Author Topic: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')  (Read 58424 times)

Offline TOoP/Bruce

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CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« on: December 14, 2009, 02:46:45 pm »
I am not a huge fan of Crash, but this thread in the IMDb forum for the movie Crash was probably the best thread regarding that movie.  It has since disappeared.  I have reposted it here (edited, because there are many deletions) to preserve it for those who might find it interesting.-TOoP/Bruce
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 by I_am_RenegadeX   (Fri Mar 17 2006 07:57:21)   
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UPDATED Sat Oct 4 2008 15:57:35
The same questions are being asked over and over, so I put together this little 'Crash FAQ'. Enjoy!
(tip: this thread is best viewed using the 'FLAT' forum view)

*** THE 'Plot' SECTION OF THIS FAQ CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS ***
(I've separated & moved the 'Plot' FAQ answers to the first Reply (next message below); however .. warning: to get to the FAQ answers, you must first scroll past the green 'PLOT' section in the 'FAQ CONTENTS'!)
*** UPDATE: I've added a few FAQ 'STUBS' (additional questions & answers, or insightful posts that I wrote long after I wrote the FAQ) in their own posts BELOW the main FAQ section. So keep scrolling down!

PLEASE post a *BUMP* as needed to keep the FAQ near the top of the messageboard topics list..
(.. so that others might see this FAQ before inadvertently posting the same questions)

========================
CRASH FAQ CONTENTS:
========================

MUSIC
1. What's the name of the song (female singer) that plays toward the end of the film as the characters reflect on what has happened?
2. Where can I find the lyrics to 'In the Deep'?
3. What's the name of the hip-hop song heard playing in the stolen Lincoln Navigator - that caused Anthony to lambaste Peter for listening to 'music of the oppressor'?
4. What's the name of the song that plays during the rescue scene? .. what language is it sung in?
5. What's the name of the songs used in the closing credits?
6. What's the name of the music that's used at the beginning of the 'Crash' trailer? (also heard at at the Oscars)

MUSIC STUB (separate post):
- 'Sense of Touch' / 'Flames' lyrics & background:
- 'ROME: Total War?'
- 'City of Angel'
- Shani: 'El Llamar de Pasion' ?

CHARACTERS / ACTORS:
1. What is the locksmith's name and which actor played him?
2. What is the locksmith's daughter's name? Is it 'Elizabeth', or 'Lara'?
3. What is the name of the chop-shop boss and which actor played him?
4. What are Officer Ryan (played by Matt Dillon) & Officer Hanson's (played by Ryan Phillippe) first names?
5. Tony Danza was in this film?

GENERAL:
1. Why was 'Crash' up for 2005 film awards (such as the Oscars), when IMDB lists it as a 2004 film?
2. What's the difference between the original full/wide-screen DVDs and the 2-disc "Director's Cut Edition"?
3. I heard there's some controversy involving lawsuits surrounding the producers. What's the story?
4. Why do we need another film *about* racism? It didn't teach me anything I didn't already know. What was the point of the film?

PLOT: (** SPOILERS **, this section only)
1. At the gun-shop, did Dorri know what she was getting when she asked for the 'red box'?
2. What's the deal with the Conklin (the "Barry Gibb dude") and Detective Lewis & the stolen money? Why does the DA want to frame Conklin?
3. Who trashed Farhad's store? Was it the locksmith?
4. Who were the people in the Chinaman's van, and what was so important about the cheque?
5. Was Brendan Fraser's character Rick(the DA) having an affair with his assistant Karen (played by Nona Gaye)?
6. At the end of the film, is the white stuff falling from the sky snow, or ash from the burning car? What's the significance?

PLOT STUBS (separate posts):
- CHRONOLOGICAL CRASH PLOT OUTLINE/TIMELINE
- ON *SUBTLETY* IN 'CRASH'


======================================
CRASH FAQ: ..starts here..
======================================
MUSIC:
1. What's the name of the song (female singer) that plays toward the end of the film as the characters reflect on what has happened?
It's "In the Deep" by Kathleen 'Bird' York; the song can be found on the Crash Original Soundtrack CD; a shorter 'album version' can also be found on Bird's CDs 'The Velvet Hour' & 'Wicked Little High'. Check out http://www.birdyork.com/ for more info.
2. Where can I find the lyrics to 'In the Deep'?
Here: (includes lyrics to both versions): http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/1281/inthedeepostlyricsrk4.jpg
3. What's the name of the hip-hop song heard playing in the stolen Lincoln Navigator - that caused Anthony to lambaste Peter for listening to 'music of the oppressor'?
It's "Str8upndown" by 'Move.meant'. Check out their MySpace site: http://myspace.com/movemeant
4. What's the name of the song that plays during the rescue scene? .. what language is it sung in?
The song as found on the Soundtrack CD is called 'Flames'. However, 'Flames' starts with Farsi (Persian) vocals, heard during the scene where Farhad is searching through the dumpster - and fades into the 'rescue scene' music, which is sung in Welsh. The standalone Welsh song also plays later in the film, and is called 'Sense of Touch' on the CD. Whether 'Flames' should be considered an 'extended version' of 'SOT' or 'SOT' should be considered an edit of 'Flames' is debatable - bottom line - if you're looking for just the 'rescue' music, hunt down 'Sense of Touch'!
In the post found here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375679/board/flat/38650882?d=38952268#389 52268 - I explain the interesting story of how Mark Isham came to use the Welsh vocals, and also explain what the lyrics are and what they mean in English.
5. What's the name of the songs used in the closing credits?
During the final scene in Chinatown, 'Maybe Tomorrow' by 'Stereophonics' (http://www.stereophonics.com) plays, and continues into the credits; the 2nd credits song is 'Problems' by 'Move.meant'.
6. What's the name of the music that's used at the beginning of the 'Crash' trailer? (also heard at at the Oscars)
It's Samuel Barber's 'Adagio For Strings' - the opening strings from Kronos Quartet's rendition of 'Adagio' leads into the choir-version of the same song performed by the Taliesin Orchestra. Taliesin's version is available on their CD, 'Sacred'.


CHARACTERS / ACTORS:
1. What is the locksmith's name and which actor played him?
The locksmith's name is Daniel, and his character was played by Michael Peña.
2. What is the locksmith's daughter's name? Is it 'Elizabeth', or 'Lara'?
Her name is 'Lara', and she's played by Ashlyn Sanchez. There's some confusion about the character's name because Daniel, the locksmith, yells 'Honey - stay inside-Elizabeth!' as his daughter runs to the door. However, a few moments later, her mother yells "Lara, stay out of the street!". We can deduce that Daniel was previously yelling to get the attention of his wife, Elizabeth. Furthermore, earlier in the film a sign on her bedroom door is seen stating that it is "Lara's room".
3. What's the name of the chop-shop boss and which actor played him?
The chop-shop boss 'Lucien' was played by actor Dato Bakhtadze.
4. What are Officer Ryan (played by Matt Dillon) & Officer Hanson's (played by Ryan Phillippe) first names?

Both characters are briefly mentioned by their first name in the film.
- Officer John Ryan. When Officer Ryan (driving) pursues a black Lincoln Navigator as per the police dispatch radio bulletin - Officer Hanson says to Officer Ryan "That's not the vehicle, John. The plates don't match".
- Officer Thomas('Tommy') Hanson. During the traffic stop, Cameron apologizes and asks to be let go with a warning, prompting Officer Ryan to say to Officer Hanson, "The man's apologizing, Tommy. I think we can let him go. Don't you?", and then a moment later, "Let's go, Tommy".
5. Tony Danza was in this film?
Tony Danza (of "Taxi", "Who's The Boss?", "The Tony Danza Show", and 10-10-321 tv-commercial fame) played the role of 'Fred', the tv producer who asks Cameron if he's thinks Jamal is "talking a lot less black lately?". Surprisingly, he did not suck!


GENERAL:
1. Why was 'Crash' up for 2005 film awards (such as the Oscars), when IMDB lists it as a 2004 film?
'Crash' was first shown to a public audience (<- the standard date criteria that IMDB uses) at the Toronto Film Festival in September, 2004. However, 'Crash' was not released in theatres until May, 2005. Academy Award rules state that in order to be eligible for the 78th Awards, a film must play for at least 7 consecutive days in Los Angeles County, California between January 1, 2005 and midnight of December 31, 2005. Therefore, 'Crash' qualified for the Awards held in March, 2006.
2. What's the difference between the original full/wide-screen DVDs and the 2-disc "Director's Cut Edition"?
The 2-disc Director's Cut Edition(DCE) features:
- DCE slip-off cover with new artwork - a view from inside a car looking out over the dash onto a nighttime street, with a rear-view mirror at the top reflecting the 'rescue scene' (cropped from the original DVD's 'full' cover picture). The box beneath the slip-cover retains the original artwork. Both have lettering at the top and side panel indicate "2 Disc Director's Cut Edition".
- aspect ratio of 2.35:1 (vs 1.85:1 for the original 'widescreen' DVD release and 1.33:1 for the 'full screen' DVD release).
- an additional 4 minutes of footage over the cinematic release; various minor additions/changes interspersed throughout (including the under-the-bed locksmith/daughter scene, the hospital scene near the end, and an added police-station scene involving Officer Hanson).
- adds English Dolby 6.1 DTS-ES audio track option in addition to the standard Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0 audio options.
- As also found on the single-disc DVD releases: Audio commentary (in English) with writer/producer Paul Haggis, Producer/Actor Don Cheadle, and screenplay writer Bobby Moresco; English & Spanish subtitles; trailers.
- Disc 2 Bonus materials include: Deleted scenes (with optional director's audio commentary); additional featurettes including 'On Paul Haggis', 'LA - the Other Main Character', 'Unspoken' (narrated by Thandie Newton; examines racial hatred, why we hate, how money & class play a role.. and possible solutions), and a 30-minute 'Behind the Metal & Glass' making-of featurette; Bird York's 'In the Deep' music video, music montages, and script-to-screen comparisons and storyboard-to-screen comparisons.
** The general consensus from 'Crash' fans on various messageboards seems to be that the 2-disc DCE is an excellent package, worthwhile the upgrade.
3. I heard there's some controversy involving lawsuits surrounding the producers. What's the story?
This is a 3-parter, all involving independent film financier Bob Yari:

- a) Bob Yari sued 'Crash' producer Cathy Schulman & her producing partner Tom Nunan on Jan 6/06 - stating that Schulman had siphoned off funds payable to his companies, that she'd falsely claimed that she was the one who made the decision to make 'Crash', and also that she leaked early copies of an upcoming movie that he'd financed called 'The Illusionist' - undermining its sale and promotion.

