Michael Albert

Chosen answer: SPOILER ALERT: It was the 1970's. Loose morals. The era of free love. Little Bill and his wife were active in the porn industry. It's likely that his wife presumed, but never discussed with her husband, an "open relationship." Bill, stunned by his discovery (but, perhaps, suspecting it all along), was simply trying to maintain his composure and not seem pathetically unhip by what would be perceived as an absurd overreaction. Clearly, however, he was suppressing a great deal of internalized rage. Ultimately, but very calmly as always, he eventually shoots and kills his wife and her gentleman caller mid-coitus, and then eats his own gun, at Jack's New Year's Eve Party, 1980.

Michael Albert

Answer: You do not specify to which scene you are referring. The only window I recall with writing on it would be the window in Nash's room. John had covered this window in mathematical equations, theorems and geometric patterns. While most of the symbols used are Greek in origin, the language is simply that of mathematics.

Michael Albert

Chosen answer: "The Aufseherinnen (German for "female overseer) were female guards in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. Of the 55,000 guards who served in Nazi concentration camps, about 3,700 were women. In 1942, the first female guards arrived at Auschwitz and Majdanek from Ravensbrück. The year after, the Nazis began conscripting women because of a guard shortage." - source: Wikipedia, "Female Guards in Nazi Concentration Camps".

Michael Albert

Answer: The piece is "Genovia - National Anthem (The Land I Call my Home)" It was written for this film and composed by John Debney. During the opening of this scene, we are listening to music also composed by Mr. Debney to add to the pomp and circumstance of the event. This has been done to other songs in other films, as well. The most notable example would be the song "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria," from "The Sound of Music." The cute little ditty sung by a small group of nuns bemoaning Maria's flighty nature, is suddenly transformed into a grand orchestral arrangement for Maria's wedding to Captain Von Trapp. So, too, has the Genovia National Anthem been transformed about by a wider call for diction.

Michael Albert

Answer: I watched this episode (well, only the part in question, once I found it) three times. Once on Hulu, once on YouTube (poor quality), and once on VCR tape a friend had made years ago (pretty grainy). All three times, Cindy replied the same way, and it doesn't quite match either version you submitted. The line is, "It won't roll off at all, 'cause roosters don't lay eggs." But I could totally hear, in my mind, the line you suggest in Cindy's voice. Cindy was sort of known for being a little snotty. Throughout the series, particularly in later seasons, a number of her lines took on the kind of mocking "not-this...THAT" prosody that this kind of utterance calls for. I wonder if you might be confusing her intonation from another line in another episode for this one. But assuming you are remembering correctly, then there must have been more than one version, as I also saw no hint of editing - not even a change in camera angle.

Michael Albert

Chosen answer: Carl and Ellie have two dramatically different personalities. Carl is more conservative, more reserved, a tender heart covered by a tough exterior which Ellie is able to break through, but which seems to recalcify after she dies. Ellie, on the other hand, is the sweet free spirit, rambunctious and adventurous. Throughout the film, each one conforms to the other until they ultimately blend into one beautiful unit. I think the makers of the film were trying to show that their respective personalities were a product of their upbringing, and reflected in the reactions of their families - hers larger, more fun, and more "hick" (we hear gunshots, for Pete's sake), and his more reserved, formal and patrician.

Michael Albert

Chosen answer: "Thursday's Child" (season 4, episode 2, October 8th, 2002) : The parents of a sexually active mentally disabled 17-year-old (Lynsey Bartilson) come before Amy to request control of their daughter's reproductive rights. [source : TV Guide on-line.].

Michael Albert

Answer: There is never any indication that there are any cameras on Truman's clothes. When Truman is at sea, we only see shots of him from the perspective of cameras located (conveniently) on, around, or above the boat. Personally, I always wondered why the director, Christof, would have invested to put not just one, but multiple cameras on a boat where, due to his fear of water, Truman was least likely to be. But, as with many of these questions, the answer is that such plot devices serve to advance the cinematography and the story.

Michael Albert

Answer: Clearly, the only person who could truly answer this question would be a set designer for the series, or someone else directly connected to the series who would have this kind of detailed information. I looked on IMDb.com and Cheryl Lanner is credited as set designer through 1997. I quickly found her Facebook page, and I directed your question to her. After some time, Ms. Lanner has replied as follows: "I decorated the last season 1/2 but after 9 seasons the sofa just plain got worn out and had to be repaired from 8 years of usage. There was a board put on the sofa but as I've said, it was due to so much usage. If they had back problems I was unaware of them, but you can be assured that if that was the problem it would have been fixed immediately. Take care Michael!"

Michael Albert

Answer: One episode of season seven has a moment when Dan hops over the couch and breaks one end of it. The board was probably added so they could keep using it like nothing happened.

Answer: Devil's Tower really is out in the middle of nowhere, and in one of the least populated states (it's "only" 90 miles away from Mt. Rushmore, but it's an incredibly boring 90 miles of mostly empty plains) so it didn't make for a convenient tourist attraction like other landmarks and thus didn't garner as much fame (it's actually much more famous nowadays, thanks to this movie). That said, the movie seems to have cleverly provided two separate "reveals" for this plot turn: those familiar with Devil's Tower will recognize it when Richard Dreyfuss knocks the top off his sculpture, giving it the distinctive "flat top" shape; then, only minutes later the rest of the audience will discover it along with the characters during the news broadcast. It wouldn't surprise me at all if this was set up deliberately keeping in mind the landmark's status of "kind of famous but not really THAT famous."

