(Obsession) Should Bear have confessed in the way he originally intended like at the start of the film, or was Ian right?
It's very commonly understood by many that Bear should have been honest about his feelings to Nikki, but do you think the way he originally intended was the way to go? I ask because an emerging reading on the film is that while Bear was clearly the villain, the whole group failed Nikki in some other way too. I wonder if Ian telling him not to confess in that way was an intentional way of sabotaging Bear's chances with Nikki given their history, or if it was simply him genuinely giving advice, albeit a terrible one. Or perhaps was he indeed overboard?
The current reading I have on it was that Ian did fail both Bear and Nikki in that moment, even if unintentionally. By discouraging Bear from sharing his genuine feelings and dancing around it, it led to that really awkward talk between them in the car. Of course, we know that there's more to Bear's shittiness that stems from a more deeply rooted insecurity, which goes beyond just that bad interaction. But I'm trying to build on the case that Nikki was in fact failed by everyone in that group in some way shape or form, which also makes for why she didn't want to be there anymore even before the events of the film. Do share your thoughts.