I hate happy endings.

Specifically, I hate the slushy romantic endings in modern films that look like they were bolted on

as an afterthought.

I like going to the cinema to feel. I like a film that takes me through several emotions; happy,

sad, anger, despair, hope, but where does it say that I have to leave on a happy note? Conversely as

it sounds, all these happy endings are depressing me.

The problem is that the movie studios are too afraid of letting writers get on with it. Many

modern films are shot with several endings, and these are shown to a preview audience to see if they

will accept it. They almost always vote for the happy ending, regardless of how improbable or

unbelievable it is.

It is getting to the point that films are too predictable. 'How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days'

is a great film. OK, it's not up there with 'Some Like It Hot' but it is a good film and a novel

story. And yet, even when all logic and romantic ideals in the film point to a sad ending, in the end;

he gets the girl! What is going on? Am I alone in thinking this is stupid?¹ Which begs the question: If you already knew the ending of a film, would you

watch it?

The whole situation is parodied in 'The Player'

starring Tim Robbins, where the script being shot - the whole sub-story, is about a woman (Julia

Roberts) who is executed by the state for a murder she didn't commit, the story is about 'real life',

but in the final version, Bruce Willis bursts in, shoots the glass in the gas chamber and rescues her.

The reason? 'The preview audiences hated it - that's real life.'

Casablanca, one of the greatest films of all time has a sad ending. And it's a great ending.

The film would have been completely destroyed if Humphrey Bogart had gotten on the plane with

Ingrid Bergman. It is not as if the studio doesn't have an idea what makes a good film. 'Terminator

3' doesn't have a happy ending². The Matrix Revolutions doesn't have a happy ending. I think this

may be one reason that some fans are upset with it, but I thought it was a good way to end the

trilogy.

For these reasons, I loved the film 'Staggered' starring Martin Clunes. The story is

about a man who is sabotaged on the eve of his wedding by the scheming best man and Clunes' frantic

attempts to get back in time for the wedding. I won't spoil the ending, but based on my slant here,

I'm betting you can guess.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not 'anti-happy ending'. I loved the film 'Love Actually', I

thought it was great, but then I knew beforehand that it was a feel good film, I knew what to

expect.

With all these preview audiences deciding the ending, I'm finding that most of the films out these

days are either some romantic drivel with a happy ending, or a horror film with an unbelievable and

pathetically flawed premise.

But in the end, maybe the problems of a film goer doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

Atlantic_Cable

08.01.04 Front Page

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