The Number 23

The Number 23

Walter Sparrow

Agatha Sparrow

Robin Sparrow

Isaac French

Sybil

Kyle Flinch

Young Fingerling

Hotel Clerk

Sergeant Burns

Father Sebastian

Barnaby

Chinese Restaurant Owner

Dr. Alice Mortimer

Dr. Nathaniel

Young Walter's Father / Young Fingerling's Father

Mail Clerk

Box Company Clerk

Suicide Blonde's Father

Suicide Blonde's Mother

Bookstore Salesperson

Fingerling's Sergeant

Lady Walking Dog

Building Super

Charades Friend

Desk Clerk

Party Goer

Party Goer

Agatha's Friend

Agatha's Friend

Lucinda (as Shannon Gayle)

Parcel Deliveryman (uncredited)

Ned the dog (uncredited)

Dr. Sirius Leary (uncredited)

Ex-boyfriend (uncredited)

Patient (uncredited)

The Girlfriend (uncredited)

The park has a sign that states "The Steps to Heaven - Dedicated June 9, 1931". The numbers add up 23.

The license plate on Sparrow's car is 6098TC. 6+0+9+8=23 AND T (20th letter) plus C (3rd letter) equals 23.

The plot is largely based on the philosophical writings of William S. Burroughs, who came to believe that the number 23 held mystical significance after encountering it during significant moments in his life. Burroughs eventually wrote the screenplay "The Last Words of Dutch Schultz" around this concept, in which he used the deathbed ramblings of mobster Dutch Schultz as a springboard for telling a story based around Schultz's life - which, in Burrough's vision, revolved around recurrences of the number 23.

In real numerology, numbers are added together to form a single digit number that might have significance. The sum should never exceed 9, except for the "master" numbers 11 and 22. This is in accordance to the nine personality types, the nine planets in the solar system, and many other things. For example, Walter's room at the asylum was 318. When calculated in the movie it is suppose to equal 23, 31-8=23. However in real numerology the number would be added as 3+1+8, equaling 12. The sum would then be added again to create a single digit, 1+2 = 3. 3 would be the significant number here, and there are many sources on the Internet or in various numerology books that would define what significance that number would hold for the individual. As another example, the address of the bookstore would have more credibility as their sum does equal 23 (5+9+9=23). But another step would need to be taken to convert the sum into a single digit (2+3 = 5). Finally, birthdays and other notable dates in numerology are always factored with the year. Following the formula of February 3 (2/3 = 23) would be inaccurate. But December 12, 1975 (12/12/1975 = 1+2+1+2+1+9+7+5 = 28 = 2+8 = 10 = 1+0 = 1. Therefore, for a person born on this date, the number 1 should be the most significant.

in the movie, Walter sparrow was turning 32, their son is aged 13/14. but Walter sparrow said that he met her wife when he was 23, how could their son be 13/14?

On Dr. Sirius Leary's ID badge he is shown as a "Phd."- the correct abbreviation is Ph.D. (from Latin for Doctor of Philosophy).

Suicide Blonde: Pink is my favourite colour, do you know what pink is? Red 27,white 65. 65 plus 27,92. 'pink' has 4 letters, 92 divided by 4, twenty-fucking-three.

Walter Sparrow: [talking with his son about his girlfriend] Hey, she's a nice girl. Make sure she stays that way.

Walter Sparrow: To die there in the street would have been easy. But it wouldn't have been justice, at least not the justice fathers teach their sons about. I'll be sentenced in a week or so. My lawyer says the judge will look kindly upon me for turning myself in. Maybe it's not the happiest of endings, but it's the right one. Some day I'll be up for parole, and we can go on living our lives. It's only a matter of time. Of course, time is just a counting system - numbers with meaning attached to them - isn't it?