# Movie scenes / plots that you've never understood **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517 "2010-12-27T15:09:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/41 "2010-12-27T21:24:01Z")
In \*\*Fargo \*\* I’ve never quite gotten what was going on with the GMAC guy who kept calling Jerry at the dealership asking about the VIN numbers. I kind of thought it a) had to do with the car Jerry had given to Carl and Gaear or b) had to do with some scam Jerry was pulling on GMAC, which was perhaps the reason he needed money in the first place. Or maybe both. But I’ve never figured it out for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/42 "2010-12-27T21:25:20Z")
> [@Strassia](#): > > I concur with [bold]enalzi[/bold]. Bunny just took some money and took off to party. the BL thought he saw a chance to both get rid of bunny and get his hands on some more of his dead wife’s money by setting up the Dude give the kidnappers a bag with no money. If Walter had stayed out of it, the only difference would have been that the Dude would have thought he had given them the money. The nihilists still would have come after them. The BL still came out ahead. He got the money, he just didn’t get rid of Bunny. One thing I didn’t pick up on at first, but I think is pretty strongly implied: Bunny doesn’t know her husband isn’t rich. She’s clearly supposed to be a gold digger, right? But if there’s no gold to dig, why hasn’t she split already? The Big Lebowski has been lying to her about how much money he has, and borrowing from Jackie Treehorn to cover for it. He concocts the fake ransom plan specifically to get the money he needs to pay off Treehorn. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/43 "2010-12-27T21:40:46Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I thought Bunny had no idea about the whole kidnapping plot. No, you guys are right. I was remembering that she knew the nihilists (Uli/Hungus, anyway) and imagining that we saw her with them in the Denny’s scene. But it was just the three men and Aimee Mann there. So you’re correct that she just fucked off and the other things happened in her absence. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/44 "2010-12-27T21:46:08Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > In \*\*Fargo \*\* I’ve never quite gotten what was going on with the GMAC guy who kept calling Jerry at the dealership asking about the VIN numbers. I kind of thought it a) had to do with the car Jerry had given to Carl and Gaear or b) had to do with some scam Jerry was pulling on GMAC, which was perhaps the reason he needed money in the first place. Or maybe both. But I’ve never figured it out for sure. Jerry had been scamming GMAC by claiming to have sold more cars than he actually had, so he could collect additional commissions. He’d done this by submitting reports where the VIN was illegible, so that the head office wouldn’t be able to tell that the cars didn’t exist. Presumably, he hoped to use the million dollar ransom he was getting from his father in law to buy cars off his own lot, and give their VINs to the head office as belonging to the cars he’d “sold” the previous month. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/45 "2010-12-27T22:13:44Z")
Yeah, that’s the whole reason for the kidnapping plot in the first place. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t been stealing. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/46 "2010-12-27T22:54:31Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > In \*\*Fargo \*\* I’ve never quite gotten what was going on with the GMAC guy who kept calling Jerry at the dealership asking about the VIN numbers. I kind of thought it a) had to do with the car Jerry had given to Carl and Gaear or b) had to do with some scam Jerry was pulling on GMAC, which was perhaps the reason he needed money in the first place. Or maybe both. But I’ve never figured it out for sure. Well, that’s… I’m not gonna get into… See, I just need the money. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/47 "2010-12-27T23:05:58Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No, you guys are right. I was remembering that she knew the nihilists (Uli/Hungus, anyway) and imagining that we saw her with them in the Denny’s scene. But it was just the three men and Aimee Mann there. So you’re correct that she just fucked off and the other things happened in her absence. Yeah, I got myself all confused for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/48 "2010-12-27T23:28:39Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > in Star Wars why do Luke and Obi-Wan stop the speeder on that cliff as they’re going to Mos Eisley? Was it just because Obi-Wan wanted to stop, get out, and talk about villainy and scum? Maybe to check out imperial presence in the town first? The Imperial like to bring those AT-ATs EVERYWHERE. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/49 "2010-12-27T23:33:33Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Thanks all, especially **Ellis Dee**.That was a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out explanation 🙂 Overruled. 😃 ETA: Darn you, Bouv. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/50 "2010-12-27T23:48:59Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Jerry had been scamming GMAC by claiming to have sold more cars than he actually had, so he could collect additional commissions. He’d done this by submitting reports where the VIN was illegible, so that the head office wouldn’t be able to tell that the cars didn’t exist. Presumably, he hoped to use the million dollar ransom he was getting from his father in law to buy cars off his own lot, and give their VINs to the head office as belonging to the cars he’d “sold” the previous month. It’s been a looong time since I’ve seen the movie, but I thought he was pretending to sell the cars so he could take out the loans on them and keep the money for himself. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/51 "2010-12-28T00:35:01Z")
