Posted by FilmNerd_Jamie at adsl-068-017-099-180.sip.shv.bellsouth.net on March 17, 2004 at 19:15:57:
In Reply to: Secret Window posted by The Queen on March 17, 2004 at 18:53:16:
SPOILER WARNING!!!!!
Okay! The "big twist" is that Shooter (John Turturro) is really an altar-ego of Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp). A la Tyler Durden from Fight Club. That's why the audience only sees Shooter when he's alone with Rainey. The ending is that Rainey kills everyone (his ex-wife, her live-in boyfriend, his book agent, his dog?!?) and gets away with it, because there's no evidence of his involvment even though the authorities/locals pretty much know he HAD to have done it. The only "surprise" of Window's ending is that Rainey isn't caught and/or arrested and gets off scot free!
OVERALL...yes Secret Window was a good film; a great performance by Depp and solid acting from the cast (not a single weak link!). But the "surprise" can be seen a mile away. Trust me! I saw it last Saturday afternoon and not a SINGLE person in the audience was suprised! David Koepp (the film's screenwriter/director) could have tried harder when it came to the ending because it was VERYYY cliche-ridden. My God, how many films have the "villain is the hero's evil altar ego" ending as of late? At least that ending worked for Fight Club!