I’ve noticed that there are recurring scenes in a bunch of movies I’ve watched— there’s the quintessential awkward and fumbly kiss, the picturesque “perfect date,” the lumpy fat girl crying alone in front of the mirror before prom, the tumultuous break up scene in the rain and then there’s mentally retarded people holding babies.
Yes— mentally retarded people holding babies. Filmmakers can either go two ways with this:
1.) Introduce conflict and background information.
or
2.) Prove that mentally retarded people aren’t really “that bad” and keep the audience on its toes.
Observe.
I can’t pinpoint the exact film, but here’s a scene that I recall: a newlywed couple fawns over their newborn baby, lavishing him with attention. The wife’s mentally retarded brother (who has to live with the couple since he can’t take care of himself) catches wind of the situation and he surreptitiously stumbles in front of the cradle, while the couple isn’t watching. He has this clueless, innocent, yet half-menacing look on his face. Cue the “dangerous” music. He moves closer to the baby, curious of the newest addition to the house. His intentions are clear— he wants to pick up the baby. He can’t be blamed if he drops the baby; after all, he is retarded.
This scene evokes a feeling of dread in the audience. American audiences hate seeing babies as a victim in the movies. Even I get a little squeamish.
He extends his gnarled and disfigured hands (oh, mentally retarded people are also mutants, if you didn’t know) into the baby’s crib, grabbing the baby quite harshly with strength he never knew he had. The music intensifies. The couple spins around— the husband shouts, the wife cries out— but…
Hold up— here’s where the road forks. Here are the two different endings to this scene:
1.) it’s too late. The retarded brother snatches up the baby and the violins in the background screech. A fumble. The baby wails as it falls towards the hardwood floor. The audience holds its breath, all-the-while squirming in its own discomfort. A woman in the crowd actually screams. We hear a sickening thud and then the scene fades to black. It’s now five years later and now the couple has a different baby, but the wife has suffered some sort of psychological trauma from losing her old baby which plays a pivotal role in the film’s plot development. The movie can now begin.
2.) it’s not too late. The retarded brother holds the baby with the utmost gentleness and coos to it while rocking it in his arms. The intense dangerous music stops. All is good and life can continue. Birds chip and even a rainbow appears (although it was never raining before). From now on, the audience is kept on its toes and perhaps more attentive throughout the rest of the film.
The next time a retarded person approaches a baby, there’s a 95.6% chance that one of the two situations will occur. Trust me on this one.
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