- b) Due to Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Producers Guild of America rules, only 2 producers may be listed for their 'Best Picture' award. When 'Crash' was released in May/05 - 6 producers were listed in the credits (Haggis, Schulman, Yari, Don Cheadle, Mark Harris, and Bobby Moresco), but the Academy & Guild determined (secretly & without giving any reason or rationale) that Haggis and Schulman would be the only names eligible for the 'Best Picture' Oscar. Yari sued the Academy & the Guild on Feb 28/06 in the hopes that the process will be more accountable in the future.
Said his lawyer: "All we want to do is to get the rules changed. It's just fundamentally unfair, and we want it fixed". It should be noted that Yari believes that Cathy Schulman petitioned the Guild to deliberately have his name left off.

- c) Cathy Schulman & Tom Nunan filed a lawsuit on Feb 28/06 against Yari, his production company & his attorney Neil Sacker - seeking at least $2 million in damages for fraud, breach of contract & accounting claims. There's a dispute over who owns 'Bulls Eye Entertainment' (both parties claim they do; Schulman & Nunan claim they founded it and brought Yari in as a financier & partner); money owing for work done (Yari says he paid salaries but they weren't entitled to producing bonuses until the revenue from the (5) movies covered costs); a counter-suit against Yari's claim that Schulman swayed the Guild to get his name removed from the credits; and further 'reputation' damage by a wrongful accusation of leaking 'The Illusionist' and stealing money from Bulls Eye Entertainment.

Yari says that Shulman's bitter contention is "a shameful misrepresentation of the facts"

The 'Hollywood Reporter' has a good article that explains it all:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_i d=1002114729

On Dec 26th/06, a judge dismissed the 4 lawsuits, though Yari plans to appeal.
4. Why do we need another film *about* racism? It didn't teach me anything I didn't already know. What was the point of the film?
'Crash' isn't really about racism.
Ok, racial-based prejudices & stereotypes are a central theme - there's no denying that - but there's MUCH more to 'Crash' lying beneath the ugly surface of racial tension. Haggis says:
"It’s a story about strangers, and how we affect strangers. This isn’t about ‘the bad white people’ or anything like that– I hate those kinds of movies… Racism was just a way to demark strangers."

"I didn’t know what I had until Bobby Moresco and I were finished with the script. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to talk about how we affect strangers. If you’re driving down the street and someone cuts you off and you give them the finger, then that person goes left and you go right—and I was just fascinated by the concept of what happens to that person after they leave your sight. Do they get into a collision? Do they go home and get into a fight with their wife? Maybe they do something wonderful or miraculous! And since I was setting the story in Los Angeles, which is a multi-ethnic community, I figured that a good way to talk about strangers was to have the characters meet people who didn’t look like them."
- So one of Haggis's goals was to take a look at the knock-on or 'butterfly effect' - *actions* (or words) cause *reactions*, and a reaction is an action in itself, so if we're not careful, a simple thoughtless or inappropriate comment or action can start a disastrous sequence of events, often eventually affecting much more than just the original intended target.

Haggis uses prejudices, stereotypes & fears as the catalyst for the actions & reactions found in 'Crash' because they're universal human conditions. He bases them on race because it's one of the most distinguishable human identifiers - ie: it's one of the first things we notice and classify about someone when we first see them. Instead of race, consider that had Haggis substituted religion, sexual-orientation, class or social status, hair colour (ex:"blondes" or "gingers"), weight, age, physical or mental disabilities/abnormalities, or any number of other stereotypes that exist which might be used as an excuse to pick on, insult, or act differently around those who are different -- the film could still have similar scenes of conflict, ignorance, anger, hatred and intolerance.

As we are conscious of the fact that it's unfair to prejudge or classify people, we often suppress our true feelings. Sometimes though - especially when provoked in a moment of fear, frustration, surprise, or ANGER - we may find ourselves not being able to contain our prejudices. When that happens, we CRASH. If the offended party is INTOLERANT and thus similarly not able to contain his anger & prejudices, a chain reaction of anger may start. But just as most car crashes are avoidable, so are these human 'crashes'.

If you can CONTROL your temper, it's easy to control your actions and reactions. Instead of a natural reaction towards intolerance, perhaps our first reaction should be TOLERANCE. Tolerance does not mean that we have to approve of or condone something, it just means that if we take a deep breath, and think about the situation & our possible reactions before committing to one - instead of raised emotions leading us deeper into confrontation, a cool head can lead us out of it. (Who hasn't ever done or said something in the heat of the moment that we later regret?).

Most of the characters in 'Crash' fail to do this and speak out of anger, not considering or caring about the consequences. It's at this point that their prejudices are revealed, worsening the situation.

Daniel (the locksmith) is one of the few characters who does show restraint, yet his character reveals how ineffective communication can have disastrous consequences. He does not offer the detail Farhad needs in his explanation about the problem with the door & the lock, and Farhad does not ask the questions he needs answering so that he may understand. Miscommunication leads to a misunderstanding.. which leads to frustration, anger, prejudices, accusations, hate and RAGE. Yikes! It could so easily have been avoided!

One of the film's taglines is: (said by Officer Ryan) "You think you know who you are.. you have no idea". The idea here is 2-fold: 1) until you find yourself in any given situation, it's impossible to predict how you will react; 2) We are who we are based on all of the cumulative negative & positive situations we've experienced in life so far, and though we might not be conscious of the affect each individual experience has had on us, collectively, they re-shape us. While it may be clear to others around us that a change has taken place, we're often not aware of it until someone points it out or we take time to reflect.

So the characters & stories in 'Crash' should hopefully prompt you to take a moment *now* to think about who you are, to think about the experiences which have shaped you into the person you are today, to consider how you perceive others and how you might (honestly) be perceived by others, and to reflect on how you have acted & reacted to anger & conflict in the past. You will not only have a better understanding of yourself, but you will be better able to prepare yourself for tomorrow - so that when you see yourself heading for a 'crash', you can take control of your emotions and steer yourself away.
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Offline TOoP/Bruce

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #1 on: December 14, 2009, 02:47:22 pm »
 by I_am_RenegadeX   (Fri Mar 17 2006 23:17:11)   
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UPDATED Sat Oct 4 2008 15:52:36
*** SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE FILM YET, YOU MAY WANT TO READ NO FURTHER! ***

PLOT:
1. At the gun-shop, did Dorri know what she was getting when she asked for the 'red box'?
YES. Although it was not likely her original intention to get them, and it was not possible for viewers to know until after-the-fact - if you paid close attention, you'll have seen that it's clear that Dorri was against Farhad having a gun and that she knew what she was asking for. Evidence:
- a) The boxes of bullets in the gun-shop were stacked on the shelf with their narrow-end pointing outwards. Later in the film, we see that the specific bullet-type is clearly identified on the end of the box, in large letters. As the gun-shop owner lists off the names of different types of bullets, Dorri is clearly seen fixing her gaze at a specific item on the shelf, and immediately afterwards, she asks for 'the ones in the red box'. We can reasonably conclude that the deliberately-shown gaze indicates that she was focusing on the writing on the box.
- b) We see throughout the film that Dorri has an excellent command of the English language - unlike her father, Farhad, who is only fluent in Farsi, the Persian language, and whose English is likely limited to not much more than what's needed to get by in his store. Proof:
[insurance investigator]: "Has your father read his policy?"
[Dorri]: He doesn't read English"
Even with a limited knowledge of guns, most people with a good understanding of English would be likely to recognize & understand the term written on the box. Dorri knows that Farhad will not be able to read the writing on the box, so he will be none the wiser to what she has bought.
- c) At the end of the film, we become aware of what Dorri's profession is - and we can therefore assume that her training in that field will require that she be at least somewhat familiar with ballistic-related terms.
- d) In the scene at Farhad's store where Dorri loads the gun, she gives it a 1-handed 'flick' to close the barrel. The manner in which she does this would indicate that she has experience handling guns (or at the very least has paid very close attention to how they do it in the movies!).
- e) Knowing this, a re-examination of the gun-shop conversation makes the situation obvious. Also note that it becomes clear that Dorri is against her father having a gun:
[gunshop-clerk]: - You get one free box of ammunition - what kind do you want?
[Farhad](in Farsi, subtitled): What did he say, 'ammunition'?
[Dorri](in Farsi, subtitled): He said, "What kind of bullets?"
[Farhad](in Farsi, subtitled): The kind that fit!
[Dorri](in Farsi, subtitled): There's more than one kind.
[Farhad](in Farsi, subtitled): I don't know anything about guns.
[Dorri](in Farsi, subtitled): Another good reason not to buy one.
[Farhad](in Farsi, subtitled): Don't start with me again.
{ Gun-shop clerk interrupts with insults, Farhad is kicked out of the store. }
[Dorri]: - You can give me the gun, or you can give me the money - and I'm really hoping for the money.
[gunshop-clerk]: {slides the gun onto the counter} What kind of ammunition do you want?
[Dorri]: - Whatever fits.
[gunshop-clerk]: - We got a lot of kinds. We got long colts, short colts, bull heads, flat nose, hollow points, wadcutters, and a dozen more that'll fit any size hole. Just depends upon how much bang you can handle.
[Dorri]: {glances over his shoulder and appears to focus on something} - I'll take the ones in the red box.
[gunshop-clerk]: - You know what those are?
[Dorri]: - Can I have them? {grabs them, turns and exits}
- f) Back at Farhad's shop, after Dorri has loaded the gun,
[Farhad]: - Give me the gun!
[Dorri]: - Here. Now you can shoot anybody you want.
.. indicating that she's well aware of Farhad's quick-temper and that she's comfortable that if he shoots someone, he won't do much harm.

