Jack! Come back! Rose can just budge over a bit! Yes, the third highest-grossing film of all time – the watery 1997 romance Titanic – was built on a big weepie lie. Kate Winslet admitted this week that in the climactic scene, her co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, could have fitted on that raft after all, meaning his character Jack Dawson shivered to death in the Atlantic unnecessarily. Swizz. So in a spirit of cinematic truth-telling, here are 10 more movie plot holes we’d like closure on please…
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
One of the most magical scenes in Steven Spielberg’s classic is when E.T. makes Elliott and co’s bikes fly. The glowy-fingered alien has telekinetic powers. So why doesn’t he levitate himself at the start of the film and get back on the spaceship before his buddies leave him behind?
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The beloved prison saga’s big reveal comes when Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) vanishes from his cell. The dastardly warden tears a Raquel Welch poster off the wall to reveal Andy’s tunnel. So who stuck the poster back in place after his escape?
The Big Sleep (1946)
Who actually dunnit? Amid all the double-crossing and flirty fast-talking of the Bogart ’n’ Bacall noir, we never learn who killed the chauffeur Owen Taylor. During filming, director Howard Hawks wired author Raymond Chandler, who replied: “Damned if I know.”
Toy Story (1995)
A key premise of the Pixar action comedy is that square-jawed space ranger Buzz Lightyear doesn’t believe he’s a toy. So how come he still freezes like the others when a human enters the room?
Back to the Future (1985)
Time-travelling teen Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) interferes in the events of 1955 to change his family’s future. So why don’t his parents George and Lorraine remember “Calvin Klein”, who matchmade them and inspired George’s sci-fi career? And who also looks exactly like their son?
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
A beautiful moment in Tim Burton’s twisted fairytale comes when heartbroken Edward (Johnny Depp) creates spectacular ice sculptures in the attic. Where did he get the huge blocks of ice?
Citizen Kane (1941)
“Rosebud.” The mysterious final utterance of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) sparks a search for its meaning. Except Kane died alone. So who heard his dying words?
The Usual Suspects (1995)
If master criminal Keyser Söze in this neo-noir twisty mystery is so concerned about keeping his identity secret, why does he spend hours in the police station blahing on and showing everyone his undisguised face?
Reservoir Dogs
(1992)
In the heist flick that hailed Quentin Tarantino’s arrival, a Mexican standoff sees Joe Cabot’s gun aimed at Mr Orange, Mr White’s gun aimed at Joe and Nice Guy Eddie’s gun aimed at Mr White. Bang, bang, bang and all fall down. So who shot Nice Guy Eddie?
Hulk and X-Men (1962-now)
In X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Phoenix aka Jean Grey is tearing reality apart. Skin rips from Wolverine’s body but his trousers remain intact. See also Hulk, who bursts out of everything except his slacks. Anyone would think comic books were coy about super-penises.
