Alcoholism
Holland is an alcoholic who is irresponsible and clumsy. He does not take his job seriously and sometimes doesn’t come through for his clients, not to mention his daughter. Holland uses alcohol as an escape from having to deal with the issues that affect him and those close to him. Despite his sharp detective skills, Holland is erratic and unpredictable, caused by his constant drinking.
Murder and Violence
At the beginning of the film, Misty gets into an accident that kills her instantly. Jackson is an enforcer who uses violence to settle conflicts. He is initially hired by Amelia to beat up Holland. Jackson ends up breaking Holland’s hand, putting him through immense pain. We learn that Amelia’s boyfriend died in a house fire that was meant for Amelia. A hit man is sent to kill Amelia, Holland, and Jackson. Amelia is shot and killed by the hit man sent by her mother, who was among those going to be exposed by the film they made.
Responsibility and Parenting
Despite Holland being a single father and an adult, he often dodges responsibilities. Her daughter Holly has gotten used to her irresponsible father that she is practically independent. Holland depends more on his daughter’s independence. She acts as his secretary for his private detective business. Holly runs the entire household by herself. In this father-daughter relationship, Holly is more like the parent and Holland the child. Amelia is trying to expose corrupt executives at an automobile company and her mother is one of them. She wants to expose her mother’s deceit at all costs. Her mother is also not subtle at all. She sends a hit man to find Amelia and get the film at whatever cost. Their relationship is not at all normal at this point.