2. What's the deal with the Conklin (the "Barry Gibb dude") and Detective Lewis & the stolen money? Why does the DA want to frame Conklin?
Undercover narcotics Detective Conklin (who looks like Barry Gibb from the disco-era band 'The Bee Gees') was driving in his pickup when for-reasons-unknown, he cut-off the Mercedes that (the black) Detective Lewis was driving in. Lewis didn't know that Conklin was a cop and pulled his gun on him, possibly in a case of road-rage. Witnesses believed that Lewis shot at Conklin, and Conklin shot back in self-defence, fatally wounding Lewis. The next morning, Rick Cabot, the District Attorney suspects it may have been a racially-motivated shooting. Later, upon further inspection of the Mercedes by Internal Investigations, the spare tire in the trunk is found to contain $300,000 in cash - no doubt drug money. The car's registered owner, Cindy Bradley, apparently left town the morning after the shooting - we can assume that when Lewis did not return the car, money or goods (drugs) - she realized that something was up and that the cops would be after her.

It's discovered that Conklin has a history of shooting black men(possibly just coincidence), and Rick, ever-worried about the 'black vote' decides that putting away a 'racist' white cop will look better to the black community than having 'another' black man/cop involved with drugs/corruption. Flanagan, who works for Rick, asks Detective Waters to make the decision on how to proceed (always need a fall-guy to make the decision, right!), and offers Det. Waters a double-incentive to frame Conklin: 1) promotion to 'lead investigator', and 2) the wiping of his younger brother Peter's criminal-record (a warrant was out for his arrest that would put him away for life).

This part of the plot serves a few purposes: it shows how we often jump to conclusions without knowing all the facts; how we (literally in this case) have to look under the surface in order to get those facts; shows how people are often hypocritical & self-serving; and, as Peter ends up dead anyway - leaves us wondering if Graham will regret his decision, if he will be able to change his decision, or (if he doesn't) if he'll forever feel the guilt of putting away what is likely an innocent man.
3. Who trashed Farhad's store? Was it the locksmith?
The answer is almost undoubtedly a 'No' as not only do we have plenty of evidence that Daniel, the locksmith, is honest, professional, and tolerant (possibly the most tolerant character in the entire film), but there is absolutely no evidence in the story that indicates (or even suggests) that he is a vindictive, hateful type who might vandalize a store with anti-Arab graffiti.
Proof:
- a) At the DA's house, Daniel tolerates Jean's insulting outburst (insulting not only on a personal level, but also professionally) - and he completes the job without saying a word; - At the store, Farhad insinuates that Daniel is running a scam with friends who are in the door-replacing business - and Daniel responds with a good-will gesture by offering to waive his labour charge; - When Farhad shoves him angrily and yells in his face "you cheater", Daniel calmly replies: "I'd appreciate if you'd stop calling me names"; - When Daniel realizes that his own anger is getting the better of him (shouting angrily and throwing back the 'F-word' that Farhad had used) - he is able to contain himself, preferring to walk away and make no money (he actually took a loss on the job) rather than face any more of Farhad's unwarranted anger.
- b) We know that Dorri & Farhad bought the gun as a reaction to a recent trouble at the store: Farhad refers to this when he says to Dorri "That man could have killed your mother. Do you think I should let crazy people do what they want to us?". We don't know what kind of trouble it was - it may have been a random robbery, or for all we know - a hate-crime. The door AND lock were broken - it's possible that it had been forced or tampered with previously.
- c) We see that Daniel is a loving father and hard-working man who is trying to provide a better, safer life for his family: (daughter:"I heard a bang." -- Daniel: "That's funny, 'cause we moved outta that bad neighbourhood.") - so though it's not possible to rule Daniel out 100%, it's not reasonable to think that he'd risk losing his job/going to jail for needless retaliation on the <$100 or so he lost on parts & labour at Farhad's store.

The vandalism that Farhad believed was attributable to Daniel could have been any number of things: an opportunistic hate-crime (the door was broken, after all so access was easy), a continuation of the 'crazy man' trouble that was mentioned, or even new trouble - we can easily imagine that the gun-shop clerk & Daniel weren't the only Angelenos who had had 'crashed' into Farhad's quick temper.
4. Who were the people in the Chinaman's van, and what was so important about the cheque?
We first see 'the Chinaman' (who we later learn is named Choi Jin Gui, 'Choi' being a popular Korean last name, 'Jin Gui' being his first name) wrapping up a deal with a man (who the script names 'Park') inside the diner - right before the Officer Ryan/Shaniqua phone conversation:
[Choi]: "It's been good doing business with you."
[Park]: {hands Choi a cheque} "How soon can I have them?"
[Choi]: "I'm picking them up right now."
It would thus appear that Choi is involved in human trafficking (slave-trading), which is a still a quite real problem in California today. According to at least one report, approx. 15,000 women and children are smuggled into the USA via Los Angeles each year. We can deduce that they're involuntary slaves and not simply smuggled migrants because smuggled migrants are willing participants; however we see them chained inside the van even though they're already at their destination (the USA).

Slaves are typically either: - 'slaves' in the true sense of the word, smuggled into the country and forced to work in factory sweatshops or in the sex-trade for no pay; 'indentured servants' - people who willingly agree to work for a period of time until a 'fee' (typically $40-50,000) has been paid off in exchange for being smuggled into America, after which point they will be turned free; - or they are people who were deceived into accepting a job opportunity in America, only to arrive and discover that there is now an additional fee for the arrangement and that they must work (typically in a sweatshop factory, the sex-trade, or as domestic help) until this fee has been paid off. In any of the above situations, the 'slave' will be told that if they escape they will be deported (they won't have any of their own money or legal immigration documents), and that there will be severe consequences if they are found. References & interesting reads:
http://articles.latimes.com/2005/mar/05/local/me-trade5
http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/HT-globalpatterns-en. pdf
http://safestate.org/documents/HT_Final_Report_ADA.pdf

After Choi leaves the diner, we see him leaving in his white van, on his way to pick up the slaves. A little while later, we see his van parked on a street (the slaves are now inside), but unfortunately for Choi, he gets run-over by some careless people in a Lincoln Navigator..

The cheque: By the time Choi's wife finally locates him at hospital, roughly an entire day has passed since he got run over. He knows that Park is likely to cancel the cheque due to non-delivery of the slaves. There's no time to waste - if his wife can get to a cheque-cashing place immediately, there's a chance she may be able to cash it before it gets cancelled.

