Panic Room

Panic Room (2002)

2 commented-on entries since 16 Dec '24, 01:50

(6 votes)

Question: Why did they keep holding signs up to the camera? Burnham's company builds the rooms and security systems, wouldn't he have known he can speak to them using one of the security panels like Meg does later in the film?

Answer: Meg was using the P.A. from inside the panic room and it only works one way; everywhere else would have a room-to-room intercom system. If there was another P.A. system working the other way, it would have been too loud, as the cop mentioned when he spoke to Meg at the front door. The neighbors heard Meg broadcasting on it. Burnham would know that it would draw unwanted attention and, if heard, could be incriminating.

raywest

Cop didn't say anything to Meg about neighbors hearing her on the PA. They were only there cause the husband called the cops after she was disconnected from him.

The cops said to Meg that neighbors called in about a loud disturbance, so they did hear the PA system. Meg covered those tracks by saying it was the TV.

There are two possible reasons that I can think of 1) Burnham probably simply forgot that he could do it, the same as none of them thought to smash the cameras until Raoul saw Meg doing it. They were under a lot of pressure as the plan had changed so it probably just slipped his mind. 2) Burnham knew he could do it but didn't want the other two to know. The other two seemed like loose cannons and Burnham seemed to be the only one who didn't want to hurt anyone. He might have been worried that they'd use the intercom to send threats or something.

It was a one-way PA system, as mentioned by the original answer.

No, it's not. After the burglars get into the room with Meg's daughter, Meg uses the intercom in the bedroom to talk to Burnham who is inside the room. This indicates that it is very much an intercom and not a one-way PA system.

Corrected entry: When all three men are together, writing notes to Foster they are all downstairs, you can see the front door in the background. Instead of carrying on with the conversation she could've just run to the bedroom and called 911 on her cell or the home phone.

apple

Correction: At this point, she could not be sure there were only three men in the house. She was unfamilar with the surveillance system, as well as being scared and confused, so it makes sense that she was not thinking clearly.

Twotall

While the facts in this correction are accurate, Meg eventually left the room to grab her phone without still knowing if more than three men were actually in the house, so this correction is a bit iffy.

Factual error: After the intruders flood the panic room with propane, Jody Foster's character gets a lighter and ignites the propane causing it to burn along the ceiling. This would be impossible as propane is heavier than air and would sink to the floor rather than rise up to the ceiling. Lighting a flame in that room should have caused anyone in the room and on the floor to be engulfed in flames almost instantly.

More mistakes in Panic Room

Junior: She's coming down to you.
Burnham: Hey, I told you, I don't hurt people.

More quotes from Panic Room

Trivia: The shot of Meg turning on the security screens took 57 takes before director David Fincher was happy.

More trivia for Panic Room

Answer: They wouldn't in real life. This was a plot contrivance.

raywest

It does happen in real life, and it is sadly a common occurrence in big cities. Living in Los Angeles, I've had to dial 911 a few times. I was on hold for 5 minutes once, and I've read articles about people who have been on hold for way longer. With this film being set in New York city, this did not surprise me. Even Meg and Sarah don't seem too surprised by it, and they opt to call Sarah's father instead.

jshy7979

Answer: There could be a serious major event happening nearby where all the resources needed to be sent ASAP. The 911 operator had to prioritize and assumed the current caller's emergency - whatever it was - was less urgent. There could have been a shortage of operators for whatever reason.

KeyZOid

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