4. Which scene would you choose as the turning point? Why?

I would definitely choose the trick-or-treating scene as the turning point of the film. That scene is the first time that Mateo’s true character is revealed. Prior to this scene, he is known as “the man who screams”. His door is painted with “KEEP AWAY” which makes him appear to be a threat and certainly unwelcoming character. When no one in the building answers the two girl’s knocks and screams of “trick-or-treat”, their last resort is to go to Mateo’s door and see if he will give them anything. He responds the first few times with a yell for them to leave him alone, but eventually he answers the door. It’s a very tense scene from the beginning, since it seems like he would harm the children. But once he invites them inside, it is clear that he doesn’t have any malicious intent. I found the moment that he gave the girls the jar of coins to be extremely touching. Mateo could have just told them that he didn’t have anything to give them and just sent them on their way. But the fact that he went and looked for something to give them showed that he truly cared about the girls and wanted to have a positive impact on them. The change he gave the girls meant a lot to them, especially because of the situation they all were living in.
From this point on, Mateo is an integral character in the film. He creates conflict between Johnny and Sarah initially since it seems like Mateo begins to have romantic feelings towards Sarah. Once that is resolved, Mateo seems to almost become part of their family. They truly care about him. Mateo is seen as an outsider in the film, and even the other tenants in the building don’t want to have any interaction with him. When he faints, no other person that lived in the building rushed to help him. This could be due to many things – racism, expected drug use, or the knowledge of his implied HIV/AIDS. But from the trick-or-treating scene, it is clear that the little girls do not have any of these internalized prejudices, and Christy goes to help him.

This is in response to Katherine’s post. While I do agree with you that the trick-or-treat scene from the movie could very well be what many consider the turning point of the movie, I think a very important part of that scene to mention is when Mateo’s true character really comes out. Once he asks the girls where they are from and about their family, they tell him that they had a younger brother (Frankie) that died, after which he begins to cry. He is saddened tremendously by the death of the late brother of these two sisters which he literally just got to know. I think this further adds to your idea that the trick-or-treat scene was a turning point in the movie because it clearly showed the true character of Mateo: a kindhearted person that wouldn’t wish harm upon anyone. As he even says later in the movie, he loves anything that lives, which was foreshadowed by him crying in the trick-or-treat scene. Later throughout the film, he is also shown to have grown a really great relationship with the girls and gotten very friendly with them, playing games with them and also (possibly) painting. Also, before I wrap this up, an additional note. I don’t believe he had any romantic interest in Sarah, but rather he just liked having people that cared about him around. This is evident by how he clearly enjoyed having a snowball fight with Johnny later in the movie. Mateo even says to Johnny, when Johnny is on the brink of losing his mind that (as I said before), he simply loves everything that lives. Either way, Mateo is my personal favorite character in the movie and I couldn’t agree more with you about the trick-or-treat scene being the turning point in the movie. It introduced this kind hearted individual that adds so much to the story and changes the Sullivan family for the better by the end of this movie.

@kirsten To dissect this film and pinpoint a specific turning point seems challenging, but I think you chose a prime example; Mateo’s death coinciding with the birth of the Sullivans’ baby is indeed no coincidence, and bears much symbolism. This phenomenon results in major physical, mental, and emotional changes for all the characters, and is therefore an ideal turning point. It issues a newfound sense of confidence and wisdom for the Sullivans in terms of coming to terms with the past and the loss of Frankie, while also enabling them for the future. Your analysis illuminated the ephemeral nature of tangible realities while highlighting immaterial riches; indeed, Mateo’s greatest contributions to the Sullivans were his hospitality and affection, as well as his generosity, which will impart an everlasting legacy. I liked how you commented on the cycle between life and death; while Frankie’s death seemed to have blinded the Sullivans, Mateo’s passing restored their insight and composure. Rather than having to struggle with the burdens of guilt and unfulfillment, universal hope materializes on the horizon, as symbolized with the vision of E.T. in the night sky, which you accurately described as a return to humanity.

The scene that I found to be a clear turning point for the film would be the one in which Paddy Constantine confronts Mateo Kuamey, over whether he’s been having an affair with his wife. I find the scene to be such a clear change for the film because Paddy is confronted with the realization that he and Mateo are inextricably connected, on a variety of levels ranging from as neighbors, to immigrants, to members of New York City’s underclass, and on the deepest level as human beings. This differs from how Paddy likely conceived of Mateo leading up to this point, as a man who’d ruin all that matters in his life, as nothing more than an enemy. This might seem like paranoia, however within the context and upbringing of Paddy’s life it makes sense. Having to emigrate from his home country, and then settling in one of the most poverty stricken places in America, he outright says in the scene that life has been all but fair to him. “I’m a fucking ghost, who don’t exist. We can’t think, we can’t laugh, we can’t cry, we can’t feel!” All this is just the genuine expression of his worldview. My life has been hell, all the things that make one human I have sacrificed, I barely even see myself as alive. With an outlook like this, it’s hard to see how Paddy would react to his neighbors attitude with anything other than anger and contempt, catastrophizing that next his wife will leave him, the family will be broken and soon he will have nothing. But when Mateo displays instead that he really just loves the family, boldly proclaiming that he sees a human being as human, Paddy instantly understands. His first reaction, “You’re tired,” is him seeing in Mateo himself, and that he is not alone in this arduous journey of life thus far. This is an alien reaction for Paddy, given a life of suffering, which further explains that, despite his understanding on a deep level that Mateo is a friend and worthy of trust, he is at a loss for words, the idea of human embrace is very much not something Paddy would be used to. Overall, the scene here represents not just a turning point in the film but also one in Paddy’s life, where, for once, he’s been given human compassion in response to anger.