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Susan Evans is the deuteragonist of the 1993 psychological thriller film The Good Son. She is the paternal aunt of Mark Evans and the mother of her son and eventual adversary, Henry Evans.
She is portrayed by Wendy Crewson.
Biography[]
Susan is first seen greeting Mark, her nephew.
After Mark tells her about Henry causing Connie to fall through thin ice, Susan slaps the former, dismissing him as lying. However, she does get suspicious of Henry killing his little brother Richard when he finds the rubber ducky in his shed. She questions this.
Much later, when her husband, Wallace, locks Mark in his study to await Dr. Davenport, Susan goes on a walk with Henry and questions Richard's death. When Henry admits that he killed Richard, Susan is shocked to find out how evil her son really was. She is then tricked into thinking Henry jumped off the cliff (because he thinks she wants to send him to a reformatory), but actually, he didn't, and he shoves her off the cliff, but she holds on. As Henry is about to try and kill her, Mark, having broken out of Wallace's study, stops him and saves her. As the boys are fighting, Susan tries climbing up the cliff. She doesn't get there until both of them roll off the cliff. Susan tries pulling them off, wanting them both to be saved. However, since each boy required both hands, she had to make a decision which boy to release to his death. Reflecting that Mark was only trying to help the family, whereas Henry was trying to kill her, but knowing Henry is her son while Mark isn't, and with Mark's grip slipping because of her bloody hand, she makes the difficult decision to let Henry go in order to rescue Mark.
With no other choice, she reluctantly lets go of Henry and saves Mark from his death, as they two emotionly embrace after they saw Henry's dead body as it washes away in the ocean.
Personality[]
In the realm of psychological thrillers, few characters encapsulate the complex interplay of maternal instinct and naiveté as vividly as Susan Evans in "The Good Son." Portrayed as a kind yet oblivious woman, Susan's character is intricately woven into the fabric of familial dysfunction and tragedy. From the outset, her unwavering belief in the goodness of her son, Henry, blinds her to the sinister realities that lurk beneath the surface of his sweet façade. This article delves into the nuances of Susan's personality, her tragic flaws, and the explosive culmination of her maternal struggles.
At the core of Susan's character is her inherent kindness. As a mother, she embodies the instinctual urge to protect and nurture her children. This kindness, however, transforms into a blindness that becomes her tragic flaw. In a world rife with moral ambiguity, Susan stands as a beacon of warmth and care, yet her inability to perceive the darker aspects of Henry's behavior leads her into increasingly perilous situations.
Her kindness is often mistaken for weakness; it is this perception that allows Henry to manipulate her emotions. With his charming demeanor, he elicits from his mother a wealth of unconditional love and trust, which he exploits to sow discord and chaos within the family. Susan is tragically unaware that her kindness provides cover for Henry’s malevolence, as she remains steadfast in her conviction that every child possesses an innate goodness.
Compounding Susan's challenges is her overwhelming burden of guilt stemming from the death of her other son, Richard. This loss haunts Susan, coloring her every interaction and decision. Feeling responsible for Richard’s death, she is portrayed as a woman trapped in a cycle of self-blame, unable to extricate herself from the shackles of guilt. This internal conflict fuels her desire for redemption through Henry, whom she hopes will fill the void left by Richard's passing.
In her mind, Susan’s kindness must be rewarded, and her steadfast belief in hope and rehabilitation serves as an anchor in her turbulent life. However, this guilt renders her vulnerable to manipulation and denial, as her maternal instincts distort her perception of reality. Susan's tragic inability to accept the possibility of Henry’s malevolence is exacerbated by her guilt-ridden past, leading her deeper into a web of self-deception.
The turning point in Susan’s perception of Henry arrives through the allegations made by her nephew, Mark. When Mark confronts Susan with the chilling revelation that Henry is responsible for Connie falling through the ice, her initial instinct is to defend her son vehemently. This reaction is emblematic of a deeper psychological denial, illustrating her reluctance to believe that her child could be capable of such a grievous act.
Throughout this confrontational moment, Susan's nurturing disposition clashes with the burgeoning doubts that Mark plants in her mind. The rubber ducky that Richard had played with, discovered in Henry's shed, serves as a powerful symbol of lost innocence and the harsh realities that Susan has attempted to avoid. It becomes a harbinger of the painful truth that she has been unwilling to face—that Henry may not only be troubled but dangerously manipulative.
Susan’s journey through grief and denial reaches a critical juncture as she wrestles with the stark evidence of Henry’s malevolence. Although still clinging to her maternal instincts, the juxtaposition of her kindness against the backdrop of Henry’s actions ultimately creates an unbearable tension within her character.
As Susan grapples with her unraveling reality, her attempts to rationalize Henry’s behavior culminate in a desperate plea for stability. After Henry admits to killing Richard, her initial reaction is to seek help. Her desire to send him to a psychiatric ward reflects a flicker of rationality amidst the chaos that engulfs her family. This response is indicative of a mother’s instinct to preserve her child’s life, even when that child has demonstrated a chilling capacity for harm.
However, the situation escalates into a horrifying moment of crisis when Henry turns on Susan, attempting to kill her. This violent twist forces Susan to confront the catastrophic consequences of her failure to see Henry as he truly is. The haunting moment when both Henry and Mark are left literally hanging on the precipice of life and death punctuates Susan’s tragic arc. In a moment of unbearable clarity, she realizes that her kindness and denial have led to a fatal reckoning.
Her choice to let Henry drop to his death is not merely an act of self-preservation; it symbolizes a long-overdue acceptance of reality. It is the heartbreaking culmination of her journey—a surrender to the truth that she had fought so hard to avoid. This act of letting go, fraught with anguish and loss, encapsulates Susan's arc as both a mother and an individual trapped in a world of unbearable choices.
Susan Evans's character in "The Good Son" serves as a profound exploration of the complexities of motherhood, guilt, and the fine line between kindness and oblivion. Her journey from ignorance to tragic acceptance highlights the dangers of naiveté in the face of stark reality. The kindness that defines her also ultimately becomes her undoing, trapping her in a cycle of denial and guilt before forcing her to confront the monstrous aspects of her son.
The narrative of Susan Evans is a tragic reflection of the human condition, where love can both illuminate and blind. Through her story, the film compels viewers to consider the darker dimensions of familial love and the harrowing implications of turning a blind eye to the chilling truths that may exist within the ones we hold most dear.
Trivia[]
- Susan is lawful good; making her a foil to her son, Henry; who is chaotic evil.
- It's suggested by her strong reaction to Mark's telling her that Henry deliberately let Connie fall into the ice that maybe deep down, she did suspect that Henry was responsible for Richard's death but was in denial.