Rewrite the Ending to a Film

[Kay_Cee]

I watched “American Graffiti” last evening.

Right at the end they give a summary of what happened to the four boys.

I would have liked to know what happened to the Cindy Williams character. Did she and Ron Howard’s character get married? We know that he grew up to be an insurance salesman, no mention of a wife.

I believe they are married in the sequel, but the marriage is not going well.

Frankly, I can’t stand to watch More American Graffiti. That’s a film that should have its entire running time changed, not just the ending.

 

[johnherro]

Are there any movies, old or new, for which you would have preferred a different ending?

I would definitely rewrite the ending to Romeo and Juliet. Juliet wakes up just in time, neither one kills himself, and they live happily ever after. Of course, I realize the movie is based on Shakespeare’s tragedy, but I still like my ending much better!

 

[Della]

I would definitely rewrite the ending to Romeo and Juliet. Juliet wakes up just in time, neither one kills himself, and they live happily ever after. Of course, I realize the movie is based on Shakespeare’s tragedy, but I still like my ending much better!

It’s funny but during the 19th century the play was often changed to that ending, because the theater owners wanted to please their audiences rather than stick to the text. Shakespeare wasn’t regarded as the master playwright at that time. He was considered just one among other Elizabethan authors.

 

[Exiled_Child]

HI. While I’m unable to come up with any specific titles at the moment, I DO know that the typical genre of romantic comedy or teen romantic comedy where the nerdy loser type of guy who constantly pursues the pretty girl (who of course is dating the wealthy, good-looking, bullying jock type of guy) often has that formulaic ending where at some point, the pretty girl eventually ends up with the nerdy loser because of his charm and wit and personality. Why don’t I like such endings? Because speaking as a happily married man of 52 who had experienced rough dating experiences in my younger days, I know for a fact that such scenarios rarely play out in real life.

SPOILER ALERT:

One example of a good movie with a good and much more (but not totally) realistic ending is the 1980s classic “Adventures In Babysitting” starring Elisabeth Shue. I was, for the most part, pleased by that ending, and you could actually feel the young fellow’s sadness. Great scene just before the closing credits.

As much as I enjoyed the movie “Magnolia” I have to admit that I hated the BOTH the beginning AND the ending because neither the beginning nor the ending made a lick of sense to me, since the movie had NOTHING to do with either of those things. In fact, I have to wonder if the ending was put in there because the writer/director had no clue as to how to wrap it all up.

Perhaps I should add “Pleasantville” to this list as well, although the big problem I had with it was that it couldn’t decide on whether or not it wanted to be a funny satire of 1950s TV sitcoms OR a biting social statement about outdated mores that were so prevalent during the era, so after all was said and done, it failed on both levels.

You bring up an interesting topic, but I’m going to add to it with the idea that some movies have ambiguous endings, and in some cases I think the ambiguous ending works and in others I think it appears that the authors themselves had no clue as to how to resolve it and so they through that ambiguous ending in, hoping to come off as “cutting edge.”

Movies where I think the ambiguous ending works:

“Doubt”
“Blade Runner”
“Rashomon”
“Dead & Buried”
“The Thomas Crown Affair”
“The Usual Suspects”
“Murder By Death”
“Body Heat”
and of course, one of my favorite tearjerkers: “The Days Of Wine & Roses”

Movies where I think the ambiguous ending fails:

“No Country For Old Men”
“Inception”
“Magnolia”
“Twin Peaks” (in all fairness, a TV show that got cancelled so it was never resolved)
“Chan Is Missing”
“Against All Odds” (this movie was convoluted & confusing that once the solution was given at the end, I didn’t even care!)
“Cache”

Mixed emotions on the ambiguous ending:

“The White Ribbon” On the one hand, it appears that the director really didn’t know how to end this, so he opted for the ambiguous ending, hoping to be deep. On the other hand, had the mystery actually been solved as to exactly why all the mysterious and malevolent events had been occurring, then I think the ending would have been a disappointment because the climax would never be able to match the build-up.

They’re actually going to begin filming the sequel to Bladerunner next summer.

 

[CaptFun]

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Of Mice and Men - instead of the justified euthanasia by gun of Lennie by George …

… George pulls his hand back as he fires, missing Lennie … who falls to the ground from fear.

Hearing a shot, the disorganized lynch mob all begins shooting … but the only person hit is the vindictive Curley. As no one knows whose bullet killed Curley - the lynch mob disbands.

Investigating the death of Curley’s wife, the Sheriff suspects the husband Curley, (who had a motive), killed his wife (who was leaving him) and that he’d lamely tried to blame the retarded Lenny.

But the girl is not dead! She recovers from her coma and remembers nothing! :curtsey:

As the accidental shooting case is closed - George, Lenny, Candy and Crooks buy the little house, raise rabbits, and a crop. Back at the ranch, all the rest are promoted … and inherit the land shortly after when Curley’s father dies.

The girl marries George and becomes the lady of the house.

Crooks finds out that the other mischievous men didn’t really shoot his dog … but took him to a vet!

The animal returns to the old man, healthy, shiny, not stinky and licks his face as the closing music hits a “Hallelujah Chorus” crescendo!

Lenny is seen smiling, petting all the fluffy animals he likes - while wearing his new boxing type gloves – and all the other cast members roar with laughter. :dancing::extrahappy:

George: (imitating Judy Garland) “There’s no place like home!”

