Warning label

I was amused by Jane Smiley’s silly theory that “Mystic River” was meant to be an allegory for our country’s reaction to 9/11 (“When Children Die in Films,” Feb. 8).

But I was incensed on behalf of fellow moviegoers that she saw fit to give away the endings of “Mystic River” and “21 Grams.” She smugly states that she “will not reveal the trick” in “21 Grams.” Well, why not? She reveals virtually everything else. I was fortunate enough to see these films before reading her article, but there are a lot of people who haven’t seen them and who no doubt will if the films win any Oscars. If The Times publishes pieces that contain “spoilers,” it should print a warning before the first paragraph.

Adam Gottschalk

Los Angeles