Box Watcher

When we watch a movie we, hopefully, see a complete story about a character.  In a good film by the end we know all we need to know about that character.  But what about the other characters?  What happens to them?

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THRID KIND: At the end of the film Roy Neary is chosen by the aliens to ride along in their spaceship.  Most people would feel it’s something of a happy ending.  A man overcomes great personal obstacles to follow his calling, his reward a celestial journey to see things no one from this planet has ever seen.  But what about his family?

At the onset of the story Roy is married to Ronnie and they have three kids Brad, Toby, and Sylvia.  During the film as Roy becomes more obsessed with Devil’s Tower it causes a lot of dysfunction in the family.  With no way to justify his behavior Ronnie takes the kids and leaves Roy.  We see the tension take its toll not only on Ronnie but, also the kids.  Roy goes off for his date with fate and is never seen from again.

It’s doubtful that the government would reveal what really happened that night.  Even if someone was able to dig up records of the event would there be any mention of Neary?  There was a crew of men and women who prepped to go into space, but Neary was chosen even though he was not part of the program.  The only way to prove what happened to Roy would be from eyewitness accounts.  Assuming no one involved in the operation said anything there are only two people who could shed some light on the subject.

During his journey to Devil’s Tower, Roy is detained by the military.  After an interview he is placed on a helicopter with a group of people who were compelled to travel from all over the country to be there.  Before the helicopter takes off Roy makes a run for it,  joined by two others: Larry and Jillian.  As they make their way around the mountain the Army starts dusting with a sleeping agent.  Larry succumbs and doesn’t make it to see the big show.  If interviewed he’d only know part of the story.  Jillian is the key but would she talk?

Jillian makes it with Roy to the landing area for the spaceships arrival.  But where his journey is just beginning, hers ends as her missing son emerges from the starship.  All she ever really wanted was to get her boy back, once that happens she fades to the background to watch what happens.  One important fact: she has a camera and she is not shy about using it.  Would the Army find it and confiscate it?  If she published the pictures would anyone believe her?

If the Neary family did some research and was able to track Roy’s adventure to Wyoming it would be Jillian who would be able to tell them what happened.  I think she would, her and Roy clearly shared a bond and I think she would want them to know what happened.

Most likely Roy would be declared missing and then presumed dead.  The Neary family’s last memories of Roy would that he was going insane.  Obsessed with flying saucers and building and replicas of a national monument.  Until one day, for seemingly no reason, he disappeared.  As hopeful and uplifting as Close Encounters Of The Third Kind is, it’s also a dark tale of how one man lost his family, job, and possibly his insanity to pursue an obsession.