Tractor? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/52 "2010-12-28T01:53:50Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It’s been a looong time since I’ve seen the movie, but I thought he was pretending to sell the cars so he could take out the loans on them and keep the money for himself. Yes that is definitely the case. Here are the subtitles: Mr Lundegaard, this is Reilly Diefenbach from GMAC. How are you this morning? - Real good. How you doin’? - Good. You’re hard to get on the phone. Yah, it’s pretty darn busy here, but that’s the way we like it. That’s for sure. Now, I just need, on these last financing documents you sent us, I can’t read the serial numbers. Yah, but it’s OK. The loans are in place. I already got the… the… What? - The $320,000. You got the money last month. - Yah. So we’re all set, then. Yes, but the vehicles you’re borrowing on, I can’t read the serial numbers. If you… - But the deal’s done. I got the money. - Yes. We have an audit here. I just have to know that these vehicles you’re financing with this money exist. - Yah, well, they exist all right. - Well, I’m sure they do. But I can’t read the serial numbers, so if you could read me… Yah, but, see… I don’t have 'em in front of me. Why don’t I fax you over a copy? Fax is no good. That’s what I have, and I can’t read the darn thing… Yah, OK. I’ll have my girl send you a copy, then. OK. Because if I can’t correlate this note with the vehicles, I call back that money. - Yah. How much money was that? - $320,000. I gotta correlate that money with the cars it’s being lent on. - OK. No problem. I’ll fax that over… - No, no. Fax is… - I mean send it. I’ll shoot it over to you. - OK, fine. ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/53 "2010-12-28T02:13:44Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > And speaking of Thelmas, I never understood why Thelma and Louise decided they had to end it all. The one cop kept telling them that he knew they’d killed Brad Pitt in self defense, the guy even had a record or something right? So why not go ahead and go to trial? (I have always hated that movie for that, in my humble opinion, most women would be more practical, that’s more of a man “GERONIMO” thing to do). they don’t kill brad pitt, they just meet up with him while on the road, thelma sleeps with him and then he robs them and takes off. the man louise kills is a guy they meet at the bar (played by timothy carhart). also, in addition to killing the guy, they also rob a store, blow up some obnoxious trucker’s truck, and lock a cop in his own trunk at gunpoint so they had more to worry about than just that one charge. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/54 "2010-12-28T02:15:45Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Yes that is definitely the case. > > Here are the subtitles: > > OK. Because if I can’t correlate this note > with the vehicles, I call back that money. > > - Yah. How much money was that? > - $320,000. > > I gotta correlate that money > with the cars it’s being lent on. > > - OK. No problem. I’ll fax that over… > > - No, no. Fax is… > > - I mean send it. I’ll shoot it over to you. > > - OK, fine. This is the part I don’t quite get. Does he want the ransom money to pay the $320,000 when they recall the money as a result of not having the VINs, or is he planning to, as another poster explained, just buy a bunch of cars off his lot so as to give their VINs to GMAC and possibly pay back the loans in the process. If it’s the latter, wouldn’t it raise a major red flag with the local management when Jerry managed to move, say, 20 cars at once? Of course, it’s made clear throughout the movie that Jerry’s not a particular bright guy, so it can be assumed he didn’t think this out very well. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/55 "2010-12-28T03:31:06Z")
I’ve been meaning to post something about this, but it really didn’t warrant its own thread and it fits perfectly in this one. House of Sand and Fog. Some wonderful acting, but a plot that’s not very convincing in multiple ways, with one aspect that I seriously don’t understand at all. A women fails to pay some taxes she doesn’t actually owe and gets her house confiscated by the county and auctioned off. She struggles with the new owner (who paid far less than it was actually worth) to get her home back, and under some pressure he agrees to a deal where she will get the money from the sale and he’ll keep the house. But, um…shouldn’t she already have the money from the sale of the house? The taxes she owed were minuscule in comparison to the value of the house; I would think that after the tax bill was paid, she’d get the rest of the money raised from the sale of the house. Or does the county seriously get the entirety of the house just because some pittance of tax is due, and then keep all the proceeds? Setting was San Francisco, and if it matters I date it as taking place in the early 90s or so due to the Super Nintendo poster viewable in the background of one room and the lack of cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/56 "2010-12-28T05:32:33Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Trade routes to Naboo are important…or something. [“Some damn foolish thing in the Balkans.”](http://www.historywiz.com/assassination.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/57 "2010-12-28T05:43:55Z")
> [@expectopatronum](#): > > and lock a cop in his own trunk at gunpoint I understand it’s Hollywood and they tend to gloss over these details, but I always wondered how locking a policeman in his trunk under the blazing noontime sun _in the desert_ could _not_ result in T&L becoming cop-killers as well. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/58 "2010-12-28T11:17:22Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > I don’t believe Darth himself ever claimed he killed the main character’s father. That claim was made by another character, Ben Kenobi, who probably said this to inspire deep hatred and resentment in the main character for Vader. Yep, Return of the Jedi: [QUOTE=Luke] Why didn’t you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Obi-Wan] Your father… was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and _became_ Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true… from a certain point of view. [/QUOTE] Not sure though, whether this is what Lucas always intended, or if it was a retcon. ---
**Author:** ![HeadNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@HeadNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadNinja)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/59 "2010-12-28T15:36:57Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Jerry had been scamming GMAC by claiming to have sold more cars than he actually had, so he could collect additional commissions. He’d done this by submitting reports where the VIN was illegible, so that the head office wouldn’t be able to tell that the cars didn’t exist.. Small nitpick, in that he was not grabbing commissions. Those would come from the dealer. He was getting the full financed value for the fictional cars from GMAC and keeping it for himself. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517/60 "2010-12-28T15:45:35Z")
> [@HeadNinja](#): > > Small nitpick, in that he was not grabbing commissions. Those would come from the dealer. He was getting the full financed value for the fictional cars from GMAC and keeping it for himself. I wonder how he cashed those checks? The check from GMAC would either be written to the dealership or the manufacturer, depending on who owned the car. The only way I could see it working is if the check was cut to the dealer and he had set up a bank account in the dealers name and put himself down as one of the signers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-scenes-plots-that-youve-never-understood/565517.md?page=4)