For all the grief that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull gets, Temple of Doom still had the least popular romantic interest for Indy, not to mention the whole "rip the still beating heart out of someone's chest" angle that seems more unbelievable in this day and age than any number of ancient alien theories. And that mine cart ride, while fun, wasn't any more believable than Crystal Skull's raft ride. In short, it's probably the most problematic of all four films, if you remove the nostalgia factor. So it's not surprising that fans have come up with numerous theories to soften the blow of this prequel (it's actually set before Raiders of the Lost Ark), one of which deals more with the thematic than physical. Need an explanation for Indy's tumultuous on-screen romance and a ripped out heart? Look no further than simple heartbreak. As the theory goes, this is all symbolic. And it's based on real life events. George Lucas has gone on record to state that he was going through a difficult divorce while writing the script. He and his wife were done. The character of Indy on screen was reflecting real life happenings. In short, Temple of Doom is a break up movie. Maybe knowing that isn't a huge improvement, but at least it's an explanation for what happened in the franchise's maligned second installment.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