TonyPH

Answer: "Devil's Tower" is, indeed, a national landmark. However, it isn't one of the most famous, nor most iconic. It isn't nearly as widely known as, say, the Grand Canyon, the Mississippi River, Niagara Falls, or the landmarks you mentioned - Mount Rushmore and Old Faithful Geyser. But, as you stated, its imposing form does fit so nicely into the aura of the film's alien encounter. Devil's Tower isn't something everyone knows by shape. And for those of us who do, it doesn't require much suspension of disbelief to posit that the characters in the film wouldn't have put it together prior to the news footage.

Michael Albert

Answer: Somewhere between your second and third guess, in my opinion. Firing would require a far more complex due process under Federal rules. But McDonald certainly has the authority to determine what missions will and won't be pursued under the authority of the FBI. He's essentially telling her that this is a rogue action on her part, and she may not use her status as an FBI agent, nor her government issued weapon, to pursue it. She also won't be paid for her time and efforts in the process.

Michael Albert

Chosen answer: Jameson is referring to giving Conway's department store a discount for moving their advertising in the "Daily Bugle" from page 6 to page 7...then page 8, in order to accommodate a story about Spiderman on the front page ("with a decent picture this time!"). He's telling Hoffman to give them a discount to appease the major client. But, in a moment of poking fun at Jameson's cheapskate tendencies, he immediately changes the offer from a discount of 10% to 5%.

Michael Albert

Chosen answer: According to the trivia section of IMDb.com, Jon Heder created all of the drawings in the film except the unicorn.

Michael Albert

Answer: After careful inspection, the aforementioned box is a decorated holder for the boxes of long matches needed to light the stove.

Movie Nut

Chosen answer: In different episodes of "Hogan's Heroes, " the arrangement of items in the barracks varies. Sometimes there is a sink on one side of the door. Sometimes there is a chest of drawers on the other. I have seen episodes where a hanging box is there, as you describe. To my eye, the decoration appears to be a kind of camouflage design. I had assumed it was where mail was delivered to the prisoners. It could also be a storage for small items, such as a medicine container. I don't recall ever seeing it opened or otherwise used. Normally, in situations like this, when questions arise regarding set pieces, set decoration or costumes, I attempt to look up the show's crew members IMDb.com to pose the question to the source (when I can find them on, say, Facebook). In this case, however, all of the gentlemen responsible for set decoration on "Hogan's Heroes" have since passed away.

Michael Albert

Chosen answer: - Now hold my hand. - Yes, sweetie. - Now the story. - What story is that, sweetheart? La notte di San Lorenzo. San Lorenzo, who is...? My patron saint. And saint of my father's village. That's right. And what happened to him? He was in Rome. Mm-hm. And... I forgot. Well, many years ago...the bad guy says to him "Bring us the riches of your church." And Lorenzo, he brings them the beggars and the sick people... -...and he says... - "These are our riches." Yes! - Bravo, Lorenzo, bravo. - That's wonderful, sweetheart. So clever. And tonight, August 10th, is... La notte di San Lorenzo. The night of the shooting stars. When anything can happen.

Michael Albert

Chosen answer: Spoiler alert: Psychiatrists help their patients in a variety of ways. Generally, they begin by developing rapport, establishing an empathetic relationship, and trying to understand the patient's perspective and how he views the world. Some therapeutic approaches are based on the notion that the relationship between therapist and patient is the prime source of healing. Many psychiatrists would also prescribe medication to ameliorate what they would almost assuredly view as psychotic symptoms. But in this case, I think Dr. Crowe has a sense, throughout, that his young patient's experiences are more than hallucinations. Cole's stories resonate with him at a deep level, as he is also struggling internally and subconsciously with his own (as we will later learn) ambiguous position between life and death. I don't think there's a point where Dr. Crowe changes his mind, per se. He develops. And in the process, he definitely assists Cole in overcoming his fears, as well. During the film, they heal one another.

Michael Albert

Answer: I would have to rewatch, but it seems at one point he is humoring him, but maybe deep down has a feeling that he is not totally crazy, but then he goes and listens to the tape and hears a dead person and realises that there is such a thing as seeing dead people. This is why he tries to help cole cope after that, not be cured.

Chosen answer: Throughout his existence, prognoses of the life expectancy for Dr. Stephen Hawking have been repeatedly offered and then surpassed. He continues to amaze with not only his brilliance, but his resilience. In this case it sounds like a callback to the initial estimate, which was demonstrably inaccurate.

Michael Albert

Answer: "For June who loved this garden - from Joseph who always sat beside her." And below that, "June Wetherby 1917-1992" with a picture of a three leaf clover underneath. Upon seeing the inscription, Julia Roberts comments, "some people *do* spend their whole lives together."

Michael Albert

Chosen answer: In the absence of a neuropsychological work-up, we have only Dory's word for it: "I have short term memory loss...It runs in my family...at least, I think it does." So, Dory believes it to be genetic. At least, I think she does.

Michael Albert

Answer: The mountain in the background appears to have two vertical grooves down the surface facing the camera. Those grooves are far too wide to be ski trails. They are simply a natural part of the mountain. Mountains are subjected, over hundreds of thousands of years, to a variety of natural forces, such as wind erosion, water erosion, tectonic shifts and earthquakes, just to name a few. These cause mountains to have irregular shapes, and irregular surfaces.

Michael Albert