It’s no secret that movie endings can make or break the audience’s reaction. After we’ve been sitting there for a couple of hours, completely engrossed in the storyline, we want an ending that gives us resolution and satisfaction. The film industry recognizes this and that’s why they offer pre-screenings of films to gauge people’s reactions. When they respond unfavorably to a particular aspect, such as the ending, the movie is sent back to production for retooling. Or sometimes what seems great on paper doesn’t work on the big screen, as reportedly is the case with the upcoming movie adaptation of The Watchmen.
Having to alter the ending actually happens more than you’d think, even to movies that have become legendary. Would these films be so popular or famous if the creators had stuck with the original endings? (Note: spoiler alert on all films listed!)
1. Australia
The latest from director Baz Luhrmann, the recently-released Australia seemingly had problems from the start. It went way over budget and became the most expensive film the continent has ever released. It was also still under construction just a few weeks before it was due to premiere, and it was reported that Luhrmann shot three different endings before 20th Century Fox studios forced him to change the finale from a sad one to a happier conclusion. Audiences didn’t enjoy seeing Hugh Jackman’s character dying, so his character lives. Unfortunately, it seems the new movie ending didn’t work either—the film made only $14.8 million dollars during its opening weekend.
2. Fatal Attraction
I’ve never seen this movie (how is that possible?), yet I still know of its bloody, bullet-ridden ending—that’s the mark of a truly infamous movie. The original conclusion was less satisfying. Instead of being shot in the bathroom, Glenn Close’s psychotic character, Alex, commits suicide and stages it so that it looks like Dan (played by Michael Douglas) murdered her. He was arrested, Alex was never brought to justice, and the test audience said, “No fair!” A character that twisted and vindictive needs her comeuppance, and the audience demanded vindication for Dan’s family—hence the reshoot and the making of history.
3. Clerks
This movie became a cult classic after its 1994 release and gave Kevin Smith a ticket into the indie film circuit. The plot follows the daily lives of Dante, who works at a convenience store, and Randal, who manages a video rental shop. It all starts with Dante getting called into work on his day off and the problems escalate from there. As it is now, the movie ends rather simply, almost anti-climatically. But that might be because in the original ending, Dante is shot and killed during an armed robbery. Not surprisingly, it was criticized for being too depressing, so Smith shaved off the last minute or so and let his leading man live.
4. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
In what is perhaps a more accurate underdog story, the Average Joes (Vince Vaughn’s team of “good guys”) were not supposed to win the dodgeball match against Ben Stiller’s nasty crew. To add insult to injury, Stiller’s character, White, was the one who hit Vaughn’s Peter. In the original version, the underdogs lost and the credits rolled, leaving the test screeners outraged and confused. The head honchos demanded a script rewrite, despite director Rawson Marshall Thurber’s insistence that it be left alone, and Vaughn’s team is victorious after all.
