Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

These are questions relating to specific titles. General questions for movies and TV shows are here. Members get e-mailed when any of their questions are answered.

Answer: It's never revealed in the film, but director Chris Columbus recently did an interview in which he said that he and John Hughes had discussions about it and imagined Kate is a "very successful fashion designer," and Peter worked in advertising (though Columbus said he couldn't remember if they had a specific job in mind for him).

Answer: Adding to the other answer, it was Peter's brother Rob who paid for a total of 15 plane tickets to Paris. Two tickets were purchased for 2 of Rob's kids: Heather and Rod (3 other siblings are in Paris), as they were still in school in the States. Six tickets for Uncle Frank, Aunt Leslie, and their 4 kids. Seven tickets for Peter, Kate, and their 5 kids: Buzz, Megan, Linnie, Jeff, Kevin (his unused ticket was accidentally tossed in the trash during the pizza dinner mess).

Super Grover

Question: Did Jane have any legal right to sell Adam and Barbara's house after they died? Both of them had no interest in selling the house at all and even told Jane as such.

Answer: Given they had no known next-of-kin, whoever was appointed the executor of their estate likely just had Jane sell the house since she was friendly with Adam and Barbara and expressed interest in selling it even before they died.

TedStixon

Show generally

Question: What is the episode where a man discovers that the computer he created has fallen in love with him?

Answer: "From Agnes—With Love" (s05e20). However, the man (James Elwood) didn't create the computer (Agnes); he was just brought in to fix a problem with it.

Bishop73

Question: How did the Joker's henchmen get to the top of the church? We don't see them enter the building. The only thing I can think of is they were dropped off by the helicopter, but then why wasn't the helicopter still there when the Joker, Batman, and Vicki Vale reached the top?

Answer: There's no logical answer to it since the Joker himself didn't know he would be going into the church until moments before. It's simply a plot hole.

Phaneron

Answer: Hallmark Cards are a fairly common greeting card brand that is known for being extremely good-natured. He's basically saying she's acting almost unnaturally... perhaps even annoyingly... sweet and kind.

TedStixon

Question: Why exactly did the cop in the flashback beat Michael to the ground?

Answer: Duplicate entry. Question answered in the other posting of it.

TedStixon

Question: Why did the officer in the flashback beat Michael to the ground?

Answer: Because they were all angry and frustrated, Michael killed multiple locals and was also responsible for the death of their fellow officer, McCabe. They were taking out their rage on him. Completely unprofessional, but also arguably understandable. Additionally, this question is a duplicate entry; it was posted twice today.

TedStixon

Question: Why did the bald guy in the subway put a beer bottle on Peter's head when he was snoozing?

Answer: For fun. It's common to prank people who are sleeping in public to see if they'd wake up.

lionhead

Question: Why wasn't Daniel Radcliffe hired to play young James Potter as well? It was stated numerous times that Harry was similar to his father, so why did they hire someone else to play young James?

Answer: I think it would have been too confusing to use the same actor, who plays the main character, to play a younger version of the father. Similar is also not the same as identical, and to put Daniel Radcliffe through hours of make-up would be too cumbersome if one can simply hire another actor.

lionhead

Question: After Doc's first successful test with the DeLorean, he touches the car handle and winces in pain. Marty asks if it's hot. Did Doc say it was "air cold" or "damn cold"?

Answer: Damn cold.

Question: Before the Jackal makes an impression of the Paris apartment key, he deliberately rubs the key against his chin. Why?

Answer: Chins have sebaceous glands (natural oils). He rubs the key on his chin to lightly coat the metal key as a lubricant, so it does not stick to the mould. It will make a perfect impression in the mould to create a flawless cast.

Super Grover

Show generally

Question: Just what is it with them always relying on each other in the police department or the D.A.'s office? They don't trust anyone else?

Rob245

Answer: It is an NYPD Detective Bureau lapel pin. If you zoom in on a pic of "Danny Reagan," you will see the letters DB on the pin.

Question: In the film, Manny is in jail for safe-cracking and Buck is in for statutory rape (he didn't know the girl was underaged). Aren't these crimes pretty minor for both men to be in a dangerous maximum security prison in Alaska?

