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The Scrubbing Bubble looks at M. Night's UNBREAKABLE script
Hey folks, Harry here. Now... all of you good folks should realize that this is the same draft of UNBREAKABLE that Moriarty reviewed... that IGN's folks have reviewed... that... Well, It's made the rounds. However, I refuse to read this script. After SIXTH SENSE... I try to keep M Night's films as secret to myself as possible. This has minor spoilers, and merely pokes at the ending, without giving it away. You should also know, that this draft is NOT necessarily the shooting draft, and that M. Night may very well of changed the ending... or perhaps has done something even weirder... I don't know, Scrubbing Bubble doesn't know, IGN don't know, Corona don't know... Nobody but Shyamalan and his editors and post folks know for sure. And... we're working on em. Muhahahahaha Just kidding. I don't want to know.
THE SCRUBBING BUBBLE REVIEWS THE SCREENPLAY
M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN'S "UNBREAKABLE"
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It starts quitely and builds with power until I almost can't take it and
then-
And then M. Night Shyamalan, who wrote and directed last year's
sensational "The Sixth Sense", tries to give his new script "Unbreakable" a
twist ending. It happens in the last four pages and everything suddenly
falls flat. Maybe he didn't feel an audience would embrace it the way they
did "Sixth" without some mind blowing final twist. Maybe he planned it all
along and on screen it will work briliantly. But for what its worth, on the
page, it doesn't.
Night's October 8th 1999 draft of UNBREAKABLE runs 128 pages. The film,
which has already finished principal photography, stars Bruce Willis as David
Dunne, a security guard at a football stadium. After being involved in a
massive subway car crash in which 131 people die and he survives without a
scratch, he starts to show signs that he's...invincible. Neat, huh?
Then there is Elijah, a man who was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a
rare disorder that makes his bones less dense. That basically means that if
you bumped into this guy the wrong way, you'd hear the sickening crack of his
arms and legs breaking. Samuel L. Jackson should bring major power to this
role. Since his mother gave him his first comic book as a child, he's been
obsessed with these gods who stop crime and have superhuman strength. He
runs a comic book shop called "Limited Edition" and claims to be one of the
world's most knowledgable comic book experts.
Night sets up these two men's lives beautifully. Within just a few pages
I was there, totally sucked in. In a lot of ways, this is a better story
than "The Sixth Sense". It is so original and challenging. That's why I got
a little pissed over the ending.
Basically, Elijah seeks out David. He's been tracking the city's worst
disasters and looking for survivors like David. He's convinced that out
there somewhere exists a man who is his polar opposite. While he jokingly
refers to himself as Mr. Glass, he believes out there is a man who can't be
hurt. And he finds him in David.
These two men, the relationship that develops between them, and how it
effects their lives is wonderful. You sense this profound feeling of hope
welling up while you read. In this dark drab world, we get this slight hint
of hope that there is a man similar to those in comic books. A man who could
protect people who are fragile, like Elijah. Like the rest of us. This
feeling pervades the whole film and finally, when David dones a costume that
isn't really a costume, but at the same time is, we feel this burst of joy.
You're so happy that someone out there who can help us. And you love Elijah
for making him accept what he has to do.
And then Night gives us this really sucky, Usual Suspects ending that
boggled my mind. Sure, it's clever. Sure it might work in the movie. It
might. But this ending totally ruins the emotion and morality of what he set
up. It undermines everything we invested in Elijah and in his philosophy.
And it hurts. It's strange how only a few pages can turn a whole script
around and just ruin that feeling of joy you had at reading something so
great.
Kudos to the script. I loved it. But the ending really let me down
The Scrubbing Bubble
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+ Expand All
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After that geniously credible effort that was The Sixth Sense, I will be excited about project the has Shyamalan attached. Bring on Indy 4.
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You know when a movie becomes all about the twist ending ( ie Sixth Sense)I feel it kind of cheapens it. I think it was the worst part about the Sixth Sense, it was a bit gimmicky. The best parts were anything dealing with the relationship between the boy and his mother. This is were M. Night writing came off strongest. I hope he doesn't feel he has to put a twist into every film he does. (especially not INDY4.)
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If Jackson can bring any of the acting ability he showed in 187 and colour the wonderful character plus ignite some of the excellant rapor (Spelling??) he had with Bruce in Die Hard 3 and if Bruce can continue this second project with M.Night succesfully creating a new character then I think the script sounds excellant and original and really has a good chance of being something big. Personally I'm excited about this project and hope it fulfills my wishes for it. Fingers crossed then.
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did your last diary entry get deleted? I couldn't seem to find it to see if you had given a witty retorting? strange.. maybee i'm just looking in the wrong place.. or the site has become akin to deleting irrelivence.. hmmmm. Thats a bad thing.. as 97% of posts are inane bullshit... just like this one.
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"Indiana Jones surveys the wreckage of Atlantis, his father, his brother and teenage son look at him in disbleif at his heroic expoits - Indiana pulls at his face to reveal that he's been wearing a mask all these years. The face is similar, but has a moustache - he turns to the camera, raises his eyebrows twice and drives off in a red ferarri to loud squealing guitar music." That, or no twists at all, please. Mind, this Unbreakable film sounds excellent - please don't let Sam be a hidden hero or something.
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Please delete this if it right but I don't reckon it is just an assumption and I gotta get it off my chest:
O.k Samuel Jackson is stood on the sidewalk and a piano is falling towards him from a failed attempt to furnish a dining lounge on the 45th floor of some building, Bruce's character having since been convinced of his invincibility by sams character dashs under the piano in order to protect sam and unfortunatly he isn't invincible atall and they both get drilled about 3foot into the pavement? I think it'd work!! -
The secret twist ending occurs when Sam strips off his clothes in front of Bruce. A shocked Bruce suddenly realizes that Sam is actually . . . a woman! And then that Boy George song starts to play . . . the "something something game", I don't really remember . . . And then Bruce realizes that Sam has been a ghost this entire time, and furthermore, Sam is ALSO Keysar Soze AND Tyler Durden. Bruce then opens the box that Sam gives him, only to find Gwynith's severed head! (strange, since she was not even in the movie). Then, for the grand finale, Sam comes leaping out of the water with an oxygen tank clenched firmly between his teeth. He races towards Bruce, who grimly says, "Smile, you son of a bitch," but before he can fire, a giant mako shark bursts out of the air lock and grabs Sam and drags him back down below, where he is ripped in half. The last thirty minutes of the film is simply Night Shymalan standing there, screaming at the audience: "I'm the best screenwriter ever, because I said so! The best ever! I rule! Yeah!" over and over again. He then gives himself two honorary Oscars and mercifully lets the audience leave
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...and it was called Jacob's Ladder...and Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge before that...
Hopefully, Unbreakable will prove that M. Night is capable of doing films that don't rely on a Twilight Zone ending. If you saw his first, Wide Awake, then the Sixth Sense's "surprise" ending wouldn't have been much of a surprise. In fact, I saw it coming in the first ten mins. -
Finally... M. Night is breaking ground since Sixth Sense and all I can say is... yipeeee! This is the same guy that did Stewart Little... can you dig it?
This new storyline sounds decent... and being a screