I admit I was in the ‘as shot’ camp when I watched it. But I firmly believe there is room for your interpretation and that this parallels the Is Deckard a replicant question.
I admit I was in the ‘as shot’ camp when I watched it. But I firmly believe there is room for your interpretation and that this parallels the Is Deckard a replicant question.
I guess I figure...
people get bad news at the hospital all the time before a patient then recovers. It's regular fare in hospital melodramas.
And who gets their wish after blowing out a birthday candle?
Peg was of the opinion that Zak blowing out the candles was symbolic of Tyler's life getting snuffed out. But she doesn't think that's what happened since the rest of the film played out so straight.
I don't think we're ever gonna agree here, but just to clarify:
I don't claim Zak got his wish. I claim the entire sequence after he blows out the candles represents his fantasy - none of it actually happens.
Yes, I know people bounce back from bad news, but the movie doesn't pursue that at all. It gives us indications that Tyler's probably dead - Eleanor's reaction is "OMG, he's dead", not "OMG, he probably won't recover" - and then immediately/magically skips to a road trip.
If Tyler really did recover, you'd expect some kind of exposition along those lines. You'd expect to see him in the hospital. The fact we get no glimpse of Tyler says he's dead, not that he's struggling.
Movies have people recover from dire situations so they can milk the melodrama - "PBF" doesn't do that. There's no shot of a teary E at a damaged T's bedside, or of Z as he visits his pal.
Because he's dead, Jim! :D