When TV Networks Screw Up Movies
by Ellen Kim
on July 25, 2010
While mopping my kitchen floor last Saturday afternoon, I turned on the TV to Pride and Prejudice,
airing on the Style Network. It's one of those great standbys that's
gotten better for me across multiple viewings, even getting me over my
prejudice (forgive the pun) against Keira Knightley's pouting.
As the final scene approached, I was shocked when the movie abruptly ended and went to credits right after Elizabeth's father (Donald Sutherland) gave his blessing. This cut out the swoony, romantic finale altogether:
Clearly, there was a time issue (the broadcast was 2:30 including commercials, but the movie is 127 minutes), but whoever was in charge of editing for television broadcast was either trigger-happy or has a heart of stone.
This reminds of how every year I watched The Sound of Music during its annual network broadcast, and it wasn't until college, when I finally saw the theatrical version, that I realized when Maria, Capt. von Trapp and the kids are trying to sneak out of their house to escape the Nazis, that Franz the butler is watching them from the window (this cutaway was not in the TV broadcasts back then; I have no idea if they've restored it). This implies that Franz ratted them out to the Nazis, who intercepted their escape, somewhat of a major detail I was surprised I'd never seen before.
And finally, there's The Breakfast Club. Once again, in my youthful innocence, I loved watching the scene where they're all dancing like maniacs around the library after their heartfelt, tearful soul-bearing conversation. It told me that when you go to high school, all you need to do is sit around tearing into each other's stereotypes and it unites you in a way that leaves you all bopping around as friends. Little did I know this entire scene had been cut for network broadcast:
So really, it wasn't Molly Ringwald's lipstick trick that facilitated the cross-clique bonding--it was marijuana. I understand why networks wouldn't show this scene, but this revelation is like the time I realized people let loose and dance at weddings because they're drunk, not just because they're really happy for the bride and groom.
Are there any movies whose edited network broadcasts surprised--even disgusted--you? --Ellen
As the final scene approached, I was shocked when the movie abruptly ended and went to credits right after Elizabeth's father (Donald Sutherland) gave his blessing. This cut out the swoony, romantic finale altogether:
Clearly, there was a time issue (the broadcast was 2:30 including commercials, but the movie is 127 minutes), but whoever was in charge of editing for television broadcast was either trigger-happy or has a heart of stone.
This reminds of how every year I watched The Sound of Music during its annual network broadcast, and it wasn't until college, when I finally saw the theatrical version, that I realized when Maria, Capt. von Trapp and the kids are trying to sneak out of their house to escape the Nazis, that Franz the butler is watching them from the window (this cutaway was not in the TV broadcasts back then; I have no idea if they've restored it). This implies that Franz ratted them out to the Nazis, who intercepted their escape, somewhat of a major detail I was surprised I'd never seen before.
And finally, there's The Breakfast Club. Once again, in my youthful innocence, I loved watching the scene where they're all dancing like maniacs around the library after their heartfelt, tearful soul-bearing conversation. It told me that when you go to high school, all you need to do is sit around tearing into each other's stereotypes and it unites you in a way that leaves you all bopping around as friends. Little did I know this entire scene had been cut for network broadcast:
So really, it wasn't Molly Ringwald's lipstick trick that facilitated the cross-clique bonding--it was marijuana. I understand why networks wouldn't show this scene, but this revelation is like the time I realized people let loose and dance at weddings because they're drunk, not just because they're really happy for the bride and groom.
Are there any movies whose edited network broadcasts surprised--even disgusted--you? --Ellen
ShoelesJoe on July 26, 2010 at 12:57 PM
One of my favorite Network edits was the original NBC broadcast of Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye", where some corporate suite decided he didn't like the original ending. The theatrical cut ends with Philip Marlowe taking the law into his own hands, shooting the bad guy who was going to get away scott free. The NBC broadcast jumped to the credits prior to the killing, changing the basic narrative, and making Marlowe out to be a very different character than he was in the original book or movie.
About ten years later NBC broadcast the wonderful Richard Burton/Roger Moore/Richard Harris action flick "The Wild Geese" that originally featured an ending similar to The Long Goodbye. And Good God the &*%#$ suites struck again, totally emasculating one of the great macho movies of all time.
Memo to NBC -- if you don't like the basic story a film tells then don't broadcast it. Changing the story to fit your biases makes the Network out to be a bunch of cowardly morons.
Paul on July 26, 2010 at 02:54 PM
I refuse to watch a movie on a network that butchers a movie, either by editing out certain scenes to shorten it to fit in 8 minutes of commercials for every 10 minutes of air time, or dubbing in words (usually by someone else) that make no sense to cover-up an 'offensive' one, or both.
I have not watched anything on ABC, CBS, or NBC except for local news in years because of this. A lot of the cable stations have gotten bad about this too. I just won't patronize these stations at all. I don't mind commercials in a half-hour sitcom (and Lord knows there are enough of those and those horrid reality shows that aren't really 'reality' to go around), but movies should be seen as they were originally released and without (or minimal) commercial interruption. If commercails are absolutely necessary, then please add anohter half-hour to the run-time schedule so we can see the entire movie. Nothing ruins a movie more than to come back from a commercial interruption to find that there has been a well-known (and intregal to the plot) scene cut to make room for feminine-hygiene or male enhancment product promotion.
If Turner Classic Movies Channel (and others) can do it, they all can. If they can't (or won't) then they have nothing to show me and I won't be seeing their commercials or contributing to their ratings. It's as simple as that! If enough people adopt this credo, then maybe they (the networks and/or stations) will get the message.
xiao on November 11, 2010 at 05:31 PM
we can see the entire movie