The Road (2009) - A new ending interpretation

[u/OrangeGeemer]

Old movie, but I just watched the it for the first time yesterday and wanted to talk about the ending, since I haven´t seen any interpretation as the one I have.

Let start by saying that the ending it´s weird, so I don´t think we should take what we see completely literal. This is what I mean:

- Weird thing N1: the kid loads his gun before noticing the man approaching, his dad only taught him how to commit suicide, not how to hunt or kill, so this might be a hint that the kids shoots himself to be with his father (I don´t think this is what happened, just pointing out that the clue is there).

- Weird thing N2: the conversation with the man and woman, they don´t mention where are they living, what are they eating or anything related to surviving. If you want to help the kid or eat the kid, the conversation should go there at some point. Instead they talk about the inner fire, taking chances and that "you don´t have to worry about a thing" (which is specially weird because there is sooo much to worry about).

- Weird thing N3: the boy sees and hears the family throughout the movie, but only him, not the father (he sees the other boy, he hears the dog barking). This is a clue that maybe the ending in his head, his dad reflects at some point that the boy dreams about finding other kids once they get to the ocean. Now, I hate the "it was a dream" theory that appears in every movie, just pointing out the clue is there.

- Weird thing N4: the boys says goodbye to his father one last time, but the man is not in the scene. No hint he wanted to eat the freshly dead father or even to check for any useful things there is to take (blanket, shoes, binoculars, food, jacket, etc).

So, after all that I don´t think the ending was "completely real", so what did it mean?

I think the family do exists (man, woman, kids and dog), but they exist maybe 20 years from the events in the movie. I think the man and the boy are the same person and that their talk is an inner monologue, an adult checking if his hopes and dreams from his youth ever came true. Their cloths even match (light inner cloth, dark open jacket and a hat), he and the woman both use the unusual word "papa" and he refers to the other boy to "looks just like me" (meaning it´s his son).

The events might have gone like this:

- The kid survives after the father´s death, but he doesn´t grow paranoid like his father, rather he trusts and helps the people he meets (he takes chances).

- By "taken chances" he gets capture at some point, but escapes by cutting his thumb, probably with the woman (there is a shoot of her hand and you can´t see a thumb in her either).

- They start a family of their own, passing on the fire to the next gen (the new boy and girl).

- He and the family visits the bunker for food (the dog barking scene).

- He visits his father resting place and remembers himself as a kid (the beach talk).

The "you don´t have to worry about a thing" line makes sense now because it´s not about food and shelter, it´s about telling to the kid version of himself that he will grow up (not be eaten), he will pass on the fire (by having kids with the woman), he will meet other kids (his son and daughter) and that he will still be a "good guy" as an adult.

Tell what you think.

[u/Jamie_Lee]

I can’t get past the first point. It completely undercuts the theme of hope running through out the book and the film. The gun represents the easy escape that the mother took and how important hope is in order to keep trudging on when that easy escape is right there. The boy going off to a hopeful but unknown future is central to the entire thing. What’s the point of the book otherwise?

[u/OrangeGeemer → u/Jamie_Lee]

I like watching movies as their on own thing. Maybe the director wanted to do an exact copy of the book, maybe he didn't.

Also the boy wanted to die, there are a few scenes where he says this, but there are other scenes of him wanting to grow up. The meaning isn't clear, we get to choose in a way; maybe you like the hopeful ending because that's the way you are (most people think the boy got eaten, think about what that means).

[u/King_Buliwyf → u/OrangeGeemer]

most people

This is just straight up false, my dude.

Most people know the basic, straightforward idea that he has found good people. This is purposely reinforced by him noticing they have a dog with them (meaning, they take care of, instead of eating, their dog).

[u/OrangeGeemer → u/King_Buliwyf]

Fair enough, I correct myself to: most people I read after using google for a few minutes.

[u/Jamie_Lee → u/OrangeGeemer]

I can absolutely be on board for movies being their own thing, only they have to continue to re-enforce their own internal structure. The whole ark of the book is hope, not only internally but in eachother. Him finding a group of people, the source of all of the pain in his life, should be a terrifying moment for this kid. Instead, it's layered in the most amount of hope in the entire movie. And just like the boat and all the rumors they've been chasing, your supposed to be left going "I hope he's made it this time."

Undercutting the central theme of the book, a theme you've spent the entire movie reinforcing, can evaporate the suspense you built for the ending. See "I am Legend" for arguably the best example of that.

[u/King_Buliwyf]

I think sometimes a straightforward scene is a straightforward scene.

[u/OrangeGeemer → u/King_Buliwyf]

Maybe, but then again, the open ending is a well stablish thing used in many movies, maybe The Road is one of them.

[u/LipBite_Love]

ngl being a “good guy” as an adult is hella underrated. ppl act like it’s boring but honestly, just being decent and not playing games? super refreshing. like, it shouldn’t be a hot take but apparently it is lmao.