I had the amazing pleasure and opportunity to meet Robert Townsend and view this movie prior to final editing. As a (former) teacher and an avid movie goer he asked me to give him my honest opinion. I did without any hesitation-I critiqued a few things I believed needed attention and spoke of the ending-how I would have preferred it. He was silent and I could hear him smiling on the line when he told me that-the way I wanted it; was how he shot the original ending! Focus groups didn't care for it and so an alternate ending was encouraged to be used instead. You see
.the majority of the population like to have a final ending, clear view of who the good/bad guy is and no cliffhangers
sometimes focus groups suck and don't see the value in a movie that doesn't end cleanly
.b/c life is messy, you don't always get the answers or endings you think you deserve or desire
when people go to the movies most go for certainties- clear roles of the good, bad, and final resolve
this is the false sense of security! In life we do not have any certainties other than death
Therefore, those who cannot enjoy a movie for its "art imitating life" value can ruin it for an avid movie goer like myself b/c they push for the cookie cutter Hollywood ending
not allowing a good story become a great one. Case in point: The Butterfly Effect-This movie could have been thought provoking and the end would have been mind blowing had they used the alternative ending in theaters
.I didn't go see in theaters I bought when I was in college at a Walmart on DVD it had 2 sides one with the Theatrical Release and the other with Alternate Ending
I watched the Alternate Ending side 1st thinking it was the Theatrical Release-I loved it! When I had my roommate watch it and talked it up I put it right side up this time showing the Theatrical Release side- when it ended I was like WHAT!? That isn't right, she was not impressed with the ending either (didn't understand why I talked the movie up so much) and I quickly showed her the other side for alternate ending, we both agreed the alternate ending was WAY BETTER and made the movies message more powerful- it left us with mixed emotions after the credits rolled
. Isn't that what audience should want???? Mixed emotions, thought provoking scripts and endings that are messy b/c that's what real life is?! More often than not the answer is, NO. Not for me
.I will always always love the incredible messy journey a good movie can bring you on especially those with unanswered questions and messy endings.