(As many people here have rightly pointed out - it's not that believable that slaves would be paid for with a traceable cheque.)
5. Was Brendan Fraser's character Rick(the DA) having an affair with his assistant Karen (played by Nona Gaye)?
There are indications that this may be the case, but it's left to the viewer to decide:
- a) Near the beginning of the movie, Rick's wife Jean complains that their dinner was interrupted by him calling Karen on his cell phone, and he jokes that he thinks she is getting jealous of her. Even though Rick then removes the battery and hands it to Jean, she says "Ten bucks says she calls you in the car." Lots of work to be discussed, or she loves the sound of his voice?
- b) A clever use of props and camera angles hints that there's a woman between the Cabots.. (thanks to IMDB user 'michaelnap' for pointing this out)
Back at the Cabot household, Jean is ranting to Rick about the 'gangbanger' locksmith. They are standing just outside the kitchen, and on the wall behind them is a piece of art depicting a naked woman. Camera angles facing towards the wall position the naked woman between Jean (who is on the left of the screen) and Rick (on the right). Coincidentally perhaps - part way through the rant, just as Jean mentions black people, the camera switches briefly to Karen, who is standing in another room, and then immediately back to the 'woman between them' view!
Screen-captured image: http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/561/crashwomanbetweenthecabots1du.jpg
- c) Near the end of the movie, after Jean has an accident, and has returned home from emergency, she calls Rick and says "I tried calling you. I couldn't get through". Had Rick deliberately turn his cell-phone off for a while because he didn't want to be 'interrupted'?
- d) His phone is back on, and he's suddenly available to come home - Rick says "I'll be there soon" to his wife. Jean says "I love you", and Rick replies coldly, "I love you too" as he's hanging up, exchanging a somewhat-uncomfortable gaze with Karen, who is standing next to him. We might not think too much of this on its own, however, he then gets in an elevator and leaves Karen without saying a word... guilt on his part, or a 'oh do you?' running through Karen's mind, maybe?
It should be noted that Rick & Karen were on the ground-floor of the building when he got into the elevator (going down to underground parking, perhaps?). Was it a hotel lobby, perhaps, or was he 'working late' in his office, or was he really just working late? To be left to your imagination..
- e) After Rick hangs up on Jean while saying "I love you too", Jean has a look of disappointment on her face, as though she has just realized something. Considering the fact that in the past 24hrs we have seen Rick interrupt their dinner to make phone calls, patronize her/treat her "like a child" (her words, during the squabble about the locksmith), and he had his phone turned off when she needed him most - she might be thinking that Rick is not as good a husband as she'd thought, or she may possibly have come to the conclusion that Rick loves someone else (Karen). Immediately after this, she hugs Maria the maid and tells her that she's the best friend she has, and we are left to draw our own conclusions whether this includes her husband.
6. At the end of the film, is the white stuff falling from the sky snow, or ash from the burning car? What's the significance?
This is a 3-part answer:
- a) Cameron notices white flakes falling from the sky, stops his car, and gets out. A 'flake' falls on his sweater, and he brushes it - and we see that it makes a grey smudge. He then looks across the street and sees the burning car with plenty of white ASH flying up from it. So in this scene, it is ash, not snow.
- b) Immediately before the credits roll, as the camera pans up from the streets of Chinatown and looks toward the skyline, we see that it has begun snowing over the city. This was foreshadowed in the scene at the beginning of the film (also seen later) where Det. Graham Waters arrives at a crime scene - when Waters says he's 'freezing', his fellow Detective says "I heard it might snow". Evidently, the weatherman was right.
- c) Significance: Paul Haggis explains - "It snows in Los Angeles every 30 years. If it can snow in Los Angeles, anything can happen. And that's what this movie is about, that we contain these possibilities within us, for good or for ill. I think it's a very hopeful movie, for that reason."
Hence the song, "Maybe Tomorrow" that leads in to the credits..
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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #2 on: December 14, 2009, 02:48:06 pm »
by I_am_RenegadeX   (Sun Mar 19 2006 22:34:12)   
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UPDATED Sat Oct 4 2008 16:04:40
MUSIC FAQ: STUB
The following posts were rescued from separate threads in which I'd answered questions about the music in Crash, and whose threads were about to expire from the board. I've included them here as the questions pop up every now and again.
'Sense of Touch' / 'Flames' lyrics & background:
Q: What's the story behind the the 'rescue scene' song? What are the lyrics and what do they mean?
A: About 8 or 9 years ago, a woman named Carol Ensley did some voice work for a company that was putting together a royalty-free sound sample CD library for professional use in music, commercials, tv & films. She spent 2 or 3 hours in the studio singing as many traditional Welsh songs as she could remember from her childhood, including one called "Lisa Lân". The producers asked her to re-sing a few of the songs a-cappella with gaps between the lines so that they could edit it and create single-line sound samples. She was paid $100 for her work. The 5 CD-library called 'Vocal Planet' was released by a company named 'Spectrasonics' in 2000, and Mark Isham, who wrote the score for 'Crash' likely acquired a copy of it for himself some time soon thereafter.
- Having used 'Vocal Planet' samples in previous tv & film works, Mark decided to incorporate a few of the Welsh samples into his 'Crash' score. Rearranging a few of the lines and keeping the melody from "Lisa Lân", he composed a new piece, which is found in both the 'Crash' tracks 'Sense of Touch' and then again in 'Flames'.

'Flames' seems to be really 2 distinctly different different songs fused together - the first 2 minutes of the 7:59 track are Farsi (Persian) vocals (heard as Farhad searches through his dumpster) - and then the track eventually finds its way into the Welsh vocals (heard during the 'rescue scene'). The remainder of 'Flames' is essentially the same instrumentation & vocals as found in 'Sense of Touch', only arranged slightly differently, as you'll see in a moment.

Anyhow.. the lyrics..
Just 3 lines from the first verse of "Lisa Lân" (in English: 'Fair Lisa') are used - sampled out of sequence and repeated in various arrangements:
(English translation not quite literal, it's a close approximation retaining the meaning of the original lines)
1. Bûm yn dy gusanu Lisa gêl - I kissed thee freely, Lisa girl
2. Yr oedd dy gwmni'n well na'r mêl. - Oh honey sweet, beyond compare
3. Do lawer awr mewn mwynder maith. - I spent many an hour in joy sublime
The arrangement of the above 3 lines in the 2 tracks is as follows:
Flames: #1,#2,#3,#2,#3,#2,#1,#2, (break), #3,#2,#1,#2,#3,#2,#2
Sense of Touch: #1,#2,#3,#2, (long break), #1,#2,#3,#2,#2

ROME: TOTAL WAR ?
Q: Would anyone happen to know the name of the song sung by the opera-voiced woman just after the incident where the Black Director's wife is being molested? This song is also played in the game Rome: Total War when one has lost or drew a battle. If anyone who reads this post happens to know the name of the song and the artist who performs it please lemme know ASAP...
A: It's "..Safe Now", which is available on the 'Crash Soundtrack' CD. Here's the link to Amazon.com's page for it, with audio sample:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009F79NM/sr=8-1/qid=1145833305/ref= pd_bbs_1/104-5654601-1826323?%5Fencoding=UTF8

As for who sings it? Her name is Catherine Grant.
Mark Isham, the 'Crash' soundtrack composer took vocal samples for his soundtrack from a CD sound sampler library called 'Vocal Planet', by Spectrasonics, which Catherine Grant had recorded various vocals for. She does the Farsi & Latin vocals that we hear in 'Crash'.

The sample used for 'Safe Now' (and Rome: Total War) is sung in Latin and is from a song written by Hildegard von Bingen(1098-1179). She was a German nun and abbess (a female superior or governess of a monastery) who claimed to have received a wealth of poems and music during 'visions'. This song is about a group of nuns travelling in a boat on the Rhine River, after being savagely raped, sometime during the early 10th century.

'City of Angel'
Q: I'm trying to find information about the song "City of Angel" by Sungsoo Kim. It's on the soundtrack listing, but I've looked all over the web and can't find anything about it. Please help!
A: 'City of Angel' is the song that's heard playing on the radio in Choi (the "Chinaman")'s white van as Officer Ryan leaves the diner.

There is a Korean kiddie-pop singer with the same name in a group called 'Cool'.. not sure if it's the same guy. Unfortunately searches for "Nirvana music" and "Cats records", which 'City of Angel' was published/produced under - don't come up with anything relevant either. If anyone has more information on this song, please post what you know.

Shani: 'El Llamar de Pasion' ?
Q: I noticed this song in the soundtrack listing. Which song is it?
A: 'El Llamar de Pasion' by American singer Shani Rigsbee - is the Middle-East-inspired pop song that plays on Farhad's radio in his store during "I replaced the lock but you've got a real problem with that door" scene.

You can listen to a sample of the song on Amazon.com:
Track 11 on Shani's CD 'Call of the Wild': http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005O6MA/102-3841966-6376949?n=5174
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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2009, 02:48:34 pm »
by I_am_RenegadeX   (Tue Mar 21 2006 03:54:06)   
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UPDATED Sat Oct 4 2008 16:05:23
PLOT STUB: CHRONOLOGICAL CRASH PLOT OUTLINE/TIMELINE
** SPOILER ALERT -- ENTIRE DETAILED PLOT BELOW **


Note: Not including the flashback, a few of the events are shown slightly out of chronological order (for example, the police radio bulletin saying to look out for a stolen Navigator is shown after the Cabots are at home, whereas in reality it would have happened as soon as they called 911 immediately after they were carjacked). Other events happen at around the same time as each other and aren't necessarily presented to us in their actual order, but close enough so it's insignificant, really. The following is what I believe is the 'most probable' timeline of events:

DAY 1:
- ** mid-afternoon? **
[>] Farhad & his daughter Dorri are at the gun shop; when Farhad asks Dorri for a translation in his native language, the clerk makes some rude & insinuating comments and after a squabble, Farhad is thrown out. Dorri stays, indicates she'd rather just get the money back, but the clerk gives her the gun. She coyly select her 'free' box of ammo and leaves.

- ** it's early evening **
[>] Anthony & Peter leave a restaurant - Anthony believes he's just been a victim of racial discrimination - Peter points out that the waitress was the same skin colour as them, and that he's actually lived up to the stereotypes she likely had in mind for them. They then comment about 'blind fear' and that they're the only young black males in the immediate vicinity of a city patrolled by the stereotypically racist LAPD. "If anyone should be scared, it's us".
[>] Anthony & Peter then proceed to carjack the Cabots - Jean & Rick, who is a District Attorney.
[>] Officer Ryan speaks to Shaniqua on the phone in the diner about his dad's health issue and a problem he's having getting treatment. Upon asking for her name, Ryan makes a rude & offensive comment, and she abruptly hangs up.
[>] A Korean man (who we later find out is named 'Choi') leaves the diner after receiving a cheque from his business partner, who'd said "How soon can I have them?"
[>] Police radio says to look out for a stolen black Lincoln Navigator
[>] Officer Ryan pulls over the Thayers in their black Navigator, although his partner Hanson points out that the plates don't match. Ryan harasses them, and gropes/molests the wife, Christine, who is drunk and already unruly. The husband, Cameron, is accommodating throughout as he does not want to make further trouble. Officer Ryan bullies an apology from him and content with his proven display of dominance, Ryan wishes them a safe drive home.
[>] Farhad is closing up his shop for the night, his wife goes to shut the back door and says "It won't close". She also tells Dorri "You should be at work". Dorri is loading the gun and puts it in the drawer.
[>] The Cabots are home; Rick is worried that journalists might have listened-in on his 911 call and further that once news of his carjacking at the hands of black assailants gets out, either his standing within the black community will suffer or he'll be seen as being soft on law-and-order if he doesn't pursue the matter. He & Jean squabble about the 'gangbanger' locksmith - based on his appearance, Jean does not trust him and wants the locks replaced in the morning.

