Wilby Wonderful question

[hanarobi]

Greetings. I am new to this community and have only recently discovered Wilby Wonderful and am falling in love with Callum Keith Rennie despite being aware of him for years. All of a sudden, Duck McDonald is causing me to rethink everything I ever thought of RayK and Leoben

Comments

[akamine_chan]

Hee. Welcome to our crazy community

[hanarobi]

Thanks for the welcome and for answering my question. I like your answer that Buddy was just in a very self-centered phase of his life. It is true that when Duck tried to talk to him he was waiting for Sandra and would be most likely engaging in first-time infidelity, so, yeah, I can see him being a bit preoccupied. But it still seems so odd for him to totally miss Duck's point. How much more likely it would have been if Buddy had just said something along the lines of "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Duck. You'll be fine. It will all blow over."

I can totally see him blowing Duck off. I just have trouble seeing him acting as if he doesn't know that Duck will be one of the ones listed.

I don't know why I am hung up on this. It might just be a plot hole.

Thank you for your answer, though. I'll keep thinking.

[exbex]

I'm not entirely convinced that Duck's sexuality is known in Wilby. I say this because, as you've mentioned, Buddy seems utterly clueless. I also get a sense, every time that I watch the film, that although everyone in Wilby knows Duck, they don't really know him very well. He's always been an innocuous presence there, but no one seems to have a true connection with him. I'm sure Duck knows about the Watch, and he seems to know about Dan, but that doesn't mean he visited the Watch. I know that's a bit far-fetched, but Duck always strikes me as one who seems to know what is going on with everyone, or he gets a sense of it somehow, but he remains a mystery to everyone else. Dan also seems to be so surprised by Duck's interest. Of course, any encounters they had on the Watch would have been anonymous. I don't know; it's a theory.

[hanarobi]

Thank you so much for answering my question. Your comment has given me even more to think about and I love that

[malnpudl]

I don't recall it ever being said or even implied that Duck was at the Watch on the night in question. I've always assumed that he hadn't been there, and therefore wouldn't have been on Buddy's radar, at least in relation to the police investigation and therefore the Sentinel article.

My impression of Duck is that he is quiet and keeps to himself a lot, and has only a few close friends and perhaps a relative or two still on the island. I find it easiest to believe that only a few people in his inner circle -- and any local gay men he might have encountered at the Watch -- know that he's gay. Others might speculate, but probably don't know for sure, and he doesn't tell because he doesn't disclose anything personal outside of that small circle of close friends/family

[hanarobi]

First, thank you for dealing with my question. I quite like your thoughts on it. I had never considered that Duck *wasn't* at the Watch on the night in question, so your suggestion that he wasn't really reconfigures a lot of the movie for me.

Duck goes to the Watch. Duck has been with Dan at the Watch. Duck just wasn't there the night of the raid.

Duck suspects that Dan was and that that is the reason Dan's wife has left him and why Dan is on the bridge.

And it explains Buddy's reaction in the car.

And it explains why Duck isn't all that concerned for himself.

And it makes the scene at the hospital, when Duck brings the flowers and there is the look between Duck and Dan right before Dan asks the wide-eyed nurse to put the flowers in some water, all the more powerful if what is going on is Dan asking for Duck's permission to pretty much out him.

Second, please do write your story!

[ampliflyer]

Hmm. I got the impression that Duck and Dan were at the Watch, in fact, I'd say that's where they met and Dan being the kind person he is, not only told his wife (and, understandigly got left) but he also was about to be outed in The Sentinel. Duck and Buddy has known each other for years, or at least been aware of each other - the same with Sandra, even if she left and later came back - and must know or guess things about each other. Duck trying to protect Dan (aka the car scene) implies to me that they had shenanigans at the Watch and that Duck knew Dan wasn't okay with everything that had happened to him recently and wanted to at least cover Dan, because Duck's the reason Dan's name is on that list to begin with (of course Dan went willingly, but, you know, it was Duck whom he had relations with). Also, Duck is obviously intrigued with Dan and wishes to get to know him better and, maybe, you know, do it again. They don't know each other all that well but Duck's adamant to change that

[ravenwings_7]

I've always interpreted that scene as less a lack of concern on Buddy's part, and more an awareness that Duck is rarely concerned for himself that much - so that line takes on a connotation of "Who are you protecting?" Buddy in cop!mode, fishing for an answer, trying to figure out if someone on his island is being put in specific danger (beyond the homophobic shitstorm, which he's pretty much resigned himself to). Which is exactly what Duck is getting at, but then Sandra shows up and the whole conversation gets pretty much forgotten.

Beyond a simple "this is what my gut tells me," one of the reasons I favor this interpretation is because it pretty much works whether or not Duck's name is on the list (I go back and forth on my opinion there, and there's evidence for both).