Johnathon Nolan admits in an interview that there was more to the Sammy Jankis story, but that Chris would kill him if he would leak any of the information deleted from some of the original scripts. I think it could be as following, based on what we actually see.
Sammy Jankis was in an auto accident.
Sammy faked his condition.
Sammy deliberately chooses the same items and reactions. However, our selections and words are always a bit more random (some days I choose chocolate, some rum raisin, sometimes coffee ice cream. I don't always say 'Yum' or 'Ah good' even though I feel the same way when I sit down with an ice cream or my favorite cup of hot coffee.) Sammy is trying to appear as if he has no memory. (I alternate between calling someone a jerk and an idiot, never the exact same phrase)
Sammy is shown watching TV. Leonard then describes more of himself....as we see it is Leonard who can not watch at any length. He can only focus his attention on the commercials.
Sammy never takes notes. He never writes down who called on the phone, even with prodding. Leonard says that Sammy got lost because he took too many notes. However, it is Leonard that we see with a file full of papers that is too much for him to sort out (especially at one point in his room)
I think Nolan intended these scenes to sort of see, do we the audience follow what we see or do we focus more on what Leonard is saying? Can Leonard deliberately alter the story? Does Leonard actually remember the entire last night of his memory? The incident with the girl in the hotel room seems to indicate that Leonard only remembers up until that point (his wife getting out of bed and closing the bathroom door). Usually, people in an accident never remember the actual accident. They only remember getting in the car.)
I know some people say that Sammy is exactly who 'Teddy' says he is. But Nolan's comments indicate otherwise.
Sammy Jankis was in an auto accident.
Sammy faked his condition.
Sammy deliberately chooses the same items and reactions. However, our selections and words are always a bit more random (some days I choose chocolate, some rum raisin, sometimes coffee ice cream. I don't always say 'Yum' or 'Ah good' even though I feel the same way when I sit down with an ice cream or my favorite cup of hot coffee.) Sammy is trying to appear as if he has no memory. (I alternate between calling someone a jerk and an idiot, never the exact same phrase)
Sammy is shown watching TV. Leonard then describes more of himself....as we see it is Leonard who can not watch at any length. He can only focus his attention on the commercials.
Sammy never takes notes. He never writes down who called on the phone, even with prodding. Leonard says that Sammy got lost because he took too many notes. However, it is Leonard that we see with a file full of papers that is too much for him to sort out (especially at one point in his room)
I think Nolan intended these scenes to sort of see, do we the audience follow what we see or do we focus more on what Leonard is saying? Can Leonard deliberately alter the story? Does Leonard actually remember the entire last night of his memory? The incident with the girl in the hotel room seems to indicate that Leonard only remembers up until that point (his wife getting out of bed and closing the bathroom door). Usually, people in an accident never remember the actual accident. They only remember getting in the car.)
I know some people say that Sammy is exactly who 'Teddy' says he is. But Nolan's comments indicate otherwise.