** It's about 9:30PM **
[>] Anthony & Peter drive by the Conklin/Lewis crime scene (the shooting toook place, we're later told - at "roughly 9PM").
[>] Graham & Rita inspect the crime scene, find a gun + police badge in Lewis's car
[>] The Thayers are at home, and they argue bitterly about the the ill-fated traffic stop. Christine is upset that Cameron tolerated the abuse and allowed her to suffer. "What did you want me to do? Get us both shot?" he asks.
[>] Daniel (the locksmith) comes home and upon finding his young daughter Lara hiding under her bed ("I thought I heard a bang"), he reassures her by giving her his 'magic cloak' that he says has always protected him from the harm of bullets. Just when he's done, his pager beeps - he's got another customer to attend to (Farhad).

** SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 9:30PM-11:31PM **
[>] Anthony lambastes Peter's choice of rap music on the Navigator's radio and shares his opinions about music/history/government.
[>] Peter & Anthony are so wrapped up in their conversation, they don't notice Choi standing in the street, about to get into/or out of his van, now loaded with East-Asian slaves. They get out and Peter looks at the bloodied body underneath the vehicle and pronounces him "a Chinaman". Anthony wants to leave him to die but Peter insists they do something, otherwise they'll "be up for murder charges".
[>] His shift now over, Officer Hanson speaks with his superior about switching cars (due to witnessing Officer Ryan's behaviour with the Thayers). Not going to allow a charge of racism on his watch, his boss tells him to come up with an alternate 'excuse' - and says "I heard it was a case of uncontrollable flatulence."
[>] Peter & Anthony dump Choi on the curb outside the hospital
[>] Daniel arrives at Farhad's store to replace the lock - does so and tells him also needs a new door.
[>] Peter & Anthony go to the chop-shop in the blood-stained Navigator and the boss asks them "You watch the Discovery Channel?" and demands the vehicle be burnt.

** It's 11:31PM ** (according to a bedside clock/radio)
[>] Graham & Ria are in bed, having sex. The phone rings, it's Graham's mother, concerned about his younger brother's whereabouts. He hasn't come home. Graham brushes it off and makes a crack about Ria, which leads to an argument between the 2.
[>] Officer Ryan is now at home, and helps his father who's having problems going to the toilet.

DAY 2:
** It's early morning - 9AM? **
[>] Farhad arrives at his store and finds the lock busted and the store vandalized and graffiti'd with racist slogans.
[>] DA Rick Cabot arranges a press conference for the Conklin/Lewis matter for 4PM and surmises that the shooting might a grudge thing and/or racially motivated.
[>] Peter & Anthony leave a house where they apparently spent the night, Peter says hi to 'Mo Phat', and discover that Anthony's car won't start.
[>] Jean Cabot rants at Maria for not emptying the dishwasher
[>] Peter hails a bus and Anthony rants how buses have 'great big windows' so that the people of colour who ride the buses can be humiliated.
[>] Cameron is on set filming a tv show, his producer Fred thinks the scene needs to be re-shot because the dialogue didn't seem black enough. It "rings false".
[>] Officer Ryan visits Shaniqua - apologies for his phone manner, and when he doesn't like the options he's been given for his sick dad, goes into his "You know what I can't do?" spiel about his disgust with affirmative action - and then relates his dad's story with it before Shaniqua has him removed by security.
[>] Dorri arrives at her dad's store to find it vandalized.
[>] Graham Waters visits his mother who's all messed up from her heroin addiction - she asks him "Did you find your brother?"(repeatedly)
[>] Ria tells Graham that there was a call from Internal Affairs - something was found in Det. Lewis's impounded Mercedes.

** It's 11:30AM-12:30PM **
[>] It's lunchtime and Christine arrives on set to make up with her husband. Cameron doesn't accept her apology and she leaves distraught.
[>] The Insurance Investigator arrives at Farhad's store and says that the insurance company, after speaking with the lock company is calling it 'negligence' for not replacing the door and is denying the claim.
[>] Officers Ryan & Hanson are starting their shift; having followed his boss's advice, Hanson has been re-assigned to his own car. Ryan knows why, grabs Hanson and tells him, "You think you know who you are.. you have no idea". Hanson gets into his solo car and listens to fellow officers mocking him - making farting sounds on the police radio.
[>] Graham & Ria go to the compound and are shown the $300,000 cash stuffed into the spare tire of Det. Lewis's car.
[>] Farhad is cleaning up and throws out some garbage - then has an idea and retrieves the crumpled up invoice from the dumpster.
[>] Officer Ryan comes across a bad car crash - he rescues Christine despite both her protests (at realizing who's rescuing her) and the great danger he's in (the car is on fire). He adapts to her fear and constantly reassures her that he is not going to hurt her now. Afterwards, as a fireman takes her away looks she looks back at Ryan with a bewildered look. How can a person change so quickly?

** It's about 3PM ** (kids are coming home from school)
[>] Farhad shows up outside Daniel's house. He plays with the gun..

** It's 3:30PM **
[>] Flanagan meets with Det. Waters to discuss what they're going to do with Conklin. Rick wants to look good in the black community so he favours putting Flanagan away despite a lack of evidence - and Waters is offered 2 incentives if he agrees to help make it happen: clear his brother's criminal record (there's a warrant out already - 3 strikes- he'd be going to jail for life) + a promotion to Lead Inspector.

** It's 4:00PM **
[>] Rick holds the press conference that will implicate Conklin and not mention anything about Det. Lewis's likely criminal involvement. "Now, just after 9PM last night, Detective William Lewis, an 8-year veteran of the force and active member of the black community - was gunned down by a fellow officer."

** It's Late afternoon - 4:30PM ->5:00PM? **
[>] Cameron comes to a stop sign and seems lost in thought, tugging at his wedding ring, evidently hurt, frustrated, and angry at his wife and the reasons for the situation that he's in.
[>] Anthony & Peter attempt to carjack Cameron but he fights back. When a cop happens to pass by and spot something amiss, Peter is scared off and jumps over a fence, tearing his jacket. Anthony still has his gun and hops in when Cameron tries to get away. Cameron then grabs then gun, but doesn't stop for the police who are now chasing him.
[>] Officer Hanson joins in the chase and realizes that it's the same Lincoln Navigator as last night.
[>] At a dead-end, Cameron faces off against the cops, challenging them to shoot him. Trying to right last night's wrong (where he stood idly by), Hanson intervenes, saying "I know this man", and commanding the other officers to lower their guns. He eventually defuses the situation and gives him a 'harsh' warning, and tells Cameron to leave. Anthony is still inside, unseen.
[>] Cameron drops off Anthony after telling him "You disappoint me. You disappoint yourself".
[>] Daniel arrives home, and as he gets out of his van, Farhad approaches, gun drawn. "I lost everything", he says and demands Daniel repay him for his losses. Farhad shoots... just as Daniel's daughter runs out to protect him ("He doesn't have the impenetrable cloak!"). Though the gun goes off, the girl is miraculously unhurt. Farhad is left standing in the street wondering what has happened..
[>] Graham goes to his mother's house - he restocks her fridge while she's asleep
[>] Jean Cabot is on the phone with a friend and says "I'm angry all the time and I don't know why", then after hanging up slips and falls down the stairs.

** Some time after 5PM? ->? **
- [unseen] Rick Cabot has his phone off. He's apparently 'working late', alone with his assistant Karen, who we already know Jean is jealous of.

** 6PM-ish? ** (Who says Officers Ryan & Hanson work the same shift every day? - 6PM-ish seems to make logistical sense here)
[>] Shift now over, Officer Ryan is on his way home. He comes to a stop sign and realizes that he's at the same place where he pulled over the Thayers the previous evening. He's lost in thought. A car honks.
[>] Hanson is also on his way home - he comes across a hitch-hiking Peter who is still walking home after the earlier botched carjacking (he's been out there "for about an hour", he says). After some dubious small talk, he laughs upon noticing Hanson's St. Christopher statuette. When he avoids the question about why he's laughing, Hanson demands he get out, and as the tension rises, Peter reaches into his pocket saying he'll show Hanson what was funny. Unfortunately for Peter, it was the wrong move, and Hanson, already suspicious, thinks he's going to pull a gun and preemptively shoots the hitch-hiker in self-defence. Hanson is shocked at what he's done and dumps the dead body at the roadside.

** 6:30PM?-8PM? **
[>] Anthony is on a bus, staring out of the great big windows when he notices the white van belonging to "the Chinaman". He gets off the bus and discovers the keys were still in the door.
[>] Hanson burns his car to destroy the evidence/make it look like his care was perhaps stolen and torched by vandals.

