. There are some unexplained parts...her daughter's teacher dying, the dog in the pool (for the millionth time can we please stop with the dogs in horror movies?) the fact that there's no real conflict/fear with the middle child for whatever reason.
The fireman says it. "how do you go on after something like that?"
And bravo for being the exact right length, even under 90 minutes.
I'm not even a mother yet, but I feel like if and when I am, this will resonate even more. For me now, years after seeing it the first time, it's not scary at all unless you stop to consider how vulnerable we are to life throwing us tragedy at any moment and how real mental illness can be.
I went back and watched it today, remembering the ending and certain scenes but not much else and I didn't hold out much hope to get it.
I actually am surprised at how much of an impact it had on me now and how much I thoroughly understand what I saw. If you're confused:
The facts:
Danika did lose her brother as a child. She became an obsessively overprotective mom as a result. We know she has some mental health issues. She hears the bank robbery vaguely in the background on the phone when her boss calls her before she hangs up.
She catches her husband with the nanny, possibly kills him, drives off with her kids and gets in an accident (if it is an accident and not an intentional red-light run, which would explain the bomb on he school bus delusion). She's the only survivor.
Her mental illness takes a turn, and basically, most of the movie is her delusions of what life would have been like if things had gone on-and happily. Except...what if a girl gave her son AIDS, what if she saw the girl who went missing (newspaper headline in her cart at the end) and didn't save her, like she didn't save her brother. Etc.
She had trusted the nanny with her secrets and to take care of her kids, which is why the nanny had the therapist role in her head.
Is it the same thing as "and it was all a dream?" Not really. There are some unexplained parts...her daughter's teacher dying, the dog in the pool (for the millionth time can we please stop with the dogs in horror movies?) the fact that there's no real conflict/fear with the middle child for whatever reason.
The fireman says it. "how do you go on after something like that?"
And bravo for being the exact right length, even under 90 minutes.
I'm not even a mother yet, but I feel like if and when I am, this will resonate even more. For me now, years after seeing it the first time, it's not scary at all unless you stop to consider how vulnerable we are to life throwing us tragedy at any moment and how real mental illness can be.