# The Woman in Black -- OPEN SPOILERS - movie and book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728 "2012-02-13T18:13:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/21 "2012-02-18T11:33:10Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Oh, good point. Maybe the three little girls was fairly recent. It might explain why the innkeeper let Arthur’s boss reserve a room – then the girls die – and the innkeeper figures she’s back, so he tells Arthur there’s no room for him. > > Maybe the other lawyer saw her – Jerome? He tried to give Arthur some papers, so he’d probably been to the (lightning flash) house. We know the triplets jumped out of the window at least 7 years before the events of the movie. There’s a line in which Aberforth tells Harry that the Jerome’s decided to “try again” after the death of their daughters. Considering that the girl who burned in the cellar looked to be at least 7 years old, you have to guess that the cold open was perhaps as long as a decade prior. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/22 "2012-02-18T15:51:44Z")
I enjoyed the movie well enough. it was a good old-fashioned haunted house/ghost story with a fairly uncomplicated story. No more grue than needed (way more effective that way IMO), good performances, nice suspense build, great location, etc. Certainly worth a watch, if not a re-watch. Other people in the theatre were pretty annoying, with lots of teenage giggling and chat. The tripletts were the innkeeper’s kids, not Jerome’s, or did I miss something? ---
**Author:** ![Wash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@Wash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wash)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/23 "2012-02-18T22:59:38Z")
> [@Mrs.Cake](#): > > The tripletts were the innkeeper’s kids, not Jerome’s, or did I miss something? No, you are correct. The room they jumped from was the attic room in the inn at which Kipps spent his first night in Crythin Gifford. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/24 "2012-02-18T23:22:46Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Who the fuck would build that monstrosity in the middle of a friggin marsh filled with eels? That you have no way to get in or out when the tide is high? And how is that road even passable when it’s flooded out twice a day? Also, it was remarkable that the townsfolk knew the times of the tides seemingly off the tops of their heads. ---
**Author:** ![american\_bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@american\_bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/american_bob)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/25 "2012-02-21T12:01:00Z")
after Arthur puts the boys’ body in the house, when the ghost appears and comes at Arthur screaming, he ducks and she continues on to the boy. She reaches down as if to pick him up, and you hear him say, "No!! You’re not my mother!! " and then she screams at Arthur again and departs. That may be why she keeps on killing, because the boy thinks his aunt is his mother, which is why she was pissed in the first place. A lot of people missed this small part. ---
**Author:** ![american\_bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@american\_bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/american_bob)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/26 "2012-02-21T12:07:23Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Well, in the book she killed the kid but the dad survived. Remember, she was insane even before she died, so the logical and reasonable solution might not have made sense to her. > > Also, if one of your children were taken, and you got his corpse back 50 years later, would **YOU** be happy about that? > > They knew about the injustice at Eel Marsh House and said nothing about, did nothing about it. > > Yes, of old age, so assume about 50 years of evil lonely old bat + crazy ghost in Eel Marsh House, terrified villagers losing children on the mainland. > > Well, unless by “unharmed” you mean “run over by a train within 24 hours.” Think “cursed to die violently” as opposed to something more direct. > > Why are you calling him Harry? Harry Potter would have dealt with the situation with a patronus charm. This character was called Arthur and is entirely unrelated. Are you trying to be funny, to make some critical comment about the acting, or something else? People do this all the time but I don’t understand why. Anyway, yes, I think it’s just that he invaded her space. Once he was on her radar, his child was doomed, anyway. the ghost tried to pick the boy, or his ghost, up from the bed when she came in the room. the boy said “no!! you’re not my mother!!” then she screamed at Arthur again and departed. This could be why she keeps saying “never forgive” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/27 "2012-02-21T15:52:53Z")
> [@american\_bob](#): > > after Arthur puts the boys’ body in the house, when the ghost appears and comes at Arthur screaming, he ducks and she continues on to the boy. She reaches down as if to pick him up, and you hear him say, "No!! You’re not my mother!! " and then she screams at Arthur again and departs. That may be why she keeps on killing, because the boy thinks his aunt is his mother, which is why she was pissed in the first place. A lot of people missed this small part. He said that? Really? I didn’t hear it. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/28 "2012-02-21T16:13:00Z")
