Frailty Ending (spoiler)

I think the epilogue worked fine, especially showing the fact that ..... SPOILERS.........
Meeks was the local Sheriff and how God could interfere with any evidence of his actions. Without this epilogue, certain people would have cried 'plothole' in relation to video cameras e.t.c and the Sheriff touch was neat (handshake with FBI agent).
Oh yeah, fantastic movie!!

And also the subtextual nature of Adam's job - sherrif being a fatherly figure in small town USA, much like the protective father that Bill Paxton played to Fenton & Adam. Adam now assumes that role (reiterating the proto-typical genre picture premise that evil is passed down through lineage - although here it's cleverly subverted into the power to do "good") Both father figure totally rational of thought and purpose even though harbouring this immense theologically potent weight...A neat wrap up methinks.

I especially like the fact that (SPOILER eek! ) you get to see that the chick was in on the whole thing...

Not only that, but the whole thing gave me an additional chill when the two of them utter that "Praise God!" at the end. That even tho' the "mission" was real, these are still a couple of truly tweeked Jesus Freaks with a couple of screws lewse!

The ending was ruined for me by the television commercial for the DVD and I was quite cheesed as a result. If you haven't yet seen the film, please avoid the commercial, it gives you a glimpse of something you probably shouldn't see and will quite possible sabotage your opinion of the movie.

****Spoile....PLOT RUINATION!****

But the point is, they're not Jesus freaks with a couple of screws loose. In Frailty's world there really are demons that need to be destroyed and God does send help for righteous people to do this and make the world a better place.

The lunatics don't only run the asylum - they're not the lunatics...they're right.

SPOILER!!!



When they show all the bad things that the "demons" did, it could have been just from the family's point of view as they are crazy. The FBI agent could have been a coincidence. If you kill enough people, eventually you will get someone who deserves it. The video tape could have just had a glitch in it. I still think they are religious wackos. I know how big of a stretch that is, but I like my endings ambiguous and I've talked myself into it.

I agree absolutely! The epilogue is uneeded. When I was taping the dvd, I went back & cut the credits in right after the dead pause after the "God will protect me" line. If it would've ended there, I would have eaten my shit - but instead it goes on to explain all this & that... which made my wide grin turn RIGHT into frustration. I wanted it to end there... & well, so now it does! The epilogue makes more sense if it was an alternate/deleted ending. If done that way, audiences would still be talking about it.
As for my cut, I enjoy it a lot more & would want others I show it to to see that one too. Now all I've gotta do is throw T2 music over the credits! Then it'll be WICKED!

Wow - and we thought Cleanflicks was the problem...

The neding forces you to reconcile the actions of a god wh is acting in amaneer that is moraly questionable.

There is no "ambiguity" to escape to. the ending is what puts this film beyond most other serial killer flicks. There is no escape form its dilemma by pleading insanity.

I saw this recently and I have one question,

Spoiler........

How did the FBI suspect the "real" Fenton to be the serial killer, ie. why did they go to the real Fenton's house?

End Spoiler.

Your a good man, sir.

Great end line.

As I recall, the next morning, the young FBI agent remembered Fenton's name, just not his face. I'm sure it was pretty easy to link the two after that.

thanks SpaceMonkey.

And Jess, yes, I actually thought the end credits were going to roll when the screen faded to black. It would have been much more effective ending that the one they went with.

Woulda been very Dario Argento if they ended it there.

You guys need to listen to the Audio Commentary. Discusses a lot of this stuff.

***SPOILER***
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Nothing ambiguous about it. Those ARE real demons. Dad and Adam are the "heroes" of the film.
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END SPOILERS

What I don't think alot of people get. Is that this is a southern gothic horror film. South an area where extreme religion exists. Not trying to pain a broad brush here.

But you can't view this movie from a pessimestic atheism side. Some stories are just the way they are because. Though every fiber of my being wants to think that Carl Cunningham is wrong.

Yet I haven't gone to the commentary yet. So until i do. i must resist on agreeing. lol

PEACE OUT!

** SPOILERS HERE **

It's pretty clear that the whole point of the movie - and what makes it so twisted and dark-humored - is that Paxton is vindicated and that his calling is confirmed to be a genuine one.

When we see Adam Meikes' (sp?) vision of Boothe's character's crime (along with other elements that follow), it's a given that the supernatural angle is a real one.

And I love that Frailty ends with "good" triumphant and the next generation of demon slayers on the way. It really is a dark little movie with a lot of subtle humor.

Okay, finally saw the damn thing last night (took me long enough, eh?). I have to agree with those against an ambiguous ending. In my mind the movie wouldn't work at all if the ending didn't end up tying up the loose ends, and I'm usually one that hates that sort of thing. We had to see that their father was right the whole time, as was Adam, and that Fenton truely was a demon, otherwise what would be the point?

