Plot hole: At the end, when Chris finds the informant's phone, he sees that there are 2 voicemail messages. Instead of listening to them, he calls the last number, which reveals Abel is responsible for the break-in when he answers and in turn reveals to Abel that Chris knows about the break-in. It would make more sense to just listen to the voicemails, as Chris became immediately suspicious when he saw them. Considering Chris called the last number, he must have known that the last number was also the person who left the voicemails. Very deliberately done to bring realizations between Chris and Abel for a climax.
Lakeview Terrace (2008)
Directed by: Neil LaBute
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington, Ron Glass
Continuity mistake: In the scene in which Abel is facing the gunmen with the shotgun, after Abel takes the gun away from the gunman and holds it up under his chin, the view changes from Abel's face to the gunman's face. When Abel's face is shown, the gunman's face is low, but when it switches to the gunman's face, you can note that his head is tilted up higher, and vice versa.
Continuity mistake: Lisa is in the pool and kisses Chris who just had a chat with the creepy Abel Turner. She has her hands on the edge of the pool when the kiss begins, but at the cut her hands are underwater and Chris' fingers reach around the edge. (00:18:40)
Chris Mattson: Y'know what Abel? Fuck you.
Abel Turner: Is that a 'We Are the World' fuck you?
Chris Mattson: No. It's a special one. Just for you.
Question: (Spoiler warning) I didn't really understand why the wildfire was put into the story. I know that fires happen in California often and that the scene at the end of the movie looks creepy with all of the smoke and fires in the background, but was there supposed to be any other special meaning or symbolism?
Question: What was Abel's problem? I don't really buy his wife having an affair with a white man and being reminded about it by Chris and Lisa's actions as a reasonable excuse for him going psycho. I think there was a bigger problem he had with them that may have made him snap.
Question: Even before Abel saw the interracial couple making out in the pool, why would he be so suspicious that they are a bad influence? How exactly does his wife's death and unfaithfulness play a role in this mistrust?
Answer: Abel was mentally unstable and that drove his overall behavior. His initial antagonism about Chris and Lisa started with a variety of factors including them being an inter-racial couple, Chris' smoking, and the couple listening to hip hop music. This was all exaggerated in Abel's mind, and continued festering. Abel's late wife had an affair with a white man, which seems to be a factor in his objection to any inter-racial relationship and distrust of white men. It's implied that Abel's extreme, controlling behavior is what led to his wife's infidelity.
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Answer: As far as symbolism, from a film student's perspective (mine), it's like destruction or division, two common themes in the film. The two characters are split in values and the fire is raging between them. As the fire gets closer to the houses, it increases in intensity, as does the fighting between neighbors. I think in this film, fire was used not only as a plot device, but a metaphor for the story as well.
manthabeat ★