(Fade out, credits)

:tiphat:

 

[CaptFun]

Are there any movies, old or new, for which you would have preferred a different ending? Maybe you were disappointed with the way the film ended. Maybe a happy ending instead of a sad one, or the reverse, would have been more satisfying to you. Or maybe a surprise twist instead of a predictable ending. How would you rewrite the ending to perhaps an otherwise favorite film?

For example, Casablanca or Gone With the Wind with a happier ending: would this have worked even better, in your view? True, some films are based on books, but you are permitted to disregard this.

Any thoughts?

OK …

GONE WITH THE WIND:

Scarlett O’Hara: “Tara. Home. I’ll go home, and I’ll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day”

Pork (arriving, speaks slowly, quietly): I don’t know Miss Scarlett. Mr. Rhett, your husband, jus’ gave Tara over to me … and to Big Sam, for saving your life that time. THIS house he gave to Mammy and Prissy. An’ I heard tell he’s runnin’ off with Miz Melly now that she’s FREE!

- Nah. That’d drag Miss Melly down to Scarlett and Rhett’s level.

CASABLANCA:

Rick: Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Two beautiful women appear out of the fog. The girl that sang the Marseilles runs up and hugs Louie. A mysterious woman, played by a young Lauren Bacall directly intercepts Rick, takes his face in her hands, kisses him and says ….

“It’s even better when you help!”

Rick: (whistles slowly)* Fwee-EET -Fwuieo!*

 

[CaptFun]

For West Side Story (a film I’ve seen possibly 50 times)

My alternate ending would take place after Anita discovers that Maria and Tony had been together (while Bernardo was in the morgue and her parents likely crushed that their son was killed).

Instead of going to Pop’s store, she goes to Maria’s parents and lets them know that Maria was involved with Tony. They take Maria to New York Harbor and put her on the first ship to Puerto Rico, where she enters a convent.

Chino and Anita console each other over her loss of Bernardo and his broken engagement to Maria, and they fall in love.

Pop, instead of telling Tony “there is no Maria”, tells her. “Tony, Maria left you to go back to Puerto Rico.”

Tony says, “But she said she loved me, we sang songs about it and everything.”

Pop says, “Come on Tony, you’ve only known her since yesterday, and now you’re involved in a murder investigation. Listen, I know someone at the DA’s office, maybe you can get a plea deal.”

Tony goes to the DA, confesses his part in the involvement in Bernardo’s death, and is sentenced for 15 years for Voluntary Manslaughter. He’s let out 5 years early for model behavior. Pop leaves everything to Tony in his will.

With his funds, he purchases a plot of land on Long Island and becomes a duck farmer.

In the mean time, Anita and Chino marry, and she goes to design school, since she was a talented seamstress, and becomes a designer. She opens an upscale bridal shop in New York. Chino goes to college and becomes an accountant. They live in a nice home in Yonkers.

(more like an alternate ending and sequel)

Loved this!

(Maria’s order then transfers her to an Austrian convent, where she is for some reason sent to be governess for a military man and his seven children as Nazis take over the country …)

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

Loved this!

(Maria’s order then transfers her to an Austrian convent, where she is for some reason sent to be governess for a military man and his seven children as Nazis take over the country …)

Yay! That would include a nice time travel subplot!

How do solve a problem like Maria, Oh Maria, Say it loud and it’s music playing!!

I’m just imagining Natalie Wood in the Sound of Music. Sadly she couldn’t sing in real life.

 

[John_Lazarus]

LOL You have a good point! A little too much “poetic” license in films at times.

I agree! The movie adaptation of Fun with Dick and Jane was almost nothing like the original book.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ueto88LsL.SY344_BO1,204,203,200.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Fun_with_Dick_and_Jane_(1977_film).png

 

[Gordon_Sims]

I’d rewrite the endings to most of the super hero movies of the last 15 years so that the villain wasn’t killed. A hero can’t have an archnemesis if you kill them all off. Plus, these are supposed to be heroes. In the comics, Spider-Man makes every effort to save lives. In the movies, not so much.

 

[Della]

The Bridges of Madison County.

She finally found her true love!

I think Francesca and Robert should have agreed to meet once a year, every year, at her little Iowa farmhouse for those few days when the rest of the family was off at that cow festival or pig pageant or whatever the heck it was.

That way, she wouldn’t have had to break up her family *and *they could have had each other.
Instead of pining and missing and yearning for each other for the rest of their lives.

.

That’s the plot of “Same Time Next Year” which starred, of all people, Carol Burnett and Alan Alda.

 

[Della]

Ellen Burstyn! (not Carol Burnett)
Love that film!

The song and the historical montages are so sentimental, in a great way…

.

Yes, you’re right, Carol Burnett and Alan Alda were in “The Four Seasons” yet another story about unfaithfulness and divorce. :yawn:

 

[Cynical_Realist]

Yes, you’re right, Carol Burnett and Alan Alda were in “The Four Seasons” yet another story about unfaithfulness and divorce. :yawn:

And the result of the yearly affair is shown in Billy Wilder’s “Avanti” although it’s not necessarily shown in a morally negative light.

 

[Della]

Yep. Art reflects society…and not much has changed, as evidence of the same stories still being told, over and over.
The biblical writers of various holy scriptures thousands of years ago were writing about similar challenges, love, relationships, and heartbreaks.
Good ol’ David and Bathsheba come to mind.
And we keep playing the stories out, according to script, actors strutting on a stage…

.

Sad to say. Still, I don’t have to watch for entertainment, thank God.

 

[aicirt]

GONE GIRL…better ending, and more realistic, would be for Ben Affleck to have gotten out of the cab and, upon seeing his lunatic wife, hauled off and decked her. Then turn around and leave.