Gavin Jackson

Answer: Manny is a career criminal. He's been in and out of prison his whole life. That latest crime was his last straw. He is beyond rehabilitation. Besides, he and the warden butted heads during his sentence. Manny was getting a following, and the warden reminded him who was in charge. Which is why he was welded into his jail cell. As for Buck, statutory rape, an underage girl. He's been labelled a rapist, child molester, and put on the sex offender list for life. The standards have not changed.

Question: Why can't Mr and Mrs Parker go next door to the Bumpus and tell them to control their dogs, so they won't bother them?

Trainman

Answer: Who's to say they didn't? Ralphie describes the Bumpuses as 'hillbillies' so they might not care too much about controlling their animals or what they neighbors thought, and apparently the old man was the only one the dogs ever bothered so it would be hard to prove they were a general nuisance. Of course, the turkey incident might have tipped the scales.

Brian Katcher

Answer: You'd have to go back and watch a movie called *It Runs in the Family*. It's sort of a summertime Christmas story. All the actors are different, but it's Ralphie during the summer, and they actually go over to the Bumpass house and have more interaction with them.

It Runs in the Family is a completely different movie and has no connection to A Christmas Story. The movie you're referring to is called My Summer Story. It Runs in the Family was a tagline on the movie cover.

ctown28

It is the same movie. It was released under both titles.

Question: When Miles goes to the gang's apartment, how does Robert know to find him there? Seems like he goes straight there.

applejackson

Answer: Most likely, Robert McCall would have done his research in that area and knew where the gangsters and drug dens were. If not, he could have taken the address from the number plate that we saw earlier on in the movie. He seems to have the tech to have done it.

Question: 1. In at least 3 scenes, the person or truck tries to get to the front set of steps. Why didn't they try for the back set, or the steps on the 2nd locomotive; once aboard, they could get to the cab in front. 2. In the 2-engine attempt, there's no way those engines could go onto a siding and the rest of the train continue on the main track, is there? 3. When 1206 is moving onto the rip rail siding and 777 is coming at them, why does Frank blow the horn? He knows nobody is aboard 777.

Answer: 1) There was no way to get to the front of the train from the back, as shown later when Frank tries to run from the back to the front. Getting to the second engine is also a challenge due to less room. On an AC4400CW, you have to go through the cab of the second locomotive to get into the first, and the door between them should remain locked, meaning he wouldn't have a key. 2) If you're very lucky, it might work, but it requires a lot of precision. 3) Frank was driving an older SD40-2, which is equipped with what is known as an "alerter system," effectively a "dead man's handle." It's designed to apply the emergency brakes if it detects an object in front of it using the onboard IDF system or if the reset isn't activated every 65 seconds. The alerter system looks for throttle, brake, horn, or reset button input. By pressing the horn, he told the train’s systems, "I'm still here, I'm still in control."

Question: Where is the mailbox with the Abbott's name on it?

Answer: While Lee and Marcus are at the river with the fish traps, Lee begins explaining to his son about safe sounds. It then cuts to Regan walking away from her house, and in the next wide shot facing Regan, the Abbott family mailboxes are on the left side of the screen, with their house in the background (00:36:27).

Super Grover

Question: The daughter already found out about her cochlear implant giving off a frequency that scared the aliens away, so why did she not turn it on when they were in the truck? If she had, Lee would not have had to sacrifice himself.

Answer: People don't always consider every possibility when they are scared.

Question: How did they climb the grain silo without making noise? Why did the silo door come off its hinges?

Jizzmopper

Answer: 1. Quietly. 2. The hinges weren't able to support the weight of the swinging door that was meant to open outward.

Question: SPOILERS: When Sonic and Shadow land on the moon, they have a heart-to-heart conversation and appear to be breathing. But there's no air on the moon. Are we to assume that the Chaos Emeralds (which have given them both powers) are giving them the ability to breathe and speak in the environment?

TedStixon

Answer: They still have the Chaos Emerald power at that point because, immediately after, they turn gold and fly away.

Honestly, that's probably the best answer.

TedStixon

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.