If it ended with the "God will protect me" line, I admit it would've been powerful, but the point that it was all true would have been left for the viewer to determine, which was obviously not the ambition of the filmmakers or the writers. On the simplest level, it couldn't have really been a "twist" ending if it was just implied that they really were the Hands of God.

You had to see that yes, the tape was screwed up, the FBI guy didn't remember the face of the person that showed up at the HQ (but did remember the name, thus the raid on the house), and if nothing else that the girl was in on it, otherwise the phone call the FBI cheif made would've made ZERO sense, because they would've known who really stole the ambulance.

SPOILERS
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I noticed the old testament god thing. When I was watching the deleted scene that Paxton axed from the movie. Where Fenton is trying to disprove his father. They should have left that in. Cause it really gives you an idea that ur dealing with old testament god here. Not the new testament jesus loves you. which makes the film even scarier.

PEACE OUT!

Just watched it. Wow, was that good. I agree that this is just the kind of movie where an ambiguous ending is all wrong, because you go through the whole flick thinking Paxton is nuts, but then you see that what he was doing was justified and right. THAT is what's so powerful. He's like a serious Buffy.

I think the thing that really bugs some people about the movie is that you're essentially dealing with a Christian superhero who axe murders people even if they were demons. Its not like when Dirty Harry or The Punisher go after the bad guys and kill them because they've never claimed to be doing God's will. This probably bugged some people even more considering what a couple of lunatics did on 9/11 for their God.

Still, FRAILTY really is a fantastic film.

But in the world of Frailty God is right. There actually killing demons. It's not like there's a line. Where you can say. Well this is wrong cause there killing in the name of god (i.e. innocent people). Since in frailty's world its all real. Their are really demons out there.

PEACE OUT!

I didn't like Frailty much when I saw it at the theater. I saw it again this weekend and went out and bought the DVD. I found it very disturbing and it hit me a lot harder this time. I must not have been in the right mood before. I take back everything bad I said about Frailty and Bill Paxton. I think ending it at "God will protect me." Would have been good if some of the other stuff would have been done differently. I find Adam still doing God's work just as disturbing. Paxton did a damn fine job. I'm going to get out my old wood burning kit and name my axe Otis.

I rented Frailty last night. Damn good movie! I'll jump in on the side of the members who thought the movie should have ended after the fade to black. I love movies with endings that make your jaw drop. However, this wasn't enough to take away from what was good about the film, which is pretty much everything. I hope Paxton makes another horror film in the future, because this was an excellent first effort.

"Praise God!"

Holy Shit this film surprised me. What an outstanding creepy movie. Paxton is amazing I was blown away by this.

[SPOILERS, ALTHOUGH IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE, WHAT THE HELL ARE DOING READING DOWN THIS FAR?]

I personally think that, while the movie could have ended at "God will protect me," it was extended beyond that point for a reason. The way it ends now, there's no ambiguity. God really does want people running around chopping up evil-doers with their own personal axes (and are they really demons, or just particularly egregious sinners?), and he'll protect those who do it. That's pretty damn scary.

Spoliers follow, of course
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The epilogue works nicely, because it succeeds in leaving a bitter taste in your mouth. Because there really is a God out there, who is cruel and unforgiving, towards those who've sinned (they are not demons in the supernatural sense) and those who defy his word. And we are his pawns.

Strong stuff there.

I'm really blown away by all of the people who said the movie should have ended without the epilogue. The epilogue is the whole movie. If they would have ended with the 'God will protect me' line, that would have been the cheap way out. It took not a small amount of balls to have an ending that went all the way. To say the Meeks' were crazy, or to leave it up to the audience, is what I was expecting throughout the whole movie. While I was watching the flick, I was dreading the moment when we realized that these were just a couple of nuts. The fact that Paxton went all the way with it, and made these men servents of a vengeful God, really made the movie for me. Again, huge balls to come out & make that statement.

So you're not born a demon, you become one ? Does that mean that Dad's actions were the direct cause of Fenton becoming a demon ? And if so, was the fact that God told Dad that Fenton was *already* a demon just a test of Dad's loyalty ?

Was Fenton a demon? I thought he was just endangering Adam's calling so had to be got rid of. 'Least, that's how I interpreted it.

Maybe you're born a demon. I guess that's a fundementally thorny Catholic vs Non theological debate that could rage and rage (original sin etc etc etc)

I think what the film essentially implies is that all the people who are "demons" are loosely grouped together by the Meeks's as sinners. It's their sin that marks them out for destruction. whether they were born like it is moot. They sinned = they die. Simple.

According to the writer, he was a demon. And Adam destroyed him because his name finally appeared on the list.

Ah, the benfits of a commentary track I guess

Still, I guess he becomes one by virtue of going against daddy's will - sinning in his eyes ?

Touch of the Abrahams perhaps ?

Well, Fenton did have a basement filled with victims at the end. Adam just couldn't stop him until he appeared on his list. I think that's what Dad was telling Adam while he was bleeding to death from the axe wound.

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