** 7PM-8PM-ish? **
** THE FOLLOWING IS SEEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM AS A FLASHBACK **
[>] Arriving at a roadside crime scene, Ria & Graham are rear-ended by an Asian woman. It was a big hit - their car spun around but fortunately neither is injured. Detective Waters utters his "It's the sense of touch" speech, and Ria half-jokingly tells an officer who shows up at their door "I think he hit his head".
[>] Ria gets out and argues with the Asian woman. They both shout racial insults at each other.
[>] Graham gets out and walks over to another detective. "I heard it might snow... What do ya got?" - and the reply is "Dead kid". Approaching the body, Waters realizes the 'kid' is in fact Peter, his brother.
*** /END OF FLASHBACK ***

** 7:30-ish to 9PM-ish? **
[>] The same Asian woman who had crashed into Ria's car is seen running through a hospital yelling "Choi Jin Gui! Choi Jin Gui!". Turns out she's the wife of the previously-unnamed "Chinaman". She finds Choi and after a brief explanation of why it took her so long to find him, he instructs her to take a cheque that's in his wallet and "cash it immediately". It's the cheque he was given in advance for the delivery of the slaves. (Hmmm.. where are the slaves?)
[>] At the chop-shop once more, the boss is not impressed with Anthony's latest theft, but upon opening the rear door sees the slaves and says he'll take it. Well actually he'll pay for the contents, Anthony can keep the van.
[>] Jean finally gets a hold of Rick on his cell phone - she tells him she tried earlier but couldn't get through. She explains about her accident and that nobody was available to help her, and that eventually Maria came home from grocery shopping and took her to the hospital. Rick hangs up in the middle of echoing back "I love you" - and gives Karen an 'interesting' look. Karen steps into an elevator and leaves, without either of them saying a word.
[>] As Jean's maid Maria helps Jean sit up so she can drink some tea, Jean unexpectedly gives her a hug, and admits that she's probably the best friend she has.
[>] Cameron is driving (aimlessly?.. he's got a lot on his mind), and sees 'flakes' falling from the sky. He gets out in awe & wonder (it rarely snows in LA), and brushes a flake on his shoulder. It smudges and he realizes it's ash [>] There's a car burning nearby. He's calmed by it all, and when his wife suddenly calls his cell, he picks up and tells her he loves her.

** 9PM?? -> **
[>] At the morgue, Ria watches as Graham's mother is shown her son's slain body. The mother is obviously distraught but she's also angry - when Graham says he'll catch whoever did 'it', she blames Graham, saying "you did [it]" as he didn't bother looking for his brother (as she had begged of him) when he didn't come home the previous night.
[>] Dorri (who we see works at the morgue) picks up a phone call that was on hold. "Hello, this is Dorri"", she says.

** 9:30PM? **
[>] Dorri (who apparently left work early.. the phone call must have been from Farhad) arrives at her dad's store. Farhad is sitting on the floor with the gun in his hand, still in shock at what happened earlier. Her tells her "an angel came to protect us". She takes the gun from him and puts it in her bag, then goes to the drawer and removes the box of ammo - which we see are in fact, blanks.
[>] 'Pop' Ryan still can't piss.. his son looks on in sympathy.
[>] Rick, home now, looks out of his back door, touches the lock(which we assume was replaced again as per Jean's demand), and wonders if he's really safe from all his fears.
[>] Daniel looks out the window and deep thought. It *was* a 'good cloak' after all. What happened to the bullet? How did things even get that crazy, anyhow? What's wrong with people these days?
[>] Graham's back at the roadside crime scene, just having a moment to himself. He notices something in the dirt - it's a St. Christopher statuette - how ironic that some people ask the Saint to watch over their travels and yet things still go wrong. Does he recognize it as his brother's? Hmm..
[>] Anthony pulls the white van up to a curb somewhere in Chinatown, opens the back door and tells the slaves "Chop chop. Time is money" as with a change of attitude & heart, he releases them. "Here's $40, buy everyone chop suey. Dopey f'in Chinaman!" are his parting words. He then smiles at his good deed and heads off in the stolen van.
[>] Nearby, two cars crash. Shaniqua gets out and upon seeing the ethnicity of the driver who rear-ended her, launches into a racial tirade.
[>] The camera pans up and we see snow falling over Los Angeles. (If it can snow in LA, anything's possible)
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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2009, 02:49:03 pm »
 by I_am_RenegadeX   (Sat Mar 25 2006 20:30:48)   
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UPDATED Sat Oct 4 2008 16:06:34
PLOT FAQ: STUB: ON *SUBTLETY* IN 'CRASH'
** SPOILER ALERT -- PLOTS DETAILS REVEALED BELOW **

In order to magnify the contrasts between the characters and to blatantly expose their raw prejudices, fears, hate or resentment toward one another, much of 'Crash' is intentionally *NOT* subtle. Yet 'Crash' detractors frequently conclude that "There's NO subtlety in 'Crash'". Saying such a thing, in my opinion, only proves one thing: they weren't paying attention.

Listen closely to the dialogue, look closely at the props, the sets & scenery, even the selection of camera angles used - and you'll see that there's a reason for nearly everything. There *is* in fact plenty of subtlety in 'Crash'.

Take for instance the following concepts which are there for all to see, but which apparently many viewers simply have not recognized, understood, or appreciated:
* 1) A woman between the Cabots:
- We already know that Jean Cabot is somewhat jealous of her husband Rick's assistant Karen, as there are hints that something might be going on between the two. Look at the prop & positioning of the camera angle and what it suggests! : http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/561/crashwomanbetweenthecabots1du.jpg

* 2) The very name 'Jean Cabot'
- 'Jean Cabot' translated = John Cabot = Giovanni Caboto, the famous 15th-century navigator & explorer, who was renowned for his *voyages of discovery*; something that Mrs. Jean Cabot in 'Crash' and most of the other characters in the film experience in their own different and personal ways. OK, so it's a little cheesy, but come on, the name is hardly a coincidence yet this reference almost certainly went over >99% of viewer's heads.

* 3) the choice and repeated use of a specific model of vehicle, the Lincoln *Navigator*
- The specific model of vehicle owned by the Cabots (see point #2 above, how fitting) and the Thayers - and also the model the chop-shop boss Lucien sent Anthony & Peter to go out and steal, the Navigator is the catalyst of many of the film's storylines - it's the vehicle around which many of the film's characters suffer traumatic ordeals. (Officers Ryan & Hanson, and "the Chinaman" also have their lives affected by their encounter with the Navigator). This in turn prompts some of these characters to explore and reconsider their attitudes and behaviours, or prompts us, the viewer, to consider them. So in this film, the Lincoln Navigator was most definitely a 'vessel/vehicle of discovery'.

* 4) The symbolism of the St. Christopher suction-cup figurine (St. Christopher is the patron saint of travel)
- Beside the tragic irony in the way the figurine relates to Peter (he carries it with him while he carjacks others.. depriving them of safe travel; he & Anthony have the misfortune to run over "the Chinaman" while driving; Peter dies while hitchhiking as a result of wanting to show Hanson his figurine), many of the other characters in the film travel without St. Christopher's 'protection' and similarly suffer terrible consequences -- thus it seems, proving that putting faith in an idol is an ineffective means to ensure safe travel. So what's the point? -> St.Christopher figure is used not only as a plot device but as a metaphor.
If we were to say that our present situation in time was arrived at along a predetermined path and that we were destined to continue along it, then having St.Christopher watch over us when we travelled would be redundant. So, if we instead said that our present situation was arrived at as a result of a linear progression of previously-taken decisions and actions, then we might wish to have St.Christopher intervene and guide us when he notices us on 'the wrong path'. But in the film, St.Christopher idols are demonstrated to be ineffective, thus when we find ourselves on the (metaphorical) 'wrong' path, it is up to *us* (and us only) to find the 'right' path. Better yet, it is up to *us* to constantly make the right choices so that we don't find ourselves on the 'wrong' path to begin with.
In a more general sense, as the patron saint of travel, St. Christopher ties in with the theme of 'voyage of discovery' and navigation (through life, interactions with others, confrontation, decisions, etc).

* 5) It's mentioned that Cameron is (specifically) a *Buddhist* (his wife tells Officer Ryan this when they're pulled over and Cameron is asked to step out of the vehicle - he doesn't drink because of his religion).
- Though Cameron lapses a few times from what would be considered 'good Buddhist behaviour', the brief mention of his specific religion(/philosophy) is evidently a subtle indicator that 'Crash' revolves around (and is in fact a *very good* demonstration of) Buddhist principles:
-a) Buddhists believe that whatever life we lead, it will involve certain inescapable aspects, central to which is suffering. More specifically: we have fear - a fear of suffering. This is said by Buddhists to be a result of the 3 most important mental 'poisons': ignorance, anger, and attachment - with *ignorance* as the base principle of all suffering. (All are evident in 'Crash').
-b) Buddhists believe that because of these delusional 'poisons' and a lack of one's self-control, we engage in negative actions which create the potential for negative experiences to happen to ourselves and others in the future (ie: negative karma). Similarly, positive actions create positive karma. In other words, our failure to behave in a more positive manner causes the problems that we later encounter.
-c) Buddhists believe that by clearing our minds and analyzing our negative experiences & negative emotional reactions, we can come to discover & fully understand why we have behaved the way we have - and we can then use this knowledge to modify our future behaviour.
-d) By taking the 'true path' of 'correct' attitudes & actions (known as Buddhism's 'Eight-Fold Noble Path'), and by using Buddhism's '4 Immeasurables' of *Love*, *Compassion*, *Sympathetic Joy* (ie: happiness for all, unselfishness; the opposite of jealousy) and *Equanimity* (ie: treating all things as equal; the opposite of distinguishing things as either 'good' or 'bad') - we can avoid bad karma and end our suffering & problems.

