While Splash is a PG-rated comedic romp that generations of kids have seen and enjoyed,
watching the movie as a grown-up brings the story's darker themes swimming to the surface.
Here's a look at some things only adults notice in Splash.
Splash is a romantic comedy and a fairytale that's driven by the enigmatic love shared
between a human and a mermaid. But as seen through an adult's eyes, one of the most striking
things about the movie is how fast Tom Hanks' character, Allen, and the mermaid he dubs
Madison fall into a serious relationship.
After rescuing Allen from what would have been a fatal boat accident, the first thing
Madison does is kiss him. And when Madison makes her way into the city and finds Allen,
the two immediately start making out.
Allen doesn't even know her name, nor does Madison even speak English yet, before the
two are sleeping together. It's true that stories of mermaids often tell of a powerful
magnetism that comes with a siren's song and presence, and that allure is perfectly captured
onscreen by the stunning Daryl Hannah. However, seeing this dynamic play out in a PG-rated
family movie might be a little surprising to some.
There are a number of cringeworthy aspects of Splash that you might notice as an adult,
but Allen's brother Freddie, portrayed by John Candy, is probably the most obvious.
At the beginning of the film, a 10-year-old Freddie is shown looking up women's skirts
at a boat party. Then, as an adult, he's pulling the same terrible stunt at a wedding.
"It was embarrassing when you were ten, Freddie."
"Look, if something works for me, I stick with it."
Another typical Freddie moment is when he shows up at the family business with a stack
of Penthouse magazines because an erotic letter he wrote was published in it. He then proceeds
to hand out copies to all his colleagues and customers.
Freddie also lies to clients about Allen being a wounded veteran of the Vietnam War. And
later in the movie, when Allen and Freddie are trying to rescue Madison, Freddie says
something inappropriate, yet effective, in Swedish to fool the Swedish-speaking guard.
The reason Freddie knows this phrase is because he's such a big fan of… Swedish "adult entertainment."
With so many provocative moments, there's no easy way for Freddie to explain away his
inexcusable behavior. "I'm a free spirit. I'm extremely liberal.
I'm a freewheeling dude."
As Allen and Madison take a romantic stroll around New York City, they pass a beautiful
fountain featuring a mermaid sculpture. Allen stops to admire it and Madison asks him why
he loves it so much. She's hoping he'll mention the mermaid and then she can tell him the
truth about herself. But Allen demurs and instead tells her that the city is about to
remove the fountain, along with the whole park, to make room for condos.
Previously in the film, Allen introduced Madison to the concept of gifts by giving her a beautiful
music box. Then, the day after their conversation in the park, Allen returns from work and discovers
the huge mermaid fountain in the center of his apartment. Inspired by Allen's gift, Madison
wanted to return the gesture. Apparently, she traded her necklace for the fountain,
which immediately brings to mind several questions.
First, how did the movers even get that fountain upstairs with just a small dolly and some
rope? Second, how has it not fallen through the floor yet? And third, even in a fairytale
New York City, how does someone trade a piece of jewelry for a landmark? We'll just have
to take Allen's lead here and enjoy the thought of this extraordinary gift, rather than the
reality of it.
On Madison's first day in Allen's apartment, she watches a commercial for Bloomingdale's
and decides to go shopping. When she meets Timmy the doorman, the only word she knows
is "Bloomingdale's," so he puts her in a cab and sends her to the store.
When Allen returns to find Madison gone, he runs to his doorman in a panic and the two
have a quick and surprising exchange.
"I'm looking for a girl, Timmy."
"Two hundred bucks."
Allen clarifies himself and tells Timmy he's looking for the woman he brought home earlier.
But only adults would notice the subtext here: Timmy seems to have an illegal side-hustle
going on.
This moment probably flies over the heads of younger viewers but it's just another example
of how this family-friendly movie is sprinkled with adult-focused humor.
In a desperate attempt to prove that Madison is a mermaid, Dr. Kornbluth, played by Eugene
Levy, runs around Manhattan and throws water on women he mistakes for her. Kornbluth finally
gets close to the real Madison and exposes her secret after a gala for the American president.
"Behold, the mermaid!"
While a confused crowd gathers around the frightened mermaid, she's quickly taken into
custody. Military scientists begin studying Madison, keeping her in a tank where they
can monitor her behavior in their lead-up to dissecting her. All of this adds up to
a pretty dark turn for an '80s rom-com.
At this point, Dr. Kornbluth begins regretting his role in Madison's capture, so he concocts
an absurd plan for Allen and Freddie to impersonate Swedish scientists on their way to examine
her. The men have no identification, and the only Swedish Freddie knows is from adult films.
But they effortlessly get in anyway. They also manage to smuggle Madison out of the
military facility without being discovered until after the actual scientists show up.
In 1984, the United States was in the middle of the Cold War — it would have been virtually
impossible to break into a military medical facility without serious credentials. Yet,
in the world of Splash, it's surprisingly simple.
"Well, that was easy. That was simple!"
When Madison is forced to return to her life under the sea, she asks Allen to come with
her. At first, he's excited about the idea of leaving and coming back whenever he likes.
Unfortunately, Madison quickly bursts his bubble, saying that if they leave together
now, he can never return. In the end, Allen chooses Madison, even though he still doesn't
know how to swim.
This begs the question: Did Allen actually die at the end of Splash? He's human, and
he can't breathe underwater. He's also suddenly swimming perfectly as Madison shows him her
world. Mermaids are known for drowning the men who fall in love with them, so is this
actually Allen swimming away or is it his spirit? Is that why he can never return?
These are certainly questions that young kids will not be asking, but it's easily the biggest
thing that adults might not ice in the final moments of Splash. However, regardless of
your age, it's a lot more fun to not overthink this one and, just for a little while, believe
that fairy tale endings are actually possible.
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