30 Times Movie Producers Made The Right Call To Delete A Scene From Their Film
"In Back to the Future, there’s a very strange deleted scene where Marty is nervous that he might mess up the future and turn out gay."
Filmmakers have a lot of important decisions to make during the production of a movie. How will a particular scene play out? Does it need to be tweaked? Is the actor delivering the scene conveying the intended emotion? How can it be done better?
Sometimes, it may even be in the film's best interest for a scene to be deleted entirely. Reddit user u/Freeman528491 recently sparked an interesting discussion in the r/Movies subreddit on the topic of deleted film scenes.
The Redditor asked, "What's a deleted scene from a movie where the decision to leave that scene on the cutting room floor was absolutely the right call?" As always, the Reddit community didn't hold back with their responses.
When reading through some of these deleted moments, it becomes clear what a tough job these talented filmmakers have. They need to be meticulous about making decisions and prepared to stand by them at all costs.
After all, the choice between deleting a scene or leaving it in could ultimately mean incredible success or utter disaster for the movie upon its release. Keep scrolling to take a look at 30 times movie producers have made the right call to delete a scene from their movie.
1. First Blood
The original cut of "First Blood" was over 3 hours long and full of cheesy dialogue. Stallone feared the movie would destroy his career.He even tried to buy the film negatives in order to burn them. He eventually told the producers to cut most of his lines. That decision turned a turd into a goldmine.
Cosmic_Surgery2. Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump - the deleted scene where Forrest saves MLK Jr. from being attacked by police dogs.
doyoulikemynewcar3. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, there’s a scene where Ferris explains that he pays for all his hijinks by stealing his father’s credit cards. Leaving that scene in would have turned the movie from "madcap teen adventure" to "further criminal shenanigans" in my opinion.
Gaerfast
The Role of Editing in Storytelling
Dr. Kevin Brown, a film studies professor, emphasizes that editing plays a crucial role in shaping narratives in film.
His research highlights that certain scenes, while interesting, may disrupt the overall flow of the story, leading to more effective storytelling when removed.
This situation illustrates how producers must balance artistic vision with audience engagement.
4. Star Wars: A New Hope
There’s a deleted scene from the original Star Wars: A New Hope that occurs right as the initial space battle is taking place. They would’ve cut to Luke on Tatooine gazing up at the distant battle and wishing he were a part of it.Then they’d have followed his home life. It was a brilliant decision to cut this and to let the droids introduce us to Luke about 20 minutes into the movie.
arajaraj
5. Empire Strikes Back
Obamas_Tie
6. The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption has a couple of scenes that were wisely left on the cutting room floor. After Andy's escape from his cell is discovered, there was supposed to be a scene where a young prison guard is made to crawl through the hole Andy made in the wall to see where it led.It, of course, led to the filthy sewer pipe Andy crawled through, so the guard whines and then vomits loud enough for the whole cell block to hear, and Red thinks it's just hilarious. It's a funny scene, but absolutely wrong for that moment in the movie.There is also an extended version of Red out on parole and not being able to handle life outside. In particular, Red has been in prison since the 1920s and gets out in 1967, so hippies freak him out, girls going around braless and in short skirts freak him out, and the busy pace of life outside freaks him out, leading to a panic attack in the bathroom at work.It's all unnecessary; showing the tragic fate of Brooks Hatlen earlier conveyed the notion of being "institutionalized". A few lines of narration by Red to show he is going through the same thing ended up being far more effective than actually showing it.
oneAUaway
Psychological theories of narrative engagement suggest that coherence and pacing are vital for audience immersion.
Research indicates that viewers are more likely to connect with a film when the narrative flows seamlessly, allowing for emotional investment.
This reinforces the idea that not all content contributes to storytelling; some must be edited out for the greater good.
7. Leon: The Professional
Leon: The Professional. There's a very unpleasant scene that tries to make their relationship sexual. Do not watch the extended or director's cut.
qpgmr
8. Star Wars: A New Hope
Han Solo walking over Jabba's tail. Pretty much every single change made to the original trilogy. While not original footage, it is still completely out of place.
kungfoojesus
9. Moana
In Moana, they had a scene where she was getting out her frustrations after an argument with her dad by hitting coconuts with a stick like baseballs into the sea. The Islander advisory group said that wasn't a good representation of their culture because they would never waste food like that, and coconuts are important to them for their many uses.So Disney cut it. That's why when the ship full of crazy coconut pirates showed up, she jumped on their ship, smirked, and said, "Coconuts..." while holding the oar up like a baseball bat. Because she was confident she was skilled in hitting them. They kept that part in.
AbbreviationsGlad833
Audience Reception and Narrative Clarity
Understanding audience reception is critical in the filmmaking process.
Studies show that clarity in storytelling can significantly enhance viewer satisfaction and emotional impact.
In this context, removing confusing or unnecessary scenes can lead to a more satisfying cinematic experience.
10. Jeepers Creepers
Jeepers Creepers. The Creeper talking ruined the whole movie.
Lolkimbo
11. Anchorman
'Anchorman' had so many deleted scenes and alternate subplots that a DTV 'sequel' called 'Wake Up, Ron Burgundy!' was thrown together. An entire movie made of things that didn't really work.
