Good Wilt Hunting Movie Discussion 11/23/06

[TheLH]

Sorry if I'm going off topic here, guys, but it got me thinking, what exactly did happen in the "8-year-gap" that CG mentioned?

I assume he probably did as much help as he could to other people before coming to Foster's, much like he did in the film on the way back to meet Larry for his rematch. And during that time, he would probably have been cemented as a sort of legend, like that judge mentioned.

This idea of Wilt becoming a sort of urban legend during that time reminds me of a book I once read called "Maniac Magee". It was about a boy called Jeffrey Magee, who, after his parents die in a trestle accident, is sent to his loathsome aunt and uncle who, because they are Catholic, can't divorce, and try to split the house in two (two toasters, two TV's, etc.) and try to have Jeffrey for themselves. During a school play eight years later, he runs away (after which we are told that noone knows what happened to him during a year-long gap).

After this period, he arrives in the town of Two Mills, a town so racially segrigated that one side of the town, called the West Side, is reserved entirly for White people and the opposite side, the East Side, reserved for Black people. He meets up with a black family, and moves in with them, much to their supprise. During their time with them, he performs amazing feats such as running on a rail and untieing a knot that noone else in the town could untie, causing him to become an urban legend and be known as "Maniac Magee".

I'll continue the story if you guys want, but what I'm saying is that during the time after he left Jordan and before the time he came to Foster's, maybe he helped out people so much that too became an urban legend?

[djd001]

I missed the movie this morning!!!!!

[pitbulllady]

Originally Posted by TheLH

Sorry if I'm going off topic here, guys, but it got me thinking, what exactly did happen in the "8-year-gap" that CG mentioned?

I assume he probably did as much help as he could to other people before coming to Foster's, much like he did in the film on the way back to meet Larry for his rematch. And during that time, he would probably have been cemented as a sort of legend, like that judge mentioned.

This idea of Wilt becoming a sort of urban legend during that time reminds me of a book I once read called "Maniac Magee". It was about a boy called Jeffrey Magee, who, after his parents die in a trestle accident, is sent to his loathsome aunt and uncle who, because they are Catholic, can't divorce, and try to split the house in two (two toasters, two TV's, etc.) and try to have Jeffrey for themselves. During a school play eight years later, he runs away (after which we are told that noone knows what happened to him during a year-long gap).

After this period, he arrives in the town of Two Mills, a town so racially segrigated that one side of the town, called the West Side, is reserved entirly for White people and the opposite side, the East Side, reserved for Black people. He meets up with a black family, and moves in with them, much to their supprise. During their time with them, he performs amazing feats such as running on a rail and untieing a knot that noone else in the town could untie, causing him to become an urban legend and be known as "Maniac Magee".

I'll continue the story if you guys want, but what I'm saying is that during the time after he left Jordan and before the time he came to Foster's, maybe he helped out people so much that too became an urban legend?

If you go by the photo album of Annual Foster's Photos from "The Big Picture", Wilt showed up at Foster's 22 years ago, two years after Madame Foster opened her home to unwanted/lost Imaginary Friends. HOWEVER, we learn that the incident in which Wilt was injured by Larry, and separated from Jordan, took place 30 years ago, according to Larry, anyway. This leaves a period of eight years in between, so the question is, what happened to Wilt during that time. Obviously, he would have spent some of it in a hospital, after having his left arm amputated, and perhaps some sort of rehab facility, where he would have learned how to cope with just one arm and one functioning eye, but no rehab center is going to keep someone for eight years, so he had to have done something to survive during that time. We don't know if he made his own way out West to where Foster's is located and found the place on his own, or if someone eventually took him there, or paid his way to get there.

Wilt's "legend" status took place during the movie, as he made his way cross-country on that rusty old lawnmower, NOT during that eight-year-period between him being injured and arriving at Foster's. It was a joke, really, him being considered a "legend" by the people of the small town(where obviously there were no lawnmowers or lawn-care specialists)because he, being Wilt, felt he needed to help out by annonymously cutting the grass for everyone, a good deed that the judge felt needed rewarding by releasing Wilt and dropping the charges against him. His status as a "legend" was in that little town only, and due solely to that one incident. There's nothing in the judge's speech to indicate he'd heard of Wilt except because of that. He even refers to Wilt as "The Lawn Ranger"!

pitbulllady

[CG]

Originally Posted by pitbulllady

Obviously, he would have spent some of it in a hospital, after having his left arm amputated, and perhaps some sort of rehab facility, where he would have learned how to cope with just one arm and one functioning eye, but no rehab center is going to keep someone for eight years, so he had to have done something to survive during that time.

As much as I'd like to believe that, I don't really think he would have been in a rehab centre. It appears, to me at least, Imaginaries aren't exactly looked upon like living beings with feelings, emotions or anything like that. Just look at how they kept poor Floofy Woogums in the 'Lost and Found' section. AND how in Emancipation Complication both Lil' Lincoln and Moose were confiscated from their children as if they were yoyos or dirty magazines never to be returned to them again. Maybe he would have been lucky to get into a hospital to get it removed, sure; but I don't think they'd allow him into a rehabilitation centre. I'm sure you have a strong case arguing against what I just said, but that's what it's appeared to me through my viewings of Foster's. Imaginaries just don't seem to have the same 'rights' as humans do. Kind of like second-class citizens. No matter how great and wonderful Wilt is, I'm not saying he isn't, he is still an Imaginary and I don't see people going to pay how much it cost for not only to have your arm amputated but also a rehab stay. If he did find someone who'd pay for all of that, why wouldn't that person let him stay with him or her? That's pretty much like taking him in as your own Imaginary. But still, Wilt appears in Foster's 8 years after his incident arm free; at least from the photo. I know you brought up in the chat that with an arm that injured infection would have set in years before he arrived in Foster's; but what if he just out right refused help all through those years? He might have been in excruciating pain but just never wanted someone to take pity on such a loser as he is (at least that's how he felt). For all we know he could have lived with that arm for years, and when Madame Foster either found him, or he wound up on the doorstep of Foster's, she's the one who had the arm finally removed. Despite his probable arguments that no, he doesn't deserve it.

