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Your age and your favourite cowboy
Rayn:
I can't help but imagine Ennis goin' a while on his own then meeting someone similar to Jack and goin' for it the next time, especially since his daughters will be married soon, but it's just my optimistic, wishful imagination and love of the character that makes me want that. I just can't bare the thought of Ennis being without someone. He's really a great guy.
Rayn
moremojo:
--- Quote from: Rayn on May 23, 2006, 01:01:57 am --- I just can't bare the thought of Ennis being without someone. He's really a great guy.
Rayn
--- End quote ---
I feel so similarly to you here. I love Ennis, and want to imagine him finding some measure of happiness in the remainder of his life. I am sure that Jack would wish the same for his beloved cowboy.
But though you, I, and Jack realize that Ennis is a great guy, I'm not sure that Ennis would see himself this way. I feel he probably is filled with self-reproach over his lost opportunity with Jack, and this, compounded for his undying love and loyalty to Jack, might impede his ability to reach out to someone else in a truly intimate way. One can always hope, though...
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: moremojo on May 23, 2006, 05:48:41 pm ---I feel so similarly to you here. I love Ennis, and want to imagine him finding some measure of happiness in the remainder of his life. I am sure that Jack would wish the same for his beloved cowboy.
But though you, I, and Jack realize that Ennis is a great guy, I'm not sure that Ennis would see himself this way. I feel he probably is filled with self-reproach over his lost opportunity with Jack, and this, compounded for his undying love and loyalty to Jack, might impede his ability to reach out to someone else in a truly intimate way. One can always hope, though...
--- End quote ---
Or not. Oh, not that we don't want him to have a fulfilling life. Of course, we do. But it's not that difficult or tragic to live with your memories. I've been doing it for going on seven years. As time passes, the bad memories fade and the happy memories come to predominate, and surely Ennis and Jack had some happy times together in nearly 20 years (Annie Proulx tells us that he doesn't always wake up with the pillow wet; sometimes it's the sheets ;) ). As the film ends we see Ennis beginning to open up more to his daughter, so presumably he will grow closer to Alma, Jr., if not to both daughters. Perhaps in time there will be grandchildren--maybe he will get a grandson in place of the son he never had. But it's perfectly possible to have a good life without someone to console yourself for the loss of the love of your life.
serious crayons:
I bet Ennis does have a lot of wonderful memories -- too bad the film doesn't show us more of their good times, so we can share them -- and I would hope they would be some consolation.
But I'd say it would be harder for him to recover from losing the love of his life than it would be for most people. For one thing, he's no doubt full of guilt and what-ifs and self-blame. For another, he has no one with whom he can grieve, or even to whom he can mention his loss. He already felt like nothin and nowhere when Jack was still alive. He doesn't seem to have any other friends, or the ability to get close to anyone else, outside of his daughter(s?). He doesn't appear attracted to any other men or, if he is, he doesn't act on it, so dating's probably out. And he lives in a trailer out in the middle of nowhere.
:'(
Brown Eyes:
moremojo, it seems very likely to me that Ennis's sense of loyalty to Jack would keep him from dating other guys. I would hope he'd find a way to make a life for himself though. I agree, that I don't think Jack would want to see Ennis living alone for the rest of his life (probably a long life since he's only 40-ish at the end of the movie). It worries me tremendously to see Ennis close his closet door at the end of the movie. He's learned sooo much and seems to have come to a totally new emotional plain (so to speak) by the end. It seems a waste to keep it all bottled up and hidden still. Again, I don't think Jack would want that for him. Ennis's upbeat little comment "they can find themselves a new cowboy" gives me a glimmer of hope... maybe someday he'll translate that into "I can find myself a new cowboy." I bet it would take some other guy making the first move again though. He doesn't seem too resistent once a first move is made... even in the Cassie situation. I'm sure he'd never find another love of his life, but that doesn't mean he couldn't move on with someone I hope.
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