I Watch Films: Pin
Pin is an anatomical dummy that Dr Linden uses to explain medical facts; for children he uses ventriloquism. This includes his own children Leon and Ursula; indeed Pin is warmer and franker than either Dr Linden or his cleaning-obsessed wife. Because of her obsession with dirt, Leon has no friends as he doesn’t play outside or have anyone over. He continues to believe Pin is real, spiralling into an obsession and mental illness. One day Leon has sneaked in to ask Pin questions; he hides when a nurse comes in and uses the anatomically correct Pin to have sex.
Later, in high school, Leon reads graffiti that suggests the fifteen year old Ursula is promiscuous. He interrupts her having sex in a car outside the school dance. She’s pregnant; Leon consults Pin and has Ursula tell Dr Linden who performs an abortion. A couple of years later Dr Linden finally walks in on Leon talking to Pin. Realising that Leon is mentally ill he takes Pin with him, as he and his wife go to a dinner in his honour at a medical school, intending to donate Pin. Distracted while driving Pin comes loose in the back seat and the car crashes, killing the two of them.
Leon and Ursula enjoy their new life, though Ursula slowly comes to the conclusion that Leon is deeply unwell, talking to Pin, writing his poetry. Leon meanwhile believes Ursula is being taken away from him, frightens their Aunt Dorothy to death by a heart attack with Pin when she encourages Ursula to get a job in the library.
That Pin continues to offer moderately good advice throughout the film is perhaps the most interesting part. Because of the nature of the sound the ventriloquism doesn’t register unless drawn attention to, so it does seem as though Pin is talking. Pin, short for Pinocchio, never lies and so his nose doesn’t grow. The more that Leon tries to make Pin seem normal, with a wheelchair, mask, wig and clothes, the creepier Pin gets.
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