Let’s know about the Take Me To The River Movie Ending Explained. The 2015 drama “Take Me To The River,” directed by Matt Sobel, shows the suffocating uncertainty of childhood trauma brought on by secrets within familial connections.
The story follows Ryder, a gay adolescent from California, as he makes his way to Nebraska to notify his extended family that he is gay. It is centered on Logan Miller and Robin Weigert. Since they believe that some things are best kept private, his parents forbid him from acting in the same manner.
Things take a disturbing turn, though, when Ryder’s uncle Keith accuses him of abusing his cousin after finding blood on his small daughter Molly’s clothes. Because the tale leaves so much unfinished business hanging, the movie purposefully leaves them hanging till the very end.
The conclusion and its numerous consequences must, therefore, attract the interest of the audience. Here is all the information we have on the same!
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Take Me To The River Movie Ending Explained
Early on in the film, there is a clear indication of the conflict between Molly’s father, Keith, and Ryder’s mother, Cindy. Although he respects her and her family, he always keeps a close check on Molly whenever she tries to hang out with Ryder.
Because of this, when she leaves the barn with blood on her clothes, Keith loses his cool and yanks Ryder violently away from his daughter. After he flatly rejects the notion that Molly could have begun her period, the excessive reaction seems to be more than just ordinary protectiveness.
In addition, Cindy appears to think Keith is abusing her child in vengeance for her. The particular events that took place between the two siblings to elicit such a response, however, are unknown to Ryder and the audience. Cindy claims that Keith has a bad attitude toward her because she received their father’s financial inheritance.
The feud’s origins, however, seem implausible given that he inherited the territory. Cindy also seems to think that Keith is abusing her child in vengeance for her. But neither Ryder nor the audience are aware of the particular exchanges between the two siblings that led to this reaction.
Cindy claims that Keith has a bad attitude toward her because she received their father’s financial inheritance. The feud’s origins, however, seem implausible given that he inherited the territory. By this time, Ryder and the audience are aware that the term “chicken fighting” is a euphemism and frequently leads to inappropriate sexual encounters.
Keith doesn’t like Cindy because of what happened between them in the past. Cindy probably initiated anything sexual with Keith at the cusp of puberty without completely comprehending it. He thus receives the responsibility for it when their mother learns about it because he is older.
Because of this, Keith hates Cindy for portraying him as immoral and ultimately leaving the farm for the big city. He also lashes out at him, convinced that Cindy’s child must have somehow wronged his daughter. The movie’s plot has numerous allusions that excite the interest of the viewer.
Nevertheless, the plot manages to effectively end them all without ever letting its ambiguity go. Ryder’s ancestry is another subject that is brought up early on in the film. Molly, who exudes confidence, queries him about if Don, Cindy’s husband, is his biological father. Ryder disagrees and maintains that she got it from her father, Keith.
Despite being fleeting, this scene suggests a horrifyingly evil past. When talking about their common background, it’s crucial to remember that Keith is a lot older than Cindy. Additionally, the fact that Molly, a barely preteen, constantly initiates inappropriate behavior with Ryder raises concerns.
She also refers to the sport as “chicken fighting,” so it’s reasonable to believe she learned it from her father. Keith’s character shouldn’t be discounted as moral or blameless, given that he may have taught his little daughter a sexually explicit game.
Due to this, it’s probable that Keith, the older child, fostered their inappropriate relationship even though Cindy started it when they were kids. The way she reacts when Ryder tells her about her history also shows that she is severely traumatized by the incident and desperately wants to forget it.
Cindy may have fled Nebraska for this reason, which may explain why she frequently dons a disguise while making a comeback. The possibility that Keith might be Ryder’s father is left up for the audience to take, even though the movie doesn’t explicitly prove it.
He could have been born when Cindy was still pretty young because he is so much older than Keith’s child. Even so, the age question is again avoided in the narrative. All of the aforementioned information is extremely circumstantial evidence pointing toward the possibility that Keith is Ryder’s father.
It is ultimately up to the spectator to decide whether or not this is the case. The movie deliberately sets up its narrative in a way that leads viewers to wonder and seek explanations. In doing so, it challenges the audience to develop their interpretations to provoke awkward talks about a controversial subject.
The movie initially appears to be a coming-of-age story about a gay teen living with conservative relatives. Although the story’s plot twist occurs early on, his status as an outcast in his family doesn’t change.
Ryder ultimately decides not to tell his extended family and retains his secret. He avoids most of his family members throughout the movie and only interacts with Keith’s family significantly when he has dinner with them. At the same time, Ryder expresses his love for songwriting and performs a song for the family.
Due to the song’s prominent queer theme, Keith probably discovers that he is gay. Later, she, too, loses her critical attitude toward Ryder and accepts his paternal behavior toward Molly. Keith rarely tries to conceal his sexuality, so it stands to reason that he eventually finds out the truth.
However, as Cindy desires, Ryder’s sexual orientation is kept a secret from the rest of the family. Her family thus continues to go through a cycle of concealment and misunderstanding. The continuing pushing under the rug of topics that anyone could find unpleasant is setting the next generation up for failure, just like Keith and Cindy were.
Plot Of The Movie
Ryder and his family are traveling to their grandmother’s farm in Nebraska for a family reunion when the movie opens. While gay teenager Ryder struggles to keep his identity a secret, his parents advise him not to reveal his religiously strict relatives.
However, he is taunted because of the way his colorful, expressive clothing makes him stand out from his relatives when they visit. While guys his age engage in athletics outside, Ryder nonetheless maintains his individuality when around the family, creating portraits of animals for little girls.
Over time, Ryder’s cousin Molly becomes attached to him and craves his company frequently. He offers to take her to the barn as a result. However, not long after, she returns to the family, screaming, with blood on her clothing, and Ryder is left trailing behind.
Keith, Molly’s father, assumes right away that he attacked her and confronts him in front of everyone. Ryder leaves his grandmother’s house as a result, moving to a farm’s neighboring shack.
Later, Ryder’s mother, Cindy, visits and informs him that Grandma wants him to spend the night at the hut. Even though she believes him, she believes that her son should allow the family some time to settle down.
As a result, Ryder spends the night in the abandoned building. He discovers his family car destroyed the next day when he goes back to the main house, with slurs scrawled all over the doors.
Ryder believes Uncle Keith is responsible for the incident, but Cindy appears determined to keep it a secret from the rest of the family without getting into a fight. Abbey, Molly’s younger sister, comes to Grandma’s residence, where Ryder and his family are spending the same evening.
She rides Ryder back to her house on horseback and extends an apology and an invitation to supper on Keith’s behalf. The teen is kind and makes conversation despite the awkwardness of the supper due to Keith’s slightly interrogative questions.
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