Original Intent
One thing you didn't know about the Jag is that it's actually a bit of a nightmare for production to work with and they were looking for a way to decommission it. In essence, it was supposed to break down alongside an undisclosed road and lead to a funny conversation where Shane uses an App to call a tow truck, mystifying Oliver. This was where the discussion about "God trying to tell [them] something" was supposed to take place. Ultimately the situation would lead to them walking, at which point Shane would trip like she did outside the Ephlat Lounge in the final version, Oliver would catch her, and they would almost kiss.
Here's where we come to that "An Affair To Remember" callback. In the original script, the moment was supposed to take place in a small park descending the steps to "a sunken garden area," and instead of resting her hand on a rail, Shane was supposed to steady herself on a marble column. In fact, this is probably as close to a real-life manifestation of that Verlaine poem as you could possibly get in-context. You still wouldn't have seen the kiss---they were to be hidden by a marble column, but it would have played out the same way as outside the Ephlat Lounge, us knowing what happened but not seeing it. |
You'll notice that a majority of these scenes were meant to take place outside---therein was the issue.
Calling An Audible
Ever the professionals, Martha and Kristin sat down in the "Ephlat Lounge" and started re-writing the scenes, Kristin contributing to her own dialogue, and they managed to combine the best elements of each would-be outdoor scene into one cohesive sequence. The result was what we saw on-screen, and explains the disconnect between the decision to walk, the crack of thunder heard during the transition shot, and the ultimately dry couple entering the lounge. The crack of thunder suggesting something "going wrong" was the only real way they could introduce the "God trying to tell us something" discussion to be continued after drinks. After drinks came with its own set of challenges, too. |
While the extended version would have been nice, the last minute re-write ultimately stripped the date to its most critical and impactful elements. At the same time, this tale bears witness to the incredible talent and dedication of the crew that assembles time and again to make Martha's vision come to life. I know I can't wait to see what they do next---or hear the stories behind how they made them happen.
Waiting,
~C