Question: On the beach, Mr Scroggins carves Anna's name - Anna Muir - on the end of the wrong end of a wooden "fence" (it faces inland; so how on earth could captains at sea see her name as they pass by?) and what is the purpose of the wooden "fence"?
Answer: Whether or not the carving was placed inland as a convenience for the audience to see it, it is still a mistake with regard to the dialogue indicating that persons at sea being able to read Anna's name on the post. To avoid the mistake, the scene should begun showing Mr. Scroggins on the seaward side of the post carving and the for the camera to pan around to show that he is carving the name "Anna Muir." The sea could still be in the background and the dialogue would then make sense.
Question: How did the Dutch girl's mother tell her that Santa Claus would not understand her. Did the mother speak Dutch?
Answer: One would presume that the orphaned girl's adoptive mother does speak Dutch, or else they wouldn't be able to communicate while the daughter is learning English. Of course, Santa Claus (or Sinterklaas, in Holland) understands all languages of the world. Here is the dialogue between Kris and the young girl, interpreted into English: Santa: "I'm glad you came." Girl: "I knew it, you are Sinterklaas." Santa: "But of course." Girl: "I knew it, I was sure that you would understand" Santa: "Of course, just tell me what you would like to have from Sinterklaas." Girl: "Nothing, I already have a lot, I only want to be with this nice lady." Santa: "Will you sing a song for me?" And then they sing a together a Dutch song about Sinterklaas.
Question: This follows on from the continuity mistake about Sister Ruth wearing makeup. Sister Ruth has been a nun, living under religious vows for many years. After the nuns start their mission in the Himalayas she becomes infatuated with English expatriate, Mr. Dean. Eventually she puts on a fashionable dress, assumes an attractive hairstyle, and even applies lipstick (at the time it was somewhat controversial for any woman to wear lipstick). She then tries to seduce Mr. Dean. Could a woman who has lived a life of religious self denial change into a convincingly steaming seductress?
Answer: There's no way of knowing. For the purpose of the movie's plot and to heighten the drama and underlying sensual passion, the Sister Ruth character was probably portrayed as being more sexually savvy than a lapsed nun normally would be. She may also have dated a lot as a teenager, watched many romantic movies, or read romance novels before becoming a nun. Also, not all nuns are sexually inexperienced before joining the church. Some enter when they're older, have previously been engaged, married, and so on.
Chosen answer: The scene takes place at a public beach where Anna and her mother go swimming and the fence may be connected to that. Anna is a small child and Mr. Scroggins carves her name where she can always easily see it, and it is far away from the water's edge. Of course, for the purpose of the movie, it was placed in such a way to be seen by the audience as a way to gauge the amount of time that is passing. It becomes worn and deteriorated over the years.
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