The Dark Knight Confusion over time span between BB and TDK? Your thoughts please....

[The Predalien]

Hi,
Long time reader of the boards, I rarely post, especially new threads, but I just HAD to ask this here as I find it confusing to the point of been ridiculous.

I was reading this article here:
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/07/16/does-batgirl-have-a-secret-cameo-in-the-dark-knight/
It was referring to a `secret cameo` of BatGirl.
What got me though, was the reference to Jim Gordons family.
It states that in BB Gordons son was an infant and his wife was pregnant, then it says in TDK his son is 10 and he has an 8 or 9 year old daughter who could be Barbara.

This gives the indication that 10 years have passed since BB and TDK. How is this possible though?

BB ends with the Joker card been given to Batman, he wouldnt wait 10 years to track him down and confront him, also Wayne Manor would have been completed.

Further down the article it states
"Clearly, there has been a near-decade growth in the Gordon children between films, making it quite possible that Nolan is laying the groundwork to do the same between “Knight” and the third movie. That would leave Gordon’s daughter at the appropriate age to take on the Batgirl persona"

What gives? I find this most odd, as I`m sure TDK was pretty much a direct continuation of BB, if any time had passed I would have thought it would be weeks or months, rather than years?

Can anyone shed any light on this , or is it all news to you to?!

 

[juju100000]

yep u found and error.I forgot all about BB Gorton family.

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

yep u found and error.I forgot all about BB Gorton family.

Dude check your spelling, and yes he found an error!

 

[DieSmiling]

It's a continuity error.

6 months to a year have gone by between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

 

[hatebox]

Do we actually know for sure the age of Gordon's children in BB though? We see a toddler at one point...

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

this is something I have thought about though, its funny too cause they never show his daughter's face in the whole film either.

 

[Anita18]

Do we actually know for sure the age of Gordon's children in BB though? We see a toddler at one point...

There may be some discrepancy with the script. (BB's script says Bruce is 8 when his parents are killed, but the TDK viral says he's 10.)

I believe you only see one child in BB, and it's a small toddler, which could conceivably be the daughter.

The Joker says to the mobsters, "A year ago, these cops and lawyers wouldn't dare cross any of you..." so I would say the time span is about 9 months to a year after BB. The virals point to that as well.

 

[Hole Shot]

There may be some discrepancy with the script. (BB's script says Bruce is 8 when his parents are killed, but the TDK viral says he's 10.)

I believe you only see one child in BB, and it's a small toddler, which could conceivably be the daughter.

Yeah, you couldn't distinguish whether or not the child at the table in Begins is a boy or a girl. I don't remember his wife being pregnant either, she may have been but I didn't catch it.

 

[CaptainClown]

It is possible that the kid in BB wasn't his son also. It is also possible that the son was at a friends house or in his room. The child in BB could easily be Gordons daughter. Also

 

[DACrowe]

I've heard everything from 6 months to 18 months. I like to think it is between a year and a year and a half. Simply put we needed time for Batman to become weary and inspire the city and its copycats, for the mafia to be that afraid of him but most of all time for Dent. He had to have a mid-term replacement after Finch died in BB and then beat him in an election and in that time Harvey Dent had to rise in power in the DA's office and then be elected and take down dirty cops all while getting so serious with Rachel to the point they are considering getting married.

So for all that to happen I'd say at least a year, maybe a little more.

 

[DACrowe]

I've heard everything from 6 months to 18 months. I like to think it is between a year and a year and a half. Simply put we needed time for Batman to become weary and inspire the city and its copycats, for the mafia to be that afraid of him but most of all time for Dent. He had to have a mid-term replacement after Finch died in BB and then beat him in an election and in that time Harvey Dent had to rise in power in the DA's office and then be elected and take down dirty cops all while getting so serious with Rachel to the point they are considering getting married.

So for all that to happen I'd say at least a year, maybe a little more.

 

[The Predalien]

I don't remember his wife being pregnant either, she may have been but I didn't catch it.

The article says:
"....online versions of the “Batman Begins” script show that Gordon’s wife (who is also named Barbara) was pregnant – which we were unable to see since she was sitting down in her one scene"
Which probably explains why you missed it!

It seems the consensus here is that 6 months to a year has passed between BB and TDK.
Which leads me to ask the next question.......
Why so long before the Joker and Batman meet since Gordon gives Batman the Joker card at the end of BB, indicating that he is active already.
Why would Batman wait to deal with him?

Also, with Nolans obvious attention to detail in his `real` Batman universe, how could he overlook something as large as Gordons children ageing 10 years between movies when the time span is in fact a year at most.

Nitpicking I know, but it seems like such an oversight I cant believe it slipped through.

Regardless, TDK was truly awesome, and Heath Ledger was amazing as the Joker, I am so sad that he passed away. He would have gone on to much bigger and better things, and I would just love to have seen more of his version of the Joker - although it was never definate he would have returned for the third Nolan outing, I`m sure fans would have demanded it!
The scene when he leaves the hospital and tries to press the detonator was class - it shouldnt have been funny I guess, but I couldnt help but chuckle. Fantastic!

