The Adjustment Bureau: Difference between revisions

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David Norris ([[Matt Damon]]) is a charismatic Congressman whose campaign for Senate is derailed by a last-minute press leak. He practices his concession speech in the men's room, not realising that he is being overheard by Elise ([[Emily Blunt]]), who is hiding from security in one of the stalls after crashing a wedding. She eventually owns up to being there, and the two have a romantically-charged conversation that ends in a passionate kiss. Afterwards, he abandons his planned speech for a heartfelt and impassioned tirade that propels him to the forefront of public consciousness, earning him strong support for the next Senate election.

 

{{tropelist}}

* [[Adaptation Expansion]]: The original story is very short and has a much different plot, focusing on the tribulations of an insurance salesman named Ed Fletcher as he sees the Bureau's activities and starts worrying that he's losing his mind.

* [[Artistic Licence History]]: It is referred to on a couple of occasions that David Norris is the youngest person elected to Congress at the age of 24. According to the most basic research, there have been three others (Jesse Wharton of Tennessee, William Rufus deVane King of North Carolina, and David W. Dickinson of Tennessee) who have been elected at the age of 24. While that is not conclusive territory for this trope (he might have been 24 years and 8 months, where as those three were 24 years and more than 8 months or the like), one must take into account William C.C. Claiborne, the second U.S. Representative from Tennessee (after [[Andrew Jackson]]), who, according to some reliable sources, was as young as 22 years of age when he was elected and sworn in as a member of the House.

* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: {{spoiler|Harry Mitchell warns David that turning the [[Portal Network|door knobs]] counterclockwise is "only for us", then promptly returns to the Bureau building}} by doing just that. Guess what David ends up doing?

** Subverted in the same conversation: {{spoiler|Harry also pointedly tells David not to let go of him until they cross the threshold. Even while frantically running around with an uninitiated [[Muggle]] in tow}}, this never becomes an issue.

* [[Covers Always Lie]]: [[Emily Blunt]]'s red dress from the poster never turns up in the actual film.

* [[Determinator]]: David knows for a fact that there are beings with supernatural powers trying to keep him from Elise. His plan, at the start, is essentially to keep trying until they give up.

** Nicely done with {{spoiler|hats being the key to their powers: while running after David, Richardson loses his and can't open a door he himself just locked}}.

* [[God]]: Implied to be the identity of The Chairman. Or [[Our Gods Are Greater|some type of god, at least.]]

** Or hell, all the bad things happening ''right now''.

'''Thompson:''' It's still ''here''. If we'd left things in your hands, it wouldn't be. }}

* [[Humans Are Flawed]]: The Chairman believes humanity ''will'' eventually be deserving of free will... just not ''yet.''

* [[Magical Negro]]: Harry Mitchell, the Adjuster who decides to help David.

* [[Manic Pixie Dream Girl]]: Elise is made of this trope. They meet {{spoiler|in the men's washroom when she is hiding from security from having crashed a wedding, drops his phone into his coffee on purpose, and [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|is a dancer.]]}}

* [[Meaningful Name]]:

** "Thompson," "Richardson," and "Harry" become part of the phrase [[Fridge Brilliance|"every Tom, Dick, and Harry," which is slang for an anonymous person.]]

* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: Terence Stamp is only in three or four scenes, but completely steals all of them.

* [[Our Angels Are Different]]:

'''Harry:''' We've been called that. More like case officers who live a lot longer than humans. }}

* [[Portal Network]]: Used by the bureaucrats to stay a step ahead of people.

* [[Sharp-Dressed Man]]: All of the bureaucrats. David, much of the time.

* [[Sliding Scale of Free Will vs. Fate]]: Hard to pin down, as "fate" is only fate insofar as the Bureau makes it so, and it is later indicated that the bureaucrats may have free will themselves. People apparently have free will as long as it doesn't interfere with the plan. On the other hand, the Bureau can directly change a person's mind if they need to.

* [[Starter Villain]]: Richardson.

* [[State the Simple Solution]]: {{spoiler|When it is explained that the Adjusters' ability to travel through doors depends on their hats, David immediately suggests that he could knock off the hats of those trying to pursue him.}}

[[Category:The Adjustment Bureau]]

[[Category:Film]]