27: Endings that last

Endings…

When thinking of films with good endings a few that come to mind are The Usual Suspects, Silence of the Lambs, and the Wizard of Oz. All of these have very different endings, but are great for the story that is being told within. The ending of The Usual Suspects pretty much makes the movie. This is overall a good film, but what it becomes great with its ending. The ending to this moving is just so shocking and puts a spin on the movie overall. In the Silence of the Lambs it is the last line, "I'm Having an old friend for dinner" that makes the ending so great to me. It is the way that Hopkins speaks this phrase and then continues to frighten the audience as he exits. On the other hand, the Wizard of Oz has an ending that has been used many times. In the end we find out that it was all a dream, but personally I think the Wizard of Oz is by far the most noteworthy. 

When thinking of literature, an obvious one would be The Great Gatsby. Somewhat similar to what stuck with me in the Silence of the Lambs ending, The Great Gatsbys final line is unforgettable. It seems almost impossible for this story to have an ending, but this line gives the reader away to close the page and be satisfied. 

The Ending wraps up the entire story and brings it all together. With one word, one line, one page, or one chapter. The ending confirms the what the story has been trying to sell the entire time. A good ending doesn't have the ability to save a terrible story, BUT a bad ending can truly hurt a good story. I believe a good ending should be satisfying and possibly a bit shocking. Whether or not the ending is shocking, it should deal with the conflicts and changes that have happened within the story and satisfy the reader.