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Musings on the fate of Joe Gipp
Frequent auditors of this journal will recall that, my taste in cinema being what it is, I number Adventures in Babysitting among my top ten all-time favorite movies. It is, saving one Necessary Leap of Faith, a tightly plotted coming-of-age fable that never ceases to delight me. If you've never seen it, I recommend it in the highest possible terms*. Get thee to Netflix and add it to your queue.
It having been a Rough Week(tm) by anybody's measure of terrain, Steve and I decided last night that we had earned some downtime. We therefore feasted on grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, chatting about anything but the day-job, had a glass of wine, and carried the second into the living room, where he suggested that Adventures in Babysitting would be in order.
The rest of this discussion, which necessarily contains spoilers, is , out of courtesy for those who may not yet have viewed this fine film.
In the movie, three children (two 15-year-old boys and a little girl of about...9?) and their 17 year old babysitter are forced to leave the safe suburbs and drive into Deepest Chicago on their own. In short order, the tire blows out on their car, they are rescued by a well-meaning tow-truck driver, who shortly involves them in a domestic dispute. Fleeing this violence, they take refuge in a nearby unlocked car -- which is in the process of being boosted by one Joe Gipp.
Joe supplies stolen cars to a chop shop. He has pity on the kids and takes them with him, out of the range of fire. On the way to deliver the stolen goods, the babysitter extracts a promise from him that he not hurt "the kids." Unexpectedly, Joe turns out to be a man of his word, and to also possess a high moral character -- higher, at least, than his boss, or his boss's boss, both of whom want the kids caught and killed.
This being a coming-of-age fable, it's not just the babysitter and the kids who grow. In the course of keeping his promise, Joe is forced to knock down the big boss (a truly scary person who, I believe, stops at nothing in order to achieve his goals). The story gets the kids safely back to the 'burbs, parents none the wiser, but...
...we never hear what happens to Joe Gipp. Clearly, Chicago is no longer safe for him, nor any of the other big cities where the big boss has tentacles. He's a thief, he is in some ways a naif, he is not an educated man. Stealing cars is his art, and his livelihood.
So, I wonder: What happened to Joe? I want him to be OK, but I'm not sure I can see my way through to how this would come about. Steve suggests that he migrated to San Francisco and took up odd work with the old and prestigious Bowler Investigative Agency, which might do.
Those who have seen the movie -- what do you think happened to Joe Gipp?
----
*always remembering that I also recommend Earth Girls are Easy in those same high terms.
It having been a Rough Week(tm) by anybody's measure of terrain, Steve and I decided last night that we had earned some downtime. We therefore feasted on grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches, chatting about anything but the day-job, had a glass of wine, and carried the second into the living room, where he suggested that Adventures in Babysitting would be in order.
The rest of this discussion, which necessarily contains spoilers, is , out of courtesy for those who may not yet have viewed this fine film.
In the movie, three children (two 15-year-old boys and a little girl of about...9?) and their 17 year old babysitter are forced to leave the safe suburbs and drive into Deepest Chicago on their own. In short order, the tire blows out on their car, they are rescued by a well-meaning tow-truck driver, who shortly involves them in a domestic dispute. Fleeing this violence, they take refuge in a nearby unlocked car -- which is in the process of being boosted by one Joe Gipp.
Joe supplies stolen cars to a chop shop. He has pity on the kids and takes them with him, out of the range of fire. On the way to deliver the stolen goods, the babysitter extracts a promise from him that he not hurt "the kids." Unexpectedly, Joe turns out to be a man of his word, and to also possess a high moral character -- higher, at least, than his boss, or his boss's boss, both of whom want the kids caught and killed.
This being a coming-of-age fable, it's not just the babysitter and the kids who grow. In the course of keeping his promise, Joe is forced to knock down the big boss (a truly scary person who, I believe, stops at nothing in order to achieve his goals). The story gets the kids safely back to the 'burbs, parents none the wiser, but...
...we never hear what happens to Joe Gipp. Clearly, Chicago is no longer safe for him, nor any of the other big cities where the big boss has tentacles. He's a thief, he is in some ways a naif, he is not an educated man. Stealing cars is his art, and his livelihood.
So, I wonder: What happened to Joe? I want him to be OK, but I'm not sure I can see my way through to how this would come about. Steve suggests that he migrated to San Francisco and took up odd work with the old and prestigious Bowler Investigative Agency, which might do.
Those who have seen the movie -- what do you think happened to Joe Gipp?
----
*always remembering that I also recommend Earth Girls are Easy in those same high terms.
Whatever Happened ...
(Anonymous) 2009-09-26 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
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(I'm also slightly non-sober, having had 500ml of cider (that's a bit over a US pint of hard cider) at 8.4% alcohol by volume with takeaway Chinese. Not drunk, and I might just be within the UK driving limit (but wouldn't drive), but nicely not-exactly-sober. First alcohol I've had since Worldcon, I think, since then I've been driving the next morning so haven't had the opportunity...)
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I had not previously had this documentary brought to my attention. Sadly, it looks like it may be right up my alley.
*adds to Netflix queue*
Thanks!
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As for Joe Gipp....he gets the hell outta Chicago and turns to more legal venues for money making. Maybe workin on cars still, perhaps to help out some other 'crime' fighting crew?
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Joe
(Anonymous) 2009-09-27 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)Joe Gipp & Good Works
I hadn't given much thought to Joe Gipp, to be honest, but reading some of the other comments I had a thought. I wonder if he might have become a missionary and is off in the jungle doing Good Works somewhere.
Or, of course, he could be raising money for the church by, ummm, reselling cars......
no subject
(And "Earth Girls are Easy" is a triumph of late-80s kitsch! I can still hear Geena Davis saying, fondly, "Oh, Wiploc, I think I'll miss you the least!")
Stealing cars is his art, and his livelihood. ?