Can People Change ?

Angie Gennaro : People never change

from Gone Baby Gone movie

This is a story of two private detective, Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, whose been hired to find a four years old missing girl by the girl’s auntie when the police had difficulties to find the kidnapper. During their searching they have to work hand in hand with two senior police detective and Capt Jack Doyle, whose daughter had been kidnapped and killed by the kidnapper.


At first Angie Gennaro refused to take the case, especially when they don’t have the experience of handing kidnapping case, but when Angie Gennaro looked at the girl’s picture, both of them take the case, to find the missing girl, even though it will ultimately risk everything, their lives, their relationship and their sanity.

But, what is the connection between finding a missing girl and risk their relationship ?

The answer was at the end of the story, when Patrick Kenzie has to dealt with difficult situation, return the missing girl to her own mother or leave that girl with Capt. Jack Doyle family, which will take care of that missing girl where even the missing girl own mother could not do that.

Capt. Jack Doyle :
Thought you would’ve done that by now. You know why you haven’t ? Because you think this might be an irreparable mistake. Because deep inside you, you know it doesn’t matter what the rules say. When the lights go out, and you ask yourself “is she better off here or better off there”, you know the answer. And you always will. You ..you could do a right thing here. A good thing. Men live their whole lives without getting this chance. You walk away from it, you may not regret it when you get home. You may not regret it for a year, but when you get to where I am, I promise you, you will. I’ll be dead, you’ll be old. But she ..she’ll be dragging around couple of tattered, damaged children of her own and you’ll be the one who has to tell them you’re sorry.

Patrick Kenzie :
You know what ? Maybe that’ll happen. And if it does, I’ll tell them I’m sorry and I’ll live with it. But what’s never gonna happen and what I’m not gonna do is have to apologize to a grown woman who comes to me and says: “I was kidnapped when I was a little girl, and my aunt hired you to find me. And you did, you found me with some strange family. But you broke your promise and you left me there. Why ? Why didn’t you bring me home ? Because all the snacks and the outfits and the family trips don’t matter. They stole me. It wasn’t my family and you knew about it and you knew better and you did nothing.” And maybe that grown woman will forgive me, but I’ll never forgive myself.

…. Well, both sides have their own truth part, like two side of the coin, the answer of the decision lie on your value in life and your beliefs in people.

In this story, the mother was an addict, never give a damn to her daughter; even she can not take care of her own life.

So, if you were on Patrick Kenzie’s side, which side that you’ll be in ? The opposite or the same side ? Tough decision, isn’t it ?

The clue, actually came from Angie, “People never change” …the statement that still hanging around like bee in my head up to now.

Can people change ? I ask this question several times and still can’t find the answer. If yes, then how long ? In what condition ? For the rest of that person’s life ?

I have seen people change but I also have seen the other way, where people stumble upon the same mistake, no matter how hard they try…

Therefore, I can’t give the answer whether I should return the missing girl to her own mother or just leave that missing girl with her new family. One thing that I know, once I found the truth, I can’t buried it like I never knew it. The truth is still the truth, so it’s my obligation to spread the truth even though it will risk my relationship, my life.

It’s all about our value in life …