But that's just me.

[pitbulllady]

Originally Posted by CG

As much as I'd like to believe that, I don't really think he would have been in a rehab centre. It appears, to me at least, Imaginaries aren't exactly looked upon like living beings with feelings, emotions or anything like that. Just look at how they kept poor Floofy Woogums in the 'Lost and Found' section. AND how in Emancipation Complication both Lil' Lincoln and Moose were confiscated from their children as if they were yoyos or dirty magazines never to be returned to them again. Maybe he would have been lucky to get into a hospital to get it removed, sure; but I don't think they'd allow him into a rehabilitation centre. I'm sure you have a strong case arguing against what I just said, but that's what it's appeared to me through my viewings of Foster's. Imaginaries just don't seem to have the same 'rights' as humans do. Kind of like second-class citizens. No matter how great and wonderful Wilt is, I'm not saying he isn't, he is still an Imaginary and I don't see people going to pay how much it cost for not only to have your arm amputated but also a rehab stay. If he did find someone who'd pay for all of that, why wouldn't that person let him stay with him or her? That's pretty much like taking him in as your own Imaginary. But still, Wilt appears in Foster's 8 years after his incident arm free; at least from the photo. I know you brought up in the chat that with an arm that injured infection would have set in years before he arrived in Foster's; but what if he just out right refused help all through those years? He might have been in excruciating pain but just never wanted someone to take pity on such a loser as he is (at least that's how he felt). For all we know he could have lived with that arm for years, and when Madame Foster either found him, or he wound up on the doorstep of Foster's, she's the one who had the arm finally removed. Despite his probable arguments that no, he doesn't deserve it.

But that's just me.

I know that Imaginaries aren't thought of in the same way as humans, but this is one of the inconsistencies of the show. Wilt has been arrested, and in the movie, he was actually brought to trial(or at least, a preliminary hearing), which seems to indicate that somebody, at least, in some places, acknowledges some sort of rights for Imaginaries. If he was fortunate enough to wind up in what we call a "welfare clinic", operated by the government, he might have at least been there long enough to recover.

As for the time-frame of the arm having to be removed, it would be very likely that infection/ necrosis(gangrene) would have set in fairly quickly, which is why crushing injuries are so serious. Injuries like that not only can break bones and disrupt blood flow, but also rupture individual cells, releasing their toxins into surrounding healthy tissues, poisoning it, since the blood supply is unable to carry it away. Most crush injuries to limbs result in amputation, even if the bone isn't broken, for that reason. Doctors are afraid to take a chance of the person dying just to try and save an arm or leg. Swelling in the non-elastic fascia, or connective tissue between muscles and bones, also further compromises blood flow. There's no way that Wilt would have survived for eight years with a necrotic limb. It probably wasn't too long after he received the injury, and left the scene that he would have started to become severely ill, not just from pain. He might have had to go it without any sort of rehab(and Wilt is just the sort to succede by sheer willpower alone), but he wouldn't have lasted long without some heavy-duty medical treatment and surgury following that incident.

pitbulllady

[Ms. Kinnikufan]

Has anyone heard of the movie titled "The Straight Story"? It was a movie about an old man who rides a lawnmower (Like Wilt does) cross-country to vist his terminially ill brother.
Unlike Wilt he gets much further.
The old man also performs some good deeds like Wilt and helps people learn stuff about themselves.

[DoubleLatte]

Originally Posted by pitbulllady

Wilt's "legend" status took place during the movie, as he made his way cross-country on that rusty old lawnmower, NOT during that eight-year-period between him being injured and arriving at Foster's. It was a joke, really, him being considered a "legend" by the people of the small town(where obviously there were no lawnmowers or lawn-care specialists)because he, being Wilt, felt he needed to help out by annonymously cutting the grass for everyone, a good deed that the judge felt needed rewarding by releasing Wilt and dropping the charges against him. His status as a "legend" was in that little town only, and due solely to that one incident. There's nothing in the judge's speech to indicate he'd heard of Wilt except because of that. He even refers to Wilt as "The Lawn Ranger"!

pitbulllady

But see, the thing is, we don't know what happened to Wilt during that 8 year period, and what TheLH suggested is actually a pretty good speculation. I've read the book and I agree. Just as Wilt became "The Lawn Ranger" in that small town, he might have also acquired different names in different places and became an urban legend for his good deeds among the locals during those eight years. He may not be known accross the country as a humanitarian phenomenon, but I'm not inclined to brush off the idea that Wilt might have already gathered a reputation for helping out random folks all over the place, even if they don't know him by name or even interacted with him directly, much like the judge mentioned. Who's to confirm that Wilt only established a reputation after the movie and only in that town? We don't know every single place he's been to or what he's done, but he obviously has had deep-seated feelings for years to want to help as many people as possible in a self-less manner to compensate for his "failure". I would NOT put it past Wilt to have actually spent those years moving from place to place, lending a hand and impressing several people for whom altruism is an alien concept, and eventually finding Foster's.