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What if Rhett Butler had Given a Damn? by Diane Kelly
 Posted by Diane Kelly Nov 30 2011, 1:00 am
Slowly the movie worked its way back to the top, and last weekend it appeared in my mailbox. I’ve long since finished the manuscript with the Irish characters, but figured I’d go ahead and watch the movie anyway. It was here, so why not? The movie was poignant, funny at times, but overall a bit sad. The plot involved two disabled young men in their early twenties, both of whom were wheelchair bound. One had cerebral palsy, and the other, Rory O’Shea, suffered from muscular dystrophy. The two live in a home for the disabled. Rory has difficulty dealing with the loss of independence and strives to find a better life for himself and his new friend. I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone who might see it, so I won’t give specifics about the plot. But after I watched the movie, I noticed my TV screen displaying the option to watch an alternate ending. I clicked on it. It’s not my place to second guess those who made the film, but personally I much preferred the alternate ending. It was more uplifting, pulled the themes together more fully, and left everyone in a better, happier place. I tried to figure out why it wasn’t chosen as the actual ending. Perhaps it tied up everything too neatly and didn’t leave the viewer with much to think about afterward. Have you ever read a book or seen a movie that you wished had ended differently? How would you have ended the story? We’d love to hear about it!
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Romeo and Juliet. Really, Shakespeare? Really?
Lol, Darynda!
SO TRUE, Darynda!!!
You know what English teachers always say about that one: would you really want to see Romeo and Juliet in middle age, after twenty years of marriage, Romeo balding, Juliet drinking too many martinis, bickering over how he always leaves the toilet seat up? There’s a certain perfection in dying at the very peak of youthful passion and beauty.
Actually, the more times I teach that play, the more I think it’s a satire…. but that’s a discussion for another day.
LOL, Elisa. I’m sure Shakespeare had something up his sleeve with that one. He usually did.
OMG I have the funniest visual of that. Can you imagine the in-law problems> The holidays would be crazy
LOL. Love it.
I feel the same way, Darynda! Give me a happy ending any time!
Right there with you, Darynda!
I might be revealing my dark side here but I really love the whole tragic, teenage let-me-mistakenly-drink-poison-for-you, OMG, is that a sword? ending. Kinda works for me
Hi, Diane! I hadn’t heard of Rory O’Shea Was Here — I’ll have to track that down. I’m not as curious about alternative endings as I am about what happens next to the characters I’ve grown attached to. Having said that, I do think the ending of Gone With the Wind was perfection, which is why I haven’t been tempted to read the sequel.
Good point, Vanessa! If the author (or screenwriter) has done a good job, they make the readers (or viewers) care enough about the characters to wonder what happens to them after the current story ends.
You know, whenever I’m reading a book in which characters I care about are suffering or in jeopardy, I’m constantly imagining a sunnier version in parallel to the scary/upsetting one. I don’t mind sad, ambiguous, muddled endings (since life all too often works that way) but a part of me always longs for a more hopeful version.
I don’t know if I can think of a particular book or movie, though, that I really *wanted* to end differently….I’ll see if anything pops into my head during the day.
You and I are a lot alike, Elisa! The battle between reality and optimism/hope is a hard one. Sometimes I wish I could put on emotional blinders!
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Different endings is one of the incredibly mindless things I do. Always thinking of another ending for books and movies. Horror, SiFi, spooky, whatever you want to call them generally fall flat for me.
I have to say I cannot see GWTW ending any other way. If it had would be remembering it 70 years later?
I agree. The ending fit the tone of the time period in the movie- a time of strife for people and the country.
Love story. Could Eric Segal have written a sadder ending?
As for wanting to write a different ending to a story, the one I would tackle is Castaway.
I hope that things worked out for Tom Hanks character with the woman he delivered the box to!
I’m still angry about how My Brilliant Career Ended. Oh, and Malena haunted me for days, though it wasn’t the ending, it was the black moment that did me in.
I think one of the best endings is in “A Christmas Story” when the family ends up laughing at the Chinese restaurant. Very cute! And no haunting! : )
Hi Diane, fun topic!
Love the ending of “GWTW”. I can’t imagine it ending any other way. To me, it’s perfect.
On the flip side, the ending of “Something’s Gotta Give” doesn’t really work for me. I wanted Diane Keaton to end up with Keanu Reeves because he’s A. adorable B. completely enamoured of her.
I dunno…love Jack but he wouldn’t have been my choice.
Give me Keanu in Paris any day.
Keanu in Paris sounds good. As does Orlando in Orlando. Antonio in San Antonio. Bradley Cooper in Cooperstown . . . : )
I’m constantly rewriting books and movies in my head. It’s Complicated is one. I want the second sink! I want Merryl to have the hope of hooking up with the cute architect who will treat her right!