One of those bookends/parallels I've been wonderin' about...
Jack and Lureen meet when after he's almost run down and jumps out of the way of a horse.
(edited - thanks, goadra, for pointing out that of course it wasn't Lureen's horse)
Earlier, when Aguirre drives up to the trailer, Ennis jumps out of the way of his car.
Why the symmetry?
Maybe it's to do with the future paths Ennis and Jack take, don't take, shouldn't take...
Lureen loses her hat, Jack retrieves it, returns it to her, and a connection is made that will change Jack's future.
Aguirre throws the watch to Ennis, he catches it, but doesn't put it on when Jack reaches out for a handshake when Ennis is about to fasten the catch (and that 'timeline' for Ennis stops).
In another thread, we've talked about the various male couples in the background of the film as being visions of alternative futures for Jack and Ennis.
What if Aguirre is the alternative future for Ennis without Jack at all?
Would Ennis have eventually turned into somebody like Aguirre if Jack hadn't 'reached out' for him?
some symmetries and differences:
Aguirre is driving a brown car, which is Ennis' color, but Ennis ends up driving blue trucks (Jack's color).
Aguirre has that phone conversation, full of denials, ending with "Not on your fuckin' life." Ennis' phone conversation, well.....
Both men end up in trailers.
Ennis' trailer is apparently the embodiment of "nothin' and nowhere" at least as far as worldly success goes, but actually contains (if only the memory of) earth-shaking love. And he shows Jr. that he can change (at least a little) because of that.
Aguirre's trailer is evidence of some worldly success,(somethin' and somewhere), but Aguirre is hostile in every single interaction we see or hear him have with other people.
If Ennis hadn't met Jack and fallen in love, would his life have actually been happier? (of course I'd answer no) Or would he have turned into a man like Aguirre? Prodded by Alma into being a 'better provider', but taking refuge in his office/trailer. Not overtly acting out his father-taught homophobia, but never confronting it in himself either. Turning progressively more and more angry and bitter.
What do y'all think?