I didn’t hear it either, but now it makes sense. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![american\_bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@american\_bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/american_bob)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/29 "2012-02-21T20:51:10Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > He said that? Really? I didn’t hear it. I had to play it back three times to make sure - he said that. It cleared up why she was saying “never forgive” and killed Arthur’s son and him. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/30 "2012-02-22T03:19:01Z")
How did you play it back? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![american\_bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@american\_bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/american_bob)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/31 "2012-02-22T04:10:57Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > How did you play it back? 😕 i watched it on a movie site ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/32 "2012-02-22T19:12:52Z")
I saw this over the weekend. Eh, I didn’t _not_ enjoy it; there were a few pretty good scares. It’s already been mentioned that Arthur was notable for not taking the haunting lying down, grabbing an axe and a candle and chasing after ghosts. But that felt a little odd to me, because frankly someone in his situation _should_ be pretty epically freaked out. Fuck the solicitor gig — as soon as it’s clear a malevolent poltergeist doesn’t like you, you shouldn’t be so terribly eager to spend the night in its house. I’m also unsure what the audience was supposed to make of the final scene. Did Arthur’s son escape the woman in black because his mother and father were there to lead him? Why the final close up on the woman’s face? She didn’t look any more pissed off than usual. However: all the Victorian wind-up toys were just unspeakably awesome. > [@american\_bob](#): > > the ghost tried to pick the boy, or his ghost, up from the bed when she came in the room. the boy said “no!! you’re not my mother!!” then she screamed at Arthur again and departed. This could be why she keeps saying “never forgive” I didn’t hear that either, FWIW, and — not doubting you — but it seems like the scene went too quickly for that. At the very least it’s clearly something not meant to be picked up on easily. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/33 "2012-02-22T19:21:46Z")
Just finished it. Well, good for Daniel Radcliffe. He needs to be in as many movies as possible and we may eventually move past his Potter typecasting. He was really good in this movie. However, the movie is only average to forgettable. It’s a mediocre script made by some very talented people. Much better than dreck, but worse than something I’d call good. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/34 "2012-02-22T20:01:30Z")
Just saw it and liked it well enough, except for the way the WIB was introduced, which as **AuntiePam** pointed out, doesn’t make much sense. IIRC, in the book, Arthur sees her at a funeral and _she sees him_, which gets things rolling. I also thought far too much time was spent wandering around the almost hilariously cool scary house waiting for ghoulies to pop out. When they did, it scared me, though. _shrugs_ ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/35 "2012-02-23T19:20:55Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > (snipped) > Why are you calling him Harry? Harry Potter would have dealt with the situation with a patronus charm. This character was called Arthur and is entirely unrelated. Are you trying to be funny, to make some critical comment about the acting, or something else? People do this all the time but I don’t understand why. Anyway, yes, I think it’s just that he invaded her space. Once he was on her radar, his child was doomed, anyway. To me it seemed kind of like the next Potter sequel as well. I mean: 1. By setting it around the end of the 19th century (I guess) they de-emphasize the presence of hi tech (only one car, trains, no electric light) 2. Arthur travels via train to his ultimate destination which 3. is set in a moor, far away from civilization and looks like a castle 4. Inside you have supernatural events and even a staircase filled with portraits. Albeit non-moving ones It’s what would have happened if Rowling had decided to write the next Potter book as a tragic continuation of Harry’s life, an adventure where he’d lost his magic wand somehow… ---
**Author:** ![ilyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ac91a4/32.png) [@ilyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ilyn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/36 "2012-02-25T22:43:23Z")
I think the reason why arthur kipps is reunited with his wife and kid is because, he was the only one who actually tried to save his kid, I didn’t see any of the others at least trying, also the message in the wall is “you could have saved him” ---
**Author:** ![JanetM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b2d939/32.png) [@JanetM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JanetM)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728/37 "2012-02-25T22:52:32Z")
Arthur didn’t get the axe to defend himself - he needed it to break down the locked door, as none of the keys would open it. When he reached the landing the door was open. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-woman-in-black-open-spoilers-movie-and-book/612728.md?page=1)