 

[DIRECTOR]

i really didnt' like Jimmy, i really wanted Barbara Gordon to be the "kid" in the film. Why introduce a new kid, when you have the main well known character in the Batman history already?

 

[DieSmiling]

The article says:
"....online versions of the “Batman Begins” script show that Gordon’s wife (who is also named Barbara) was pregnant – which we were unable to see since she was sitting down in her one scene"
Which probably explains why you missed it!

It also explains why it's entirely irrelevant and not provable or important.

It seems the consensus here is that 6 months to a year has passed between BB and TDK.
Which leads me to ask the next question.......
Why so long before the Joker and Batman meet since Gordon gives Batman the Joker card at the end of BB, indicating that he is active already.
Why would Batman wait to deal with him?

"One man or the entire mob. He can wait."

Batman tells you why in TDK. Taking down the massive criminal empire of organized crime in Gotham is simply more important than the Joker... And the implication in TDK is obviously that Joker was very small time and not doing anything too crazy before the events of the movie took place.

Also, with Nolans obvious attention to detail in his `real` Batman universe, how could he overlook something as large as Gordons children ageing 10 years between movies when the time span is in fact a year at most.

Nitpicking I know, but it seems like such an oversight I cant believe it slipped through.

It seems like a bit of a mistake, but seeing as you only see one child on Begins, and you never see Gordon's daughter's face in TDK, it's easy to block that out with a little suspension of disbelief.

 

[Quinzel]

i really didnt' like Jimmy, i really wanted Barbara Gordon to be the "kid" in the film. Why introduce a new kid, when you have the main well known character in the Batman history already?

yeah i don't know what the deal with that is.
I'm thinking she might die and he adopts (like he did in the comics) then names the new baby babs.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

its about 46 years since begins

 

[Hole Shot]

The article says:
"....online versions of the “Batman Begins” script show that Gordon’s wife (who is also named Barbara) was pregnant – which we were unable to see since she was sitting down in her one scene"
Which probably explains why you missed it!

WHAT?!?! You started this whole conversation over something in the script that wasn't even shot! Thanks for wasting our time.

 

[Ixion]

Since its never explictly stated in Begins who the toddler is theres no real continuity error, for all we know the Gordon's could have been babysitting and their two kids were at friends house! That means ignoring scripts and novels I guess though.

I'm pretty sure theres meant to be 1 year between the two films.

 

[The Predalien]

WHAT?!?! You started this whole conversation over something in the script that wasn't even shot! Thanks for wasting our time.

Hey, take a chill pill , relax and try reading the thread from the start. Then you may just get it.
I`m not starting a conversation over something in the script that wasnt shot, if you read carefully you`ll understand what the point of the thread was.
Also, the reference to the script was referring to a scene that was shot, its just you couldnt tell she was pregnant....etc etc, blah blah - not going to waste anymore time on those that cant pay attention.

If you have nothing worthwhile to add then dont bother!
Thanks to everyone else who added to the thread rather than detracting from it - that means you too, ace o knaves!

 

[The Predalien]

"One man or the entire mob. He can wait."

Batman tells you why in TDK. Taking down the massive criminal empire of organized crime in Gotham is simply more important than the Joker... And the implication in TDK is obviously that Joker was very small time and not doing anything too crazy before the events of the movie took place.

That pretty much answers that then - thanks. It pays to have a good memory, I`d forgotten that line from the end of BB.

 

[Sharkboy]

i really didnt' like Jimmy, i really wanted Barbara Gordon to be the "kid" in the film. Why introduce a new kid, when you have the main well known character in the Batman history already?

Jim Gordon had a son in frank millers year one, who was called James.

Besides even if it was in the script that she was pregnant with barb jr, things change from script to screen. all i saw was mrs gordon feeding a toddler who could have been barbara. That makes it at least a year or a year and a half.

sorted.

 

[the_monk]

It's Teh RiDdLEr at werk!!!!

 

[Hole Shot]

Hey, take a chill pill , relax and try reading the thread from the start. Then you may just get it.
I`m not starting a conversation over something in the script that wasnt shot, if you read carefully you`ll understand what the point of the thread was.
Also, the reference to the script was referring to a scene that was shot, its just you couldnt tell she was pregnant....etc etc, blah blah - not going to waste anymore time on those that cant pay attention.

If you have nothing worthwhile to add then dont bother!
Thanks to everyone else who added to the thread rather than detracting from it - that means you too, ace o knaves!

:heart:

 

[Saint]

i really didnt' like Jimmy, i really wanted Barbara Gordon to be the "kid" in the film. Why introduce a new kid, when you have the main well known character in the Batman history already?

They didn't "introduce a new kid." Gordon's son exists in the comics; his wife got custody when they divorced.

 

[Phsycology]

We really have no reason to believe that she was pregnant in that Scene in BB; the script could have been rewritten, or the scene cut out etc.

I'm just gonna presume that the toddler was the daughter and that the son was elsewhere. Also, since we never see the daughter's face, we can not know how old she is in TDK, I think that this was deliberate from Nolan.