* 6) The prevalence and meaning of the many STOP signs shown:
- http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4260/crashstopsigns1a5fi.jpg
- http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/1354/crashstopsigns24ps.jpg
- http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/3372/crashstopsigns31dn.jpg
- http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/6996/crashstopsigns42vw.jpg
- http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/149/crashstopsigns5b9of.jpg
- http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/9818/crashstopsigns6ur0.jpg
- http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/4046/crashstopsigns7of2.jpg
- http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/5862/crashstopsigns8yq3.jpg
- http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/1426/crashstopsigns9am7.jpg
- http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/2161/crashstopsigns104by.jpg

.. Stop signs are present at intersections; they demand that drivers "STOP! Look around, THINK before proceeding!" and that when we're stopped at one, we must consider the rules of right-of-way/yielding: "Be AWARE and be CONSIDERATE of the others around you with whom you are sharing the road!".
In other words, if we approach an intersection (that is, any potentially confrontational situation we may come across in life) unimpeded by the message of a stop sign or other similar control method, we will inevitably (sooner or later) *CRASH*. We would thus be wise to always keep the message in mind.

* 7) The fact that $300,000 in cash was found hidden *inside the spare tire* of the car in which Detective Lewis was shot, see: http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3270/crashsparetiremoneytx1.jpg
- Rick (the D.A.) jumps to the conclusion that the shooting death of Detective Lewis by undercover narcotics Detective Conklin was likely racially motivated. However, Internal Affairs does an inspection of the Mercedes that Lewis was driving - and, pulling back the carpeting in the trunk, they discover $300,000 stashed inside the car's spare tire; there is more to the incident than first meets the eye, and all indications are that the haunch was wrong.
This is a *literal* example of 'To know the whole story, you must look beyond the surface (or beyond first appearances)', which is obviously one of the themes of the film.

* 8) The prevalence of crosses, such as these:
- http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/846/crashlocksmithcrossim5.jpg
- http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/1794/crashshaniquacrossun8.jpg
- http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/4444/crashneoncrossal7.jpg
- http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/5558/crashchinatowncrosspo3.jpg
- The cross symbolizes many things, including but not limited to intersection - ie: in 'Crash', both the crossing of paths of people who are ethnically, socially, or morally different from one another -- and the convergence or duality of 'good' and 'bad' within each of us. The cross also symbolizes persecution, punishment & suffering, martyrdom, faith/hope - all themes of the film.

* 9) The fact that Anthony & Peter label the man they run over "a Chinaman", and how it relates to the recurring theme of incorrect assumptions
- Most people probably know that the once-common term 'Chinaman' is now not politically correct due to its history of usage - but the significance here is that Peter - and then Anthony - *incorrectly* assume that the man is of Chinese origin when in fact they have no way of knowing, other than recognizing that his physical characteristics were those of a Mongoloid group. (He and his wife, who we see at the hospital, are intended to be Korean; their last names, Choi and Kim, are popular Korean family names). The chop-shop boss Lucien later scolds Anthony for making a (unbeknown to him) similar ignorant assumption about the background of the slaves in the van ("Don't be ignorant. They're Thai or Cambodian. Entirely different kind of chinks."). Yet despite the obvious message, dozens of 'professional' movie reviewers (& hundreds of IMDB amateurs!) have stated that Choi IS "Chinese" -- based on nothing more than Peter & Anthony's (and their own) ignorance.
But these are not the only incorrect assumptions in the film that are based on 'mistaken origins'. We also have:
- Ria.. she is twice labelled "Mexican" (once by the woman who rear-ended the car she & Graham were in at the beginning of the film, and later by Graham after their lovemaking is interrupted due to a phonecall from Graham's mom). She informs Graham angrily that her father's from Puerto Rico and her mother from El Salvador.
- Farhad.. the gun shop owner suggests he's from the same place as the 9/11 terrorists (nearly all were from Saudi Arabia) but we later learn Farhad is originally Persian. None of the hijackers were from Iran.
- Farhad + wife.. when their store is vandalized, graffiti is sprayed on the walls indicating strong anti-Arab sentiments. Perplexed and upset, as they are Persian(from Aryan origins and not from semitic origins as Arabs are), Farhad's wife asks "When did Persian become Arab?"
- Saddam Khahum.. Rick and his staffer Bruce discuss awarding a medal to a black firefighter as Rick says he needs to do something that will be seen as positive by the black community. Only after further discussion, it turns out the firefighter is a dark-skinned Iraqi; obviously Rick is not at all impressed.

The point here is that assumptions can be, and are often wrong, and that incorrect assumptions about someone's ethnicity or origin are likely to offend and heighten the level of anger or resentment that may already be present. Yet such 'mistakes' are often just shrugged off by many people as trivial and inconsequential. Of course, until it happens to them, and they take it as a personal affront! If you're not sure of something, either find out, or avoid using specifics! OR, risk being called an idiot.



* 10) Cameron is chased to a *dead-end* street
- Cameron's actions (fighting off the car-jackers at gunpoint and then leading the cops on a chase, ending with a confrontational stand-off also at gunpoint) indicate that he's lost all common sense and is more or less suicidal, or: simply not afraid to go with the flow and let whatever happens happen, even there's a likelihood that it may end in death. In any case, he is literally at a 'dead end' - he had got himself in deep and there was no turning back(without consequence). Were it not for a little good fortune & Hanson's intervention, the outcome would almost certainly have ended tragically.

* 11) The significance of the Christmas-time setting of the film
- Christmas is regarded as a time of miracles, forgiveness, 'peace on Earth and goodwill to all men', family & reflection - concepts which are central to the overall theme of the film. The film includes the apparent miracles of the 'bullet that did no harm', Cameron somehow emerging from the standoff both alive & free, and snow in LA; blame and then forgiveness; moments of reflection; and, depending on the characters' respective moods at various points of the day - demonstrations of goodwill toward others. But at various other points in the film, many of the characters might have been advised to remember the wholesome 'Christmastime' values as they acted to the contrary. Relate that message to the audience and we can take away that we'd be better off as a society if we kept those values in mind and practised them *all year-round*.

* 12) The fact that an American flag is visible in the background as Farhad stands in the street, staring in bewilderment at the gun in his hand: http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3816/crashfarhadgunstarsnstrsy6.jpg
- 1) To remind us that this is America, where the guarantee found in the Second Amendment to the Constitution has created a culture of gun ownership, and gun-violence. According to the 'Coalition to Stop Gun Violence' there are approximately *200 million* guns in America, and 75% of American handgun owners who own no other type of firearm claim they keep the firearm for self-defence purposes. Yet according to the 'National Center for Injury Prevention and Control', there were just 330 gun-related 'legal intervention' deaths in the US in the year 2005, but a staggering (in comparison) 12,352 gun-related homicides and 789 *unintentional* deaths due to guns. So it's clear that while most guns are kept and used responsibly, guns are frequently misused.
- 2) To remind us that hot-headed, over-reactionary, quick-to-be-offended, vengeful and/or emotionally unstable people such as Farhad (in other words, the last people most individuals would ever want to see owning a gun) - can, and do legally obtain guns as long as they have a clean criminal record and have not been 'certified'(crazy) by a physician. No wonder so many Americans feel the need to own a firearm for self-defence!
Related to the above 2 points, when guns are available as they are in America, it's easy for people to use them to resolve their problems instead of using calm, rational communication, problem-solving, mediation, compromise, or forgiveness. The truth is that when guns are used in anger, it typically SOLVES NOTHING, and only creates legal issues for the aggressor.
- 3) To remind us that despite his foreign origins, Farhad *is* an American citizen (Farhad said so at the gun-shop). Since the 9/11 hijackings, many Americans have become suspicious and fearful of anyone who look Middle Eastern as they're afraid they may be 'terrorists' (in the politically or ideologically-motivated sense of the word). What Farhad did to Daniel might be said to be a form of 'terrorism'(having a gun pointed at you is, I'm sure, pretty terrifying), but Farhad's ethnic background and his religious and/or political ideologies had absolutely no bearing on why he reacted the way he did. He could have been white, black, brown or yellow and done the same. This type of 'everyday terrorism' BY Americans TO Americans (that also includes robberies, carjackings, blackmail or other forms of coercion) is a far greater threat to the average American than any foreign-based organized terrorist plot or groups!

* 13) The fact that Graham Waters is repeatedly seen smoking cigarettes
- It wasn't a product placement (no brand is seen or mentioned) and no other main character is seen smoking on-screen, so why does the film make a point of showing Detective Waters lighting up on 3 occasions? A clue: right at the beginning of the film, and repeated later as this was in fact a flashback - when Waters arrives at the 'dead kid' crime scene, he bums a smoke off the other detective already there, who (if you look closely) is already smoking - and they each, in turn, joke that they've "quit". In other words, we're being told that they are aware that smoking is a destructive behaviour and something they should curb, but they continue to do regardless because it's habit and it (I suppose) makes them feel better(at ease). Smoking in the film is therefore a METAPHOR - reminding us that we often consciously choose to use incendiary(offensive/hurtful) words or actions on others, even though we know it's counter-constructive. (Why do we do it? Well.. habit, and - it makes us feel better).

* 14) The irony in the fact that Sandra Bullock's character, Jean, falls down the stairs and injures herself - in her own house
- Jean, who on the surface appears to have it all - is constantly bothered by the harm, hardship, stress or fear that *others* might (or do) cause her. And yet even when she's comfortably locked inside of her own home, she is not free from harm: she slips and falls, suffering an injury that she cannot blame on anyone else. In fact, she requires assistance - but, evidently because she has driven people away and isolated herself, she is completely alone. There a couple of lessons to be learnt here..

