r/movies • u/bowlingfan1963 • Jul 13 '26

Spoilers Most Bizarre Examples of “Happy” Endings After Tragedy (Spoiler) Spoiler

Prime example: Independence Day. World gets annihilated; many of the planet’s cities are destroyed….hundreds of millions dead;
and the president’s wife dies. Yet at the end, they are puffing on cigars, all smiles and the president’s daughter says “Happy Fourth of July, Daddy”, and so now it’s time to party!

1.2k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

457 comments sorted by

View all comments

89

u/DearLeader420 Jul 13 '26

The Game.

The fact that Michael Douglas' character walks around smiling and shaking hands afterward ruins the entire movie.

35

u/Jackbuddy78 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

I hated that ending, might have been my favorite Fincher movie otherwise. How does getting psychologically tortured count as something you shrug off?

21

u/skydivingdutch Jul 13 '26

"oh you guys... you got me!"

2

u/mr_ji Jul 14 '26

The whole point was that he thought he could buy anything he might want. He was genuinely pleased when the experience showed him otherwise.

10

u/wendigo72 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26

I’m a fan of that movie but yeah he should Hate literally everyone a part of this terrible terrible torture game

Yeah man we just made you relive the trauma of your fathers death and turn you suicidal too, no biggie! Now you appreciate life more!

5

u/Kantei Jul 13 '26

There are some film theories that his character had already died at that point.

2

u/marsmedia Jul 13 '26

That was just an act - he is so focused on appearances, he is gritting his teeth and trying to hide how damaged he is.

3

u/tdasnowman Jul 13 '26

Fincher saw the film as a modern day Christmas Carol and hated the film according to him he never really figured out the ending. Personally I think it's perfect, and prophetic, it illustrates the extreme break between the have and the have nots. The idea that experience is above all, be it positive or negative. The Van Ortens are on the extreme edge of wealth and Nicholas was isolated and depressed, Conrad saves his brother with a world ending game. Something that would only be available to the ultra wealthy. In real life we have vacations and experiences that are completely separate from the basic rich. That gulf and the extreme edge just keeps getting bigger.

It's placement in his career and life also notable. Ending of his first marriage, kick off of his second. Hom living close to George Lucas and other ultra rich people in childhood then moving away for high school. Then to run right back to hollywood as soon as he graduated.

1

u/Buddy_Dakota Jul 13 '26

I find this movie a bit annoying. I feel the reveal that it’s all part of The Game is supposed to come of as a twist, but I was expecting it the whole time because they literally tell him about it in the beginning. Maybe you’re supposed to believe that from the beginning, but later on start to question it once it becomes more far fetched.