Was Abby a girl?

[cmg1066]

The scene where "the father" botches the first outting for blood and you see Owen eavesdropping on their argument and the camera pans directly into the apartment where an obviously adult male voice yelling at the Richard Jenkins character.I think this was an attempt to call attention to the fact that she was a male.Just like the "crotch shot" in LTROI...and i think that both attempts failed miserably...if your gonna make Eli/Abby a male then just do it already.LTROI left most people scratching their heads and wondering why they just showed a 2 second shot of the little girls crotch(for some reason),and LMI had people wondering why Michael Clarke Duncan was in the apartment arguing with Abby.The novel was not vague at all in Eli`s sexuality and i think both films really missed the mark on that aspect.

[N.R. Gasan]

I watched the movie again today and Im thoroughly convinced that Abby is a girl.

Welcome to the gang, Cmaj. I agree with you that Abby is a card-carrying female. Despite having the same source material -- namely the novel -- LMI is not simply an Americanized LTROI; they have similar story lines, but they are two very different takes on the story. Abby and Eli are, likewise, very different from each other; it's just as well Reeves changed the name of his child vampire. Aside from the Eli of the film having a gender that is in question, she (I usually think of Eli as she) is also isolated, lonely, and invites sympathy from most viewers. Despite her "little girl" status, I did not sympathize with Abby at all; I found her to be quite ruthless and lacking any real sense of remorse for her actions.

I'm happy for you and for anyone who likes LMI. I, myself, didn't care that much for it, but I didn't hate it, either. I've given it 2 1/2 out of 4 stars, whereas I give LTROI 4 stars. But that's just my view. :)

[danielma]

There was never any doubt in my mind that Abby is anything but a girl in this version

Even in the scene where she has a hoodie on, I just remember sitting there thinking she still looks girly even in this one small hint of androgyny that they're trying to convey, she still just looks girly to me.

[Cmaj7th]

I remember the argument in the apartment where her voice got deeper but I interpretted that as the duality in Abby. Her voice was different and deeper everytime she "changed". She was also panting irratically and stamping her feet and cursing, it seemed to me she was just completely out of control of herself and going crazy from not feeding.

I think that scene was similar to her turning in front of Owen during the blood pack because her voice was different then as well. my .02 cents

[ColBlair]

I think it may also be possible that Owen has looked at so many girlie magazines that there's little doubt as to what he should be seeing if he were looking at a nude woman, but Abby doesn't necessarily have any carpeting to match the curtains. Maybe Owen was just taken aback by her bareness.

Who knows?

I've read somewhere, actually more than one somewhere, that Reeves had planned on jetisoning the whole idea of a castration, letting Abby be a girl who'd been raped by some evil uncle or other before being turned. One can hope so, because while it might be possible to see a boy in Elina, ChloAbby has a girl's shape (including nascent breasts), a girl's gait and a girls teeth. Backstory be damned, Abby is a girl.

I'd have to watch that scene again, but I think he decided not he didn't want to look cause he wanted to be more mature to her.

[ColBlair]

I remember the argument in the apartment where her voice got deeper but I interpretted that as the duality in Abby. Her voice was different and deeper everytime she "changed". She was also panting irratically and stamping her feet and cursing, it seemed to me she was just completely out of control of herself and going crazy from not feeding.

I think that scene was similar to her turning in front of Owen during the blood pack because her voice was different then as well. my .02 cents

That's how I viewed it too.

[ColBlair]

I watched the movie again today and Im thoroughly convinced that Abby is a girl.

One of the reasons I connected so much with this movie was because of how I identified with Owen like a lot of you did with Oskar. I wasn't bullied as a kid because I was always tall for my age. I also usually had a good amount of friends at school and didnt have trouble fitting in on a superficial level. But I was lonely on the inside, always feeling even at a young age that I couldn't have a significant connection with anyone that I longed for.

The reason I loved this movie so much is because of how much I loved Abby and Owen together. Abby is exactly the friend I would have wanted when I was twelve and feeling isolated on the inside even though I seemed pretty normal. And Owen is exactly how I would have responded to such a friend as he displayed his affection with sudden hugs.

In addition to Chloe Moretz describing Abby as a girl over and over again the character is just so strikingly feminine. How she holds herself, how she smiles, and her obvious way of dress which is always in a skirt.

Here's her interview describing Abby. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-zSxfpiq5Q

I listened to the interview myself and it was pretty interesting. I'd like to know more about the diaries that Matt Reeves told them write as well also cause that would be neat to read about her experiences with the Father and Owen's experiences with school and his mother. When Chloe mentioned how she believed that Abby loved both The Father and Owen, that's how I seen it, that she truly loved them.

LMI touched me more than LTROi though cause I felt more of a connection to Owen and Abby. Maybe it was due to my experiences in junior high that gave me that connection. That doesn't mean that I didn't like LTROI at all cause that movie was pretty good. I once met a girl, like Abby but not a vampire, but she herself had people put her down a few times, but it was amazing how she was able to fight back those idiots as well. That's what was pretty cool about her. she and I went our separate ways back in high school and I ran into her about nine years ago, but I only talked to her for only a few months. I was glad that I got to see her too.

One thing that I noticed is that Abby and Eli represent the warmth that I believe Owen and Oskar needed, especially vice versa.

[preythestars]

At least to me, owen's reaction when he peeked at abby was one of shock, like he saw something abnormal.

[intrige]

Hi, and welcome

I haven't seen the Let me in yet.. But I want to, even thought I am a forever bloodfan of LTROI.

Well, one other thing that (I think) has not been said is that Lina(Eli) was dubbed, because Lina's voice was to light for a preboy vampire, or something like that. So, she was dubbed by Elif, who gave Eli a more deep, and boyish impression. Abby on the other hand, has a girl voice. I think that might be why you think like you do about abby, that she sound and looks and acts like a girl. Lina acted very much like a girl too, but. When I saw the movie at first I thought the same as Oskar thought in the book: "A dark voice, for bieng a girl."I dont know for shure, I am JUST guessing..

I didn't get et at first eather. I simply thought that she ment that she was not a human. I fount out online (not at this sight) that Eli was a boy, and more about Eli's caretaker. And as fast as I could I fount the book. If you dont understand and wants to know it all, read the book. It's realy good..

[ColBlair]

At least to me, owen's reaction when he peeked at abby was one of shock, like he saw something abnormal.

Could be. I hope there is something on that in the commentary on the DVD that is coming out on Feb. 1st.