Daily Dialogue — January 4, 2020

“‘Dear Catherine, I’ve been sitting here thinking about all the things I wanted to apologize to you for. All the pain we caused each other. Everything I put on you. Everything I needed you to be or needed you to say. I’m sorry for that. I’ll always love you ’cause we grew up together and you helped make me who I am. I just wanted you to know there will be a piece of you in me always, and I’m grateful for that. Whatever someone you become, and wherever you are in the world, I’m sending you love. You’re my friend to the end. Love, Theodore.’ [pauses] Send.”

— Her (2013), written by Spike Jonze

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Rooftop.

Trivia: Charlie Kaufman did some uncredited screenwriting on the film.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Back in 2014, I did an analysis of the movie Her in which I speculated that the final scene is a prelude to Theodore and Amy leaping off the rooftop together and committing suicide. You can check out the feedback I received from some readers who thought I was completely wrong. I ask you: Watch the scene and think of the note Theodore composes to Catherine to be a ‘good-bye’ letter before ending it all. Even the line he says to Amy — “Would you come with me?”—could be read as an innocent invitation to go up to the roof, sit, and stare at the city. Or something with a more terminal point in mind. Check out the scene and see what you think. Remember the scene plays after both has lost the ‘loves’ of their lives, A.I. entities who suddenly left them.