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Last night I watched the Terminator. I have a question about the character "Kyle Reese." I have seen this movie 10 times and I still do not understand if Reese knew he was John's father! He was from the future and John was an adult where he came from. Didn't John know that Reese was his father? Sarah was telling John about his father at the end of the movie, she was recording messages to him. And Reese was given a picture of Sarah by John.
But in the movie, Reese didn't seem to know he was John's father. Did he? Or was he just acting like he didn't know? Why was he so in love with Sarah if he never met her?
Finally, his age. Shouldn't he have been old in the future? When they show Reese in the future, he was the same age as he was when he came to defend Sarah. If John sent his "father" to defend his young mother, then why the heck was he so young?
Am I making sense to anybody? Or thinking too much? (it runs in the profession :) Thank you for enlightening me
2006-09-21 05:26:02 · 12 answers · asked by sexy law chick 5 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Movies
I've seen this movie a hundred times. Here's how it breaks out:
Reese did not know he was John's Father. John knew, that's why he sent him back and why he gave him the picture in the future. He never told Reese because there was no reason too, he knew Reese would fall in love with the picture because his mother told him so. One side note on that whenever Reese looked at the picture he was looking at her thinking about him (the picture was taken exactly when she said "in the few hours we spent together we loved a lifetime's worth".)
John was born before Reese was (there's a paradox for you!). That's why John is older, Reese was born after the war "in the ruins". John was born before the war.
In the future scenes, Reese is actually remembering events that occur in the future but they are still part of his past so he is actually younger in those flashbacks (flashforwards?)
So, did that make sense? If you keep each person's timelines separate it helps to keep it straight.
2006-09-21 05:43:09 · answer #1 · answered by Fire_God_69 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think he knew until he was with Sarah. If you recall, Reese was talking to Sarah about the picture, and he said that John gave him a picture of his mother and he didn't know why at the time. I think it's right around there that he is realizing that he is going to father John. But he is still having trouble with the realization even at the motel where he cannot acknowledge his feelings toward her and is afraid to act on them. He feels that his duty to protect her must come first and it isn't until SHE makes the first move that it finally hits home with him. Remember that he's had her photo for a long time and has used the girl in the photo to get through some hard times. The same idea was used in "Cast Away", with Tom Hanks looking at the logo on the package as well as the locket he had. As far as the future scenes, we can assume that what we saw happened fairly close to Kyle being sent back to 1984, as least within a year or two. But remember that with time travel, age doesn't mean a whole lot. John's father doesn't have to be older that him in the future, just old enough to reproduce. So General Connor of the future could very well be physically older than Kyle when he gets sent back.
2006-09-21 05:38:44 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Reese doesn't know he's John Connor's father. They talk about who the father will be in the scene where they're in hiding after the police station shootup. When Sarah says, "I don't suppose you know who the father is, so I won't tell him to get lost when I meet him?", all Reese says is, "John never talked much about him. I know he dies before the war..." He seemed pretty sincere about his not knowing.
And no, Reese shouldn't necessarily be old -- if he was conceived after Judgment Day. Even in wartime, people still have sex, get pregnant, and have babies. Granted, it wouldn't have been much of a childhood; but even in the worst of circumstances people cling to hope for a better tomorrow.
2006-09-21 06:25:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a great question! I have seen this movie a few times myself ( it is quite entertaining).
The only answer I can give you on any of these questions is.. creative license.
A dashing young guy is going to have broader appeal to Sarah and the audience.
I think Kyle was in love with the idea of Sarah initially and then fell in love when they met.
You make sense and you think just enough!
2006-09-21 05:40:16 · answer #4 · answered by JFC I No 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No he would not be old in future, Reese died in the First one. So, in the future Reese would actually be young.
Yes, reese did fall in love with sarah. ever sense he saw that picture of her at the end of the film.
2006-09-21 05:33:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the whole time-travel thing that is confusing. Which bit happened 1st and how if another bit hadn't happened yet.
Every time I think I have it sussed, I see a flaw in my line of reasoning.
I have the same problem with the time-travel bit in 12 Monkeys. The bit where Bruce Willis is the child seeing himself as an adult with a fake moustache running through the airport and getting shot, then being the guy who gets shot seeing himself as a young boy!!
2006-09-21 05:31:05 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I liked T-2 better, but to answer your question, I don't think he knew he was to be John's father. I just accept that at face value. However, I like time-travel stories so much because I like to get my brain stretched out a bit trying to articulate the details like you did here! Just havin' fun, anyway!
2006-09-21 05:37:43 · answer #7 · answered by correrafan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was just a movie, it was in the script, so it happened. I think you're just thinking too much. lol. I have to be honest and say I thought the same things you did though.
2006-09-21 06:24:31 · answer #8 · answered by Little Red 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're overthinking it. After all it's just a movie. In movies they can make anything happen the way they want to.
2006-09-21 06:05:14 · answer #9 · answered by mystri 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He had to send his father back in time, or his very existence would be a paradox.
2006-09-21 05:34:29 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