During her brief stay at a commune in Jackson in “The Last of Us” episode 6, titled “Kin,” Ellie (Bella Ramsey) has the chance to watch a movie in a theater. Coming from energy-deprived, FEDRA-governed Boston, it’s likely her first time experiencing this, but her eagerness to learn about Joel (Pedro Pascal) makes her leave the screening early. Nevertheless, enough of the film is shown to establish its identity, and there are certainly some parallels between the movie and Ellie’s ongoing struggle.
The HBO show has been diligent in infusing subtext into every aspect, including music, humor, and comics, and the featured film in the latest episode is no exception. Discover the significance of the movie, its relevance, and how Ellie’s actions might have varied if she had watched it in its entirety.
What does Jackson’s choice for movie night entail?
The movie presented during movie night at the Jackson commune is “The Goodbye Girl,” which received an Oscar nomination in 1977. While it may seem like an unconventional selection for the children of Jackson, it’s an ideal choice for “The Last of Us” creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin to incorporate. The film impeccably accentuates the relationship between Joel and Ellie and the forthcoming conflict, to the point that if Ellie had watched it, the episode’s conclusion might have been altered.
Lucy (Quinn Cummings) resides with her single mother, Paula (Marsha Mason), in a New York City apartment. When an aspiring actor, Elliot (Richard Dreyfuss), unexpectedly enters their lives, he discovers that he has sublet their apartment. The three are forced to coexist in a tense environment full of clashes, but Elliot and Paula gradually develop a romance. All things considered, it’s an unusual choice for a post-apocalyptic drama like “The Last of Us,” perhaps due to the limited selection of films available in Jackson. However, the film’s portrayal of young Lucy’s emotional turmoil adds an extra layer of meaning to Ellie’s story.
The significance of the movie chosen in episode 6 of “The Last of Us.”
Similar to Ellie in “The Last of Us,” Lucy has had to navigate significant abandonment in her life. The men who enter her and her mother’s lives tend to vanish just as Ellie begins to form a more profound bond with them. Quinn Cummings’ portrayal of Lucy is so mesmerizing that she became the youngest performer ever to receive an Academy Award nomination. When Dreyfuss arrives unexpectedly and is nominated for and wins an Academy Award for his role as Elliot, Lucy’s character is plunged back into the cycle of forging a father/daughter dynamic with an older man who may ultimately leave her.
Lucy’s candid and endearing nature adds another layer to the comparison with Ellie, who would likely relate to her. Despite the contrast between Elliot and Joel, a strikingly similar emotional journey between Elliot and Lucy mirrors that of Ellie and Joel. Their bond reignites Lucy’s fears that Elliot, like all the other men in her life, will abandon her.
