Meaning of the last line
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Skye_Reynolds — 14 years ago(December 24, 2011 12:56 PM)
Yeah, he's definitely commenting on the possibility that Kris really is Santa. He thought that he made Santa out of a kind old man when really he was Santa all along. Of course, the film is rather ambiguous as to whether he really is or not or even if he's being facetious in that statement.
It's sort of an "I want to believe" in light of the improbability of the situation. -
viaggio1 — 13 years ago(December 04, 2012 10:44 AM)
Another possible take on the line Fred realized that because he freed Kris, Kris was then able to "find" Susan's house and thus set up the eventual marriage and housekeeping of Fred, Doris, and Susan. Despite the facts that Fred clearly loves Doris and Susan, and marriage with Doris is "in the cards," no one likes to feel that they are being pushed or "manipulated" into taking such a huge step as matrimony even if the manipulator is Kris Kringle !
"J'ai l'oeil AMRICAIN !" -
viaggio1 — 13 years ago(January 18, 2013 03:33 PM)
This is the biggest, most over analyzation of the line that I've ever seen, lol.
Thanks on a board that is filled with 4 pages (and counting !) of analysis of a single line from this movie, that's quite a compliment !
But in all seriousness, many couples in long-term relationships would know the feeling that Fred was experiencing for example, the irritation that comes when some acquaintance or distant relative nudges them and chuckles, "So, when's the big day ??" or else "So what's holding up the birth of your first-born ??" when all they want to do is enjoy their present time together, and not be pushed into anything until THEY decide they are ready (for marriage / setting up house together / becoming parents / etc.)
"J'ai l'oeil AMRICAIN !" -
gayspiritwarrior — 13 years ago(December 09, 2012 10:23 PM)
I find this entire discussion superfluous. Considering the year this was made and the customs of Hollywood movies, there is no other interpretation than #1.
"The value of an idea has nothing to do with the honesty of the man expressing it."Oscar Wilde -
SKay02 — 13 years ago(December 09, 2012 10:42 PM)
The quote is:
"Maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all"
I think it's simply referring to that Mr. Gailey didn't have "everything" to do with purchasing the house for Susie. (Miracle on 34th Street) Remember, just minutes before he says this, he's boasting. What a good lawyer he is. What a good person he is in what he has done. All that pride. Then he sees the cane, and thinks that perhaps "Kris Kringle" somehow, some way contributed to the house being on sale. That's just my opinion. Am I on to something?, or am I crazy? -
JR541 — 13 years ago(December 10, 2012 09:59 PM)
He was really saying that maybe it wasn't his great lawyering that convinced everyone that Kris was Santa Claus. It's that he really was Santa Claus. He just chose his words poorly.
He's taking the knife out of the Cheese!
Do you think he wants some cheese? -
zumbinis-1 — 13 years ago(December 11, 2012 01:37 PM)
Thanks for this thread. I, too, have enjoyed the movie many times, yet have always been baffled by the last line. I just watched it again yesterday, then came here to see if I could settle my confusion, My feeling is now in line with reading #1; originally I wavered between OP's readings #1 and #2.
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blondee661 — 13 years ago(December 19, 2012 09:25 AM)
I've watched this movie countless times and I was always confused by the last line myself. I'm glad I'm not the only one who seemed puzzled too but I think the first explantaion makes the most sense. I also think number 4 makes a little sense too, because before the movie Kris seemed to live a fairly normal life and now everyone kinda nows his secret identity.
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ollpheist — 12 years ago(August 14, 2013 07:25 PM)
I think that when he saw the cane, he realised that Kringle didn't really have a limp at all, and that he was in fact Keyser Soze all along. Hence the line: "Maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all". Because he's just let the crazy bastard free.
We have such sights to show you -
jhallstr — 9 years ago(December 29, 2016 08:23 PM)
Well, just to extend the lifetime of this thread even further:
It hit me at some point that it was the delivery of the line which was lacking.
Listen to it as "Maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all", with the emphasis on "I".
Which is to say that Fred admits that his court defense Miracle was not as wonderful as Santa's was.
(the House, the winning over of Doris and Susan, etc, etc)
The actor just missed the writer's desired emphasis.