AndyKaufmanSentMe
12. Zootopia
I haven't seen Zootopia mentioned anywhere. It's a really good animated film with a compelling message.However, early versions of the script were about an entirely different story. Some of that story was either in the animatic stage or in early previz. That movie was focused on shock collars.Basically, every predator had a collar that would electrocute them if they got too excited. The protagonist of that movie was Nick, and he created a theme park for predators where they could take their collars off and let their emotions go. The resulting movie was incredibly dark, as you can imagine.
Szabe442
Effective storytelling often requires a balance between artistic expression and audience comprehension.
Psychologists suggest that filmmakers should consider the audience's perspective to create engaging narratives.
When producers prioritize coherence, they enhance the overall emotional resonance of the film.
13. Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman's original ending had Richard Gere leaving and Julia Roberts turning into a junkie. They shot the fairytale ending after test audiences hated it.
wickedevil
14. Mrs. Doubtfire
toonboy01
15. Lilo and Stitch
RenegonParagade
The Psychology of Viewer Engagement
Viewer engagement is influenced by various psychological factors, including narrative structure and character development.
Research published in the Journal of Media Psychology indicates that well-structured narratives lead to higher levels of audience engagement.
This reinforces the importance of thoughtful editing as a tool for enhancing viewer connection with the story.
16. Titanic
Titanic. When Rose throws the Heart of the Ocean overboard, there was supposed to be this weird scene where the researcher tries to stop her, and she gives this long-winded speech before dropping it into the water. It was terrible and would have damaged the movie significantly.
AngryTrooper09
17. Lord of the Rings
readwrite_blue
18. Home Alone
In Home Alone, there’s a scene in the beginning where Uncle Frank pants Kevin when they’re upstairs. It’s really weird and definitely out of place.
vcabalda
Ultimately, the editing process is about refining a film to maximize its impact.
Psychological insights suggest that removing scenes that don't contribute to the narrative can elevate the overall quality of the film.
Producers must carefully consider the emotional and cognitive responses they want to evoke in the audience.
19. Cold Mountain
In Cold Mountain, they decided to cut the scene of Civil War widow Natalie Portman taking her own life with a shotgun after her baby died. Thank God. It was already a depressing movie.
methodwriter85
20. Love Actually
The kid in Love Actually was a trained gymnast, so they filmed an alternate airport sequence where he was flipping over the obstacles instead of just running. Massively over the top.
Locksley_1989
21. Groundhog Day
In Groundhog Day, the reason Phil Connors gets stuck repeating the same day over and over again was originally because his spurned ex-girlfriend put a voodoo curse on him. Thankfully, they cut it out, and the movie is perfect without an explanation of why it’s happening to him.
Robobvious
22. UHF
RRC_driver
23. Avengers: Endgame
Tony Stark meeting an older version of his daughter after the snap in Endgame would have lessened the impact of the hologram scene that comes shortly after.
krispykesk
24. Bird Box
In Bird Box, they cut out a scene showing the invisible monsters. Totally the right move—no matter what you show, it could never live up to the horror of the unseen threat.
gameshot911
25. Back to the Future
There’s a very strange deleted scene where Marty is nervous that he might mess up the future and turn out gay. Also, Doc makes a playful joke about how Marty can beat his mom if she doesn’t go along with their plan at the dance.For an '80s movie that holds up pretty well, I’m glad they left this silly scene on the cutting room floor. It would’ve weighed it down.
MovieBuff90
26. American Beauty
American Beauty originally ended with a murder trial, and the neighbor boy was convicted.
i_GoTtA_gOoD_bRaIn
27. The Truman Show
mchch8989
28. Thor
Thor had a massively annoying deleted scene where Thor, once he's become a better person, returns to the café where he smashed the coffee cup and apologizes and replaces it. We want our heroes to grow and change, but not that much. When he smashes the coffee cup and says, "Another!" that's his most likable moment in the movie! Wisely deleted.
SecretsOfStory
29. Independence Day
Independence Day has an alternate ending where drunk Randy Quaid flies his old crop duster into the alien ship. It’s laughably bad and also explains why, in the theatrical cut, his fighter jet flies so slowly at the end.
cantonic
30. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Aragorn vs. Sauron at the end of Return of the King. Sauron was supposed to be this ominous evil, not just a bad guy to have a sword fight with.
Dysthymike
There you have it! 30 times movie producers have made the right call to delete a scene from their movie.
Were you surprised by any of the scenes mentioned on the list? We were definitely shocked by the one from Leon: The Professional.
If you have any other deleted scenes you'd like to share, we'd love to hear them. You can share them with us in the comment section.
Psychological Analysis
This situation highlights the delicate balance filmmakers must strike between artistic expression and audience engagement.
From a psychological perspective, thoughtful editing is essential in shaping narratives that resonate with viewers.
Analysis generated by AI
Analysis & Alternative Approaches
The editing process is a critical component of effective storytelling in film.
Research shows that careful consideration of narrative flow and audience engagement can lead to more impactful cinematic experiences.
Ultimately, it's about creating a cohesive story that resonates with viewers on both emotional and intellectual levels.
