Thir13en Ghosts : There's one line that's always bothered me in this movie.

When Bobby goes missing, and they start to leave, Arthur says something like "we're not leaving until we find the kid."

Whenever I watch this movie, I hear that line, and think about how odd it is for a father to refer to his child as "the kid." There are plenty of phrases he could have used in that situation "my kid," "my son," "Bobby," "my child," etc. I don't think I've ever heard a parent refer to their own child in a way that's so detached like that, and it just sounds so unnatural.

Saying "the kids" to refer to your children makes sense, especially if you're talking to a family member or friend, but referring to one of your children as "the kid" just sounds odd.

Does that line seem weird to anyone else?

That was bad writing. I thought the same thing when I was watching it on tv the other day. It is very odd to refer to your child as "the kid".

You love me. Real or not real? -Peeta
Real. -Katniss

Ive never really noticed until i watched it tonight. But your right it does come off as weird. It stood out immediately. But i think the last poster was right. it was just crappy writing.

It's a guy thing.

Ain't you never see them Calvin & Hobbes strips where Calvin does something strange, inadvertently causing his dad grief and triggering an off-screen "WHERE'S THAT KID?!?!?" scream bubble in the final panel?

I remember that but thought it was in response to Rakfin referring to Bobby as "the kid". In movies you'll see somebody take a sarcastic nickname or derogatory phrase another jerky character has been using and throw it in their face. It's the same thing here, was what I thought.

I just watched some of this on TV,and that's not what I heard.
I thought he said I'm not leaving until we find the kids.
At that time,both of them were missing.

i'm 4 years late, but yes, i do actually know someone who refers to her own child as "the girl", even when speaking to her husband. i always find it incredibly odd, i've never heard her say her name or even "my child". just "the girl". my point is that it's weird, but it does happen.

Ha! I just remembered I did that in a story to show the father had no grasp of raising a child normally. It was a comedy, so that was kind of the point, but to see it used in an actual movie as a faux pas is just bad.

But whoever designed the house, brilliant work.