"You sure they said it was a woman screaming?" **Spoilers**
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Good Neighbor
prabhunster — 9 years ago(September 17, 2016 04:32 PM)
The line said by James Caan after the policeman investigates his basement after hearing noise complaints. After finding nothing, Caan oddly and unprompted asks the officer , "You sure they said it was a
woman
screaming?"
After seeing the ending, we know why Caan emphasized the word, "woman".
At that time though, I surely enough followed the red herring and came to my own (incorrect) theory:
My guess for the contents of the basement would be Ethan's father (alive).
There would be a flashback scene at the end where Ethan's father after being released from prison confronts Caan. The father would say something threatening like, "Keep out of my affairs, I'll do whatever I want to my (ex)-wife."
After realizing the father wouldn't stop harassing the mother even after serving time, Caan took matters into his own hands and kept the father imprisoned in his basement. He wouldn't harm, torture, or even starve the father. He would simply keep him in captivity to protect the mother, believing the legal system couldn't keep her safe. Despite the secret illegal imprisonment, Caan could still be considered, "The Good Neighbor".
There would have needed to be some implication that Ethan and his father weren't
still
emailing each other of course. Perhaps it had been months or even a year since that last email from Ethan's father.
Either way, I was way off course, but still, wasn't it strange that Ethan's father wasn't at the trial? Albeit divorced, both parents still would have a vested interest in their son possibly on trial for murder. Or maybe the mother had a restraining order on him, who knows?
Anyway, curious if anyone else had similar or equally crazy theories after hearing that quote of Caan's. -
drbarbie — 9 years ago(September 17, 2016 06:18 PM)
Yes,the reason why he said that was because if you watch the flash back when he gives his wife the bell he says if you EVER need me ring the bell and I'll come to you. So while actually thinking his house is being haunted by his dead wife, because of the music and back door, he asks about the female voice thinking it's his dead wife calling for him. He then after seeing the bell kills himself to "go to " his dead wife.
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balducci2 — 9 years ago(September 18, 2016 01:28 AM)
Just reading this thread now, I was struck with the thought that perhaps Caan's character thought he may have been crying out / screaming in his sleep over his grief. At one point we saw him talk in his sleep. So maybe he already knew he vocalized while he slept, and perhaps he even woke himself with his cries at some point in the past.