FAQ

Yes, the movie is based on a graphic novel of the same name, written by John Wagner with the art drawn by Vince Locke. The movie does take a significantly different track regarding the climax, ending, and several characters.

No, not really. When Tom is talking to Edie after he admits to being Joey Cusack, she asks him whether he has Multiple Personality Disorder. He says he went out in the desert and "killed" Joey Cusack many years ago before they ever met, got married and had children. But he was referring to faking his own death and assuming the identity of Tom Stall in the hopes of escaping his past.

This is because Edie was frightened, angry and confused with Tom/Joey and the whole situation. She hates the fact that he lied to her about who he really was. However, she still loves him for the person he had become since he met her. The beginning of the film, especially the first sex scene, shows they are clearly still in love and still very attracted to each other. So while she is frightened and confused, she still lusts for Tom. Also, violence can turn some people on. And the bad boy, Joey, certainly turns her on.

Another, more symbolic interpretation could be that the sex scenes represent Tom and Joey respectively. The first scene is full of love and happiness while the second is confusing, violent, and real. The first sex scene involves roleplay and a fake reality for both Tom and Edie, and this represents their relationship as a whole - it's fun, full of love, but above all, fake. The second sex scene takes place on a staircase (hardly comfortable, as we can later deduce from Edie's bruises on her back) and is nowhere near as lovingly passionate as the first one.

The final scene uses facial expressions and body language alone, with no dialogue spoken, to pose three questions for the viewer to answer for themselves. First and most immediately obvious, is whether Edie can forgive Tom, and can the family move on and be a family again. Second, will anyone else from Joey's past come looking for him? (As Richie tells Tom/Joey, 'Boys in Boston are just waitin' for me to go down). Third and less obvious, is whether Jack will finish growing up with the same talent for violence as his father-- once pressed, he gave Bobby such a savage beating as to put him in the hospital.

While it's left ambiguous, the ending suggests his family welcomed him back. As Sarah, obviously not fully understanding what is going on, sets a place for Tom. Tom sits down, Jack passes food to him, while clearly still angry at Tom, still accepts him as his father deserving a place at the table. Finally, Tom avoids looking at Edie until the last moment. When their gaze finally meets, Tom's reaction is that of joy and relief. Obviously he could tell she still loved him and accepted him. As earlier in the film, Tom says to Edie "I remember the moment I knew you were in love with me. I saw it in your eyes. I can still see it."

The "R" version is still the only available cut of the movie in the United States while the uncensored version has been released in most other countries. If you want to own the untouched film in HD, you can grab the British Blu-ray by Entertainment in Video.