* 15) Anthony tells Peter that buses have those "great big windows" for one reason only - "To humiliate the people of colour who are reduced to ridin' on 'em." - yet it's thanks to those great big windows that when he is, um, 'reduced to riding on it' - he is able to spot Choi's white van.
- Anthony learns (literally and figuratively) that there's benefits to looking at things from another perspective! In this case, glass isn't just for showcasing what's behind it, it's also good for looking through: had the bus been all panelled up, he would have passed by an opportunity that was there for the taking. In other words, by not considering *multiple* possible reasons that might explain other people's opinions/beliefs/way of life/behaviours/actions, you are limiting yourself and likely putting yourself at a disadvantage. The lesson here is that we should be more open-minded, considerate, understanding of others and less prone to making assumptions based on the first thought that enters our head.
.. and so on. The above list is by no means meant to be complete, but I feel that these are probably the most obvious aspects of the film that are frequently overlooked and deserve to be noted and appreciated for their significance to the overall point of the film.
Former IMDb Name: True Oracle of Phoenix / TOoP (I pronounce it "too - op") / " in fire forged,  from ash reborn" / Currently: GeorgeObliqueStrokeXR40

Offline TOoP/Bruce

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2009, 02:49:32 pm »
 by I_am_RenegadeX   (Tue Apr 4 2006 23:20:06)   
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'champ25' wrote:
i have a few questinos for clarification, like did we ever see the two cops shoot each other? i don't remember that in the movie...

secondly, how did the chinaman get run over? did they show him get out of the van? i only remember after they ran him over when they noticed something on the bottom of their van...
1st question - no it is not shown; shortly after Anthony & Peter steal the Navigator they have a discussion about Peter's St. Christopher suction-cup figure. Immediately after this, it cuts to a female police officer briefing Detectives Graham & Ria on what happened with the 2 cops.

re: 2nd question - Anthony was so wrapped up in his discussion about Hip-Hop and 'The Oppressor' that he took his eyes off the road. The camera shot switches to a ride-along outside-view for 3 or 4 seconds, and we see up ahead (getting closer all the time!) Choi standing on the street besides the van's driver-side door. The camera switches again and we are looking from the front into the vehicle and a moment later we hear a 'thud'. We then see the vehicle braking hard and coming to a stop, and Anthony says to Peter 'What the *beep* was that, dawg?' - followed by a shot of a keychain in the driver-side door of the van swinging. Anthony & Peter get out of the Navigator slowly in stunned silence. They then come to the realization that they've hit someone..
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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2009, 02:50:03 pm »
by I_am_RenegadeX   (Wed Aug 23 2006 08:46:52)   
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'jude_in_darlo' wrote: what was Dorri's profession??

Dorri is in some capacity, a morgue worker. She is the one who lifts back the sheet so that Mrs. Waters can identify the corpse beneath it. Whether Dorri is a pathologist, autopsy technician, forensic technician, or other technician/assistant is unclear, but the job almost certainly involves a knowledge or familiarity (through experience) with forensics, including ballistics.

Screencaps:
- Dorri lifting back the sheet: http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/3888/crashmorguedorri1jj8.jpg
- Dorri walking down the hallway past a grief-stricken Mrs. Waters: http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/4245/crashmorguedorri2kq0.jpg
- Dorri picking up a phone and saying "Hello this is Dorri" (for no cinematographic purpose other than to make it clear if you hadn't clued-in already, that yes, this was indeed the Persian shopkeeper's daughter): http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/9775/crashmorguedorri3mf1.jpg
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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2009, 02:55:14 pm »
y I_am_RenegadeX   (Thu May 11 2006 13:47:22)   
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UPDATED Mon Jan 29 2007 09:48:27
^ Almost an entire day.

- After the 'close call'/police standoff with Cameron, Anthony gets dropped off on a street corner, and it's still daylight. We don't know what he gets up to before he gets on the bus, but when he does it's already dark. We know it's December, just before Christmas, and as the days are short in winter, the sun sets at just before 5PM in Los Angeles. So it's at least 5PM - probably a little a later.

Therefore, if we say that Choi got ran over at the very latest at 11:30PM on Day 1 and Anthony passed by on the bus at the very earliest at 6:00PM the next day, we can say that Choi's keys hung from the van's door for at least 18.5 hours - most likely around 20, and quite possibly close to 24hrs.

edit: see also the CHRONOLOGICAL CRASH PLOT SUMMARY/TIMELINE, nowposted higher up in this thread
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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2009, 02:55:24 pm »
 by deehilling   (Thu Apr 20 2006 14:55:48)   
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Wow! I never even THOUGHT about the majority of this stuff. Thanks to the thread-starter for this info. I never really found the movie THAT deep and didn't even want to go back and see it now that it's on cable but now I certainly will. And then I'll come back and read the faq's again. Thanks again.
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Offline Mandy21

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2009, 09:01:45 pm »
Hey Bruce, great to hear from you again!  I am so glad you posted this here.  I, like most BM'ers, have an inherent bad taste in my mouth for the movie "Crash".  I've watched it three times, trying to discern what was better about it than BBM, and I've never seen the point.  Perhaps reading through this long explanation will help me.  Thanks, and glad you're among the land of the living again!
Dawn is coming,
Open your eyes...

Offline Luvlylittlewing

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2009, 09:29:57 pm »
Hey, Bruce!  I remember this thread well, and I remember the poster, who is no longer a regular at IMDB, it seems.  I don't hate the movie Crash, but I can't fathom why it won BP, especially over Brokeback. 

Bruce, it is good to see you in these parts.  We hang out together over on the big board, but I'm glad to see you here.  :-*

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2009, 08:10:45 am »
Hey, Bruce!  I remember this thread well, and I remember the poster, who is no longer a regular at IMDB, it seems.  I don't hate the movie Crash, but I can't fathom why it won BP, especially over Brokeback.  

Bruce, it is good to see you in these parts.  We hang out together over on the big board, but I'm glad to see you here.  :-*

Thanks!

Well, I'm happy to to be back.  I've had a lot going on in real life and I needed to work through some things.  

The OP of this FAQ thread still has an account at IMDb, but s/he doesn't post actively much any more.  I thought this thread was interesting in that it was the only thread about the movie Crash that was as passionate in its analysis of the movie as anyone here has been for BbM.  Although the OP and I don't agree on which movie deserved to win (I_am_RenegadeX having a much higher opinion of the movie Crash than I do, I absolutely think his/her analysis of the movie is very much worth reading, and it should be preserved.  It was for long time the only thread worth reading in that forum.  Now sometimes it seems that most of the threads are either from people who like or hate that Crash beat BbM, or who simply come to slag on the film because it doesn't measure up to their expectations.

I respect the OP for this analysis, because one would hope that any work of art touches someone (if not everyone).  I am also amused by the irony of preserving this thread on a fan board dedicated to Brokeback Mountain!  
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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2009, 08:19:38 am »
Quote
Bruce, it is good to see you in these parts.  We hang out together over on the big board, but I'm glad to see you here.

I haven't figured out who you are over there, but if you would like to drop me a few clues....? :D
Former IMDb Name: True Oracle of Phoenix / TOoP (I pronounce it "too - op") / " in fire forged,  from ash reborn" / Currently: GeorgeObliqueStrokeXR40

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2009, 08:36:17 am »
Hey Bruce, great to hear from you again!  I am so glad you posted this here.  I, like most BM'ers, have an inherent bad taste in my mouth for the movie "Crash".  I've watched it three times, trying to discern what was better about it than BBM, and I've never seen the point.  Perhaps reading through this long explanation will help me.  Thanks, and glad you're among the land of the living again!

Nice to hear from you again, too!  I've neglected getting back on this board for a while because events in my personal life were somewhat overwhelming, and being a rather private person, I found it easier to talk about them with a small handful of people privately than to post my hardships on a public space for the scrutiny of friends and (potential) foes alike.  I am working my way into a better space now!  Thanks for the welcome back.
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Offline Luvlylittlewing

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2009, 12:10:54 pm »
I haven't figured out who you are over there, but if you would like to drop me a few clues....? :D

Oops, I did change my name here.  Bruce, I'm littlewing1957.

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #15 on: December 15, 2009, 12:27:27 pm »
Welcome back Bruce :).

Quote
I am working my way into a better space now!

Hope you can redline it to the better place!

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2009, 01:20:04 pm »
Oops, I did change my name here.  Bruce, I'm littlewing1957.

LOL!!!  That's a pretty good clue!  The new name is priceless!!!
Former IMDb Name: True Oracle of Phoenix / TOoP (I pronounce it "too - op") / " in fire forged,  from ash reborn" / Currently: GeorgeObliqueStrokeXR40

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #17 on: December 15, 2009, 01:21:31 pm »
Welcome back Bruce :).

Hope you can redline it to the better place!

Thanks, Penthesilea! 
Former IMDb Name: True Oracle of Phoenix / TOoP (I pronounce it "too - op") / " in fire forged,  from ash reborn" / Currently: GeorgeObliqueStrokeXR40

Offline Luvlylittlewing

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Re: CRASH ** FAQ ** (*spoilers* moved down to first 'Reply')
« Reply #18 on: December 15, 2009, 11:58:34 pm »
LOL!!!  That's a pretty good clue!  The new name is priceless

 :laugh:  :laugh: Everyone says that!