Panic Room

Stupidity: When the police turn up the first time the mother lies to them to get them to go away but the burglars can't hear the conversation. She could have told them exactly what was happening and that she had to make it look like she'd got rid of them. She could have then smashed all the cameras and just let them in.

Danhit

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Suggested correction: This was a character decision, and a completely understandable one. Her daughter was being held hostage in the panic room. She decided to cooperate with their demands for the safety of her daughter. Your idea is a solid one, but she simply did not think of it in her state of mind. She opted to get rid of the police, and her decision is not a movie mistake.

jshy7979

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Mistakes

Other mistake: Near the end of the movie Dwight Yoakam is holding Jodie Foster's daughter captive as he tries to exit the house. Jodie Foster sneaks up behind him with a sledgehammer and swings it at his head. He turns to face her and the metal end of the hammer catches him firmly in his temple, knocking him down a flight of stairs. A few minutes later he comes up the stairs and tackles Jodie Foster to the ground, seemingly unhurt by the impact of the sledgehammer.

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Quotes

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

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Trivia

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

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Questions

Question: I don't really understand why Jodie Foster's character didn't tell the police something was wrong when they came to the door. I know she was worried for her daughter but the robbers couldn't overhear and she could have asked the police to come back later, giving her a chance to smash the cameras. Also, considering that she emphatically denied there was anything wrong, why did the police return later with all the guns etc?

Answer: But if Jodie Foster was so keen to placate the burglars and protect her daughter's life then why did she smash the cameras after the police left? It doesn't make sense.

She smashed the cameras, so the thieves in the Panic Room couldn't see what she was doing. That's why the thieves had said, "Why didn't we do that?"

Answer: The cop told Jodie "if you can give me some kind of signal." Jodie runs her fingers through her hair, that's the signal.

Answer: One doesn't ask the cops to come back later, especially when one's daughter's life is a stake. Also, the cops came back because they just didn't believe her and felt that something was up (call it intuition).

Not only that, Jodie Foster said that "they were good", why would she say that they are good if not that they were right?

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