What does the ending of My Son mean?
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My Son is a 2021 mystery thriller film written and directed by Christian Carion. It is an English-language remake of Carion's 2017 French film Mon garçon [fr], and stars James McAvoy and Claire Foy. McAvoy was not supplied with a script or dialogue, and improvises his way through the film. Plot[edit]Edmond Murray is an absent father who is called to the site of his son Ethan's disappearance. He meets and briefly consoles his ex-wife Joan there, and promptly joins a search party before being interviewed by the police. After being interviewed by the police, Edmond visits his ex-wife's new partner, Frank, and the two begin talking. After seeing that Frank has made plans for a new home for himself and Joan (without bedroom accommodation for Ethan), and upon hearing that Frank has given Joan a Valium tablet to help her sleep, Edmond becomes irate and confrontational, accusing Frank of being responsible for his son's disappearance. He assaults him in the kitchen, knocking him unconscious and calls Inspector Roy to have him look into Frank. Edmond is arrested but no charges are filed, as Frank is apparently forgiving of Edmond due to his emotional stress at the moment. Edmond is later met by Inspector Roy, who hides Edmond's phone in a microwave oven (so as not to be heard), and informs him that he has been taken off the case without any explanation. Edmond looks through Frank's phone, which he took after knocking him out, and finds videos of Ethan leading up to the disappearance. During this, he realises there is a car present in both videos, two weeks apart, hidden barely out of sight. Relying on Joan's brother who works in the insurance industry, Edmond obtains the vehicle owner's address, a William O'Connor who lives at an isolated farm. After arriving at the location, Edmond hears a vehicle approach. Hiding, he grabs a crowbar and eventually knocks out O'Connor, and ties him up to a post in the shed. After an aggressive interrogation involving a blowtorch, O'Connor reveals that he is responsible for sending pictures of children outside of schools to a kidnapping ring operated for paedophiles, who then "choose" which children will be kidnapped. After being told of his son's location, at a hilltop lodge, Edmond drives to near the lodge, continuing on foot to hide his approach. Joan arrives at the O'Connor farm, and finds another kidnapped girl unconscious in the back of his vehicle; Edmond had not thought to look. She takes the child to the hospital, then leaves when Edmond sends a text telling her where the lodge is, asking her to contact Inspector Roy. She calls Roy as she heads to the lodge herself. When Edmond reaches the lodge, he sees that three members of the kidnap ring are present. He incapacitates their vehicle, which proves fortuitous, as they were preparing to take an unconscious Ethan away. Edmond knocks out Steven, the kidnapper who was repairing the vehicle. After a game of cat and mouse with kidnappers Alan and Fergus, during which Alan mistakenly shoots Fergus dead, Edmond finds Ethan. By then, Joan has arrived, and the three make a narrow escape. During the escape, Edmond is shot and veers off the road when he loses consciousness. As a vehicle approaches, Joan and Ethan exit, hiding behind a tree before being found by Roy, who takes them to safety. Sometime later, outdoors and surrounded by water and mountains, Joan and Edmond stand with Ethan as he flies a small remote control quadcopter. Inspector Roy calls out to Edmond, who bids Ethan farewell after promising that he will eventually be back to stay. Roy and Edmond drive off, revealing that the outing had been a courtesy, as Edmond is under arrest for his part in the illegal activities of his company. Roy states that the kidnapping network is being dismantled, with many more arrests pending. He also assures Edmond that the judge will likely take into account the benefit of Edmond's actions during his court cases. Cast[edit]
In addition, Mark Barrett was specifically included in the main credits as the stand-in for Edmond, as compared to merely body double or stunt double for McAvoy. Production[edit]It was announced in October 2020 that James McAvoy and Claire Foy had been cast to star in the film, which was written and directed by Christian Carion, remaking his 2017 French film of the same name. McAvoy explained during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show that he was not supplied with a script or dialogue, and was made to improvise for himself.[2][3] Filming had begun by late October 2020, and filmed throughout Scotland. Filming in Lochaber paused after a positive COVID-19 test.[4] Release[edit]The film had a joint release between two streaming services; with Peacock on September 15, 2021[5] and The Roku Channel on December 15, 2021.[6] Reception[edit]The film received a mixed to negative reception from critics, with criticism towards the thin plot as a result of the improvisational nature. It has a score of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes.[7] References[edit]
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What does the ending mean in My Son?As the film ends, Roy mentions that the judge will likely take into account the benefit of Edmond's actions in court cases for criminal charges still pending, as there is an even greater network of kidnappers soon to be arrested.
How does the son with Hugh Jackman end?After all the mistakes and slights his parents make that would feel right at home in an after-school special, Nicholas finally attempts to take his own life. Thankfully he's found in time, and Nicholas' parents decide to put him in intensive psychiatric care.
Who took the kid in My Son?Edmond knew he ought to act quickly. He sneaked into William's property and saw the same car parked outside. Edmond strikes William with an iron rod and tortures him for answers. After several beatings, William finally confesses that he followed Ethan for weeks and kidnapped him.
Is My Son a true story?While McAvoy reacting to events in real-time should give the film extra realism, just how real is the plot — is My Son based on a true story? Like its French counterpart, Carion's story is entirely fictional.
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