Titanic’s Jack Dawson had plans for when he and Rose could be together, and he told her about a couple of places and activities they could do together, but these and other details related to Jack created some historical inaccuracies that made way for a fun theory. James Cameron’s name is often associated with the sci-fi genre thanks to movies like The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Avatar, but one of his biggest and most important projects was far from that realm: Titanic, a disaster drama movie that mixed fiction with real-life events and people.
Based on the accounts of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, Titanic tells the story of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), two passengers from different social classes who fall in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage. Over the course of four days, Rose and Jack got to know each other quite well and even made plans for when the ship arrived in America, as they wanted their romance to continue, but it wasn’t meant to be, and while Rose became one of the survivors of the sinking of the Titanic, Jack joined the list of victims.
Throughout Titanic, Jack shared some details about his life prior to boarding the famous ship and told Rose about the places they could go to together, but as sweet as those moments were, they – along with other, more specific details about Jack – actually create at least five historical inaccuracies, which have been used as the basis for a theory that suggests Jack Dawson was a time-traveler tasked with making sure the Titanic sank, and saving Rose was part of the plan. Here are the historical inaccuracies created by Jack in Titanic.
Lake Wissota
Rose and Jack met when, on one night, Rose climbed over the stern railing with the intention of jumping overboard, as she couldn’t deal with her loveless engagement and the pressure from her mother and her social status. Jack approached Rose and tried to convince her to get back onto the deck, telling her how cold the water was and how much that would hurt. Jack went on to tell Rose a story about how he and his father used to go ice fishing at Lake Wissota and how he fell through thin ice once, detailing how painful it was to feel the cold water. The story helped Jack convince Rose to not jump and accept his help, but it wasn’t accurate at all. Lake Wissota is located in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, and it was formed by the construction of the Wissota Hydroelectric Dam on the Chippewa River, in 1917 – five years after the sinking of the Titanic. The lake is a popular recreation destination for boating, canoeing, fishing, swimming, and ice fishing in the winter, so at least Jack got that one right.
The Santa Monica Pier Rollercoaster
After saving her life, Rose brought Jack to her side of the ship, where they got to know each other a bit more as Jack told her about his job and travels, as well as the places he liked to go to. Jack mentioned the Santa Monica pier as he used to work there making portraits for 10 cents, with Rose sharing her dreams of running away and finally doing what she wanted. Rose then told Jack to imagine if they ever went there, with Jack assuring her that they would, and once there they would “drink cheap beer, ride on the rollercoaster until we throw up”. It was a nice plan and all, but the Santa Monica pier didn’t have a rollercoaster in 1912. The pier opened to the public in 1909, but there were no amusement park rides. Attractions on the pier were built in 1916 by Charles I.D. Looff and his son Arthur, so once more, Jack was talking about things that didn’t exist during the context of Titanic.
Jack’s Hairstyle & Rucksack
These ones are very easy to miss details, but those who support the theory of Jack Dawson being a time-traveler have pointed out his bag and haircut as proof of it, as they didn’t match with the styles of the 1910s. According to various sources, the bag Jack carried with the few objects he owned was of a style that became popular in the late 1930s, and even his haircut was out of time. Many viewers have pointed out that Jack’s haircut was “too 1990s”, and in the early 1900s, men kept their hair short and combed out of their eyes, which is the complete opposite of Jack’s hairstyle. Then again, Jack was the character that didn’t belong among the luxuries of the Titanic and Rose’s environment, so his image was designed to be messy so he could stand out, so even if it’s not historically accurate, it’s at least understandable.
