Fascinating things that come to light in The Goldfinch (2019) movie and just things I liked
The most distinct thing to me was all of the parallels between characters in Theo’s life (mostly Boris and everyone else)
Theo wakes up alone in a nightmare both at his stay with the Barbours and during his engagement to Kitsey, paralleled with the scene where Boris comforts him and urges him back to sleep (a scene that is actually much longer than I would have expected Cr*wley to do)
Blurring Kitsey and focusing on Boris in the background at his engagement party
Theo finding out about Kitsey cheating on him, only to come to terms with the fact that neither of them loved each other and their relationship is a relationship of convenience, only to run into Boris– someone he actually loves and knows that he does. Kitsey proposes they stay together to make other people (like her mother) happy. In the car that night with Boris, Boris can only focus on what would make Theo happy.
“I have no family, no friends-” vs. “I took conversational Russian. Because of you. It made me think of you.”
Pippa crying about how they can’t lean on each other and then Theo going off to Amsterdam with Boris based on pure trust, followed by literally being supported by Boris during his attempted suicide.
Ansel acting his goddamn HEART out for two and a half hours because book Theo is so fucking closed off and always internally monologuing but the movie needs a way to indicate reactions to things, unlike book Theo who’s go-to is the this is fine meme
It’s much easier to see how Theo would get hooked on drugs when you watch the movie compared to the spaced-out incidents in the book. The morphine lollipop, the pill from Ms. Barbour, and the pills from Xandra. Boris’ encouragement was just icing on a cake that was already there.
I’m sorry but Finn Wolfhard’s little “ha!” is so cute and there’s a scene where Aneurin does it too lmao
Finn’s accent isn’t even bad lmao the movie even mentions that Boris comes from all over. He’s gotta fucked up accent anyways.
John Cr*wley said boreo is reductive yet left out all the straightest parts about Boris??? No kotku, talks about sleeping with girls, or the weird ass scene about his “wife and kids” (put in quotes because there’s discourse about whether Boris was lying or not. Just a half-assed scene of Boris staring at Xandra and commenting how hot she is. Finn Wolfhard really tried with that one but boy was that awkward to watch.
In the movie the only people that kiss Theo are the people he actually loves and that’s Mrs. Barbour (on the cheek) and Boris send tweet
This is something that other people have already talked about on here in regards to book analysis but the parallels between all of the dead things, old things, lifeless things (antiques, the barbours, engagement to kitsey) and Boris being a feral yet tender force of motion is oof. Book Theo speaks about how he loves Boris because of how alive he really is, and how he doesn’t feel defined by his surroundings or his actions. Ansel Elgort’s shy yet excited expressions really show the awe that Theo feels surrounded by so much life (Aneurin’s Boris).
Finn Wolfhard and Aneurin Barnard’s lonnggg looks at Theo bye Alexa play Codex by Radiohead
The hand touching by the pool.
Boris rubbing Theo’s back when he made him throw up.
Vibe check (the really long forehead touch thing)
Boris and Theo holding hands and crying during Boris’ good vs bad speech at the end. Ansel and Aneurin really said fuck John Cr*wley huh.
Playing Apocalypse by Cigarettes After Sex during the Pippa and Theo dinner scene is homophobic
Phenomenal casting. They all fucking killed it. But here are the scenes I felt everyone did the best in
Oakes: “It was my fault” scene by the pool
Finn: “I need to tell you something” and his trying to beg Theo to stay. Honorable mention from the strong switch from relaxed boy watching movies to angsty child facing his dad. That scene kicked my ass I wanted to throw up when his dad started literally kicking the crap out of him. God.
Ansel: He was truly great, I can’t imagine how hard it must be playing Theo fucking Decker. But he shined in the Civics Textbook reveal scene.
Aneurin: The car scene. Talking about how guilty he is then going from devastated to disbelief to anger to devastated again. Jesus christ. Also his little smiles in the movie? The small one that he uses only half his mouth for. Welsh excellence.
Ashleigh: The dinner date. Of course. Girl had me wanting to cry in the club.
The book talks about this in a way that might seem odd or strange for someone to hear, but the movie actually makes it make more sense
After the death of his mother, everyone treats Theo with a light touch and kid gloves and hushed voices. Like he is very fragile. You can tell he wants to pretend things are normal with the conversation he strikes up with Tom Cable– like nothing has happened. The way Boris responds to hearing about the death of Theo’s mother is very relaxed. He cares, sure, but Boris’ life is so equally fucked up that he’s like eh that’s life. He doesn’t think Theo is weaker for what has happened to him. He takes Theo’s trauma in stride– seeing it as a way they’re connected rather than separated. In the book, Theo is grateful for Boris’ blasé way of handling the news and the movie really highlights that scene well, with Boris’ little “ha!” and subject change followed with Oakes’ little smile of relief.
I hope this doesn’t suggest that Boris doesn’t care about what happened to Theo, that is blatantly untrue and counteracted by Boris’careful listening of Theo’s “secret”, his gentle inquiring if Theo misses his Mom at their Thanksgiving, and of course with his patience and physical comfort regarding Theo’s nightmares.
I could talk even longer about the nuances that are missed in the movie without the book but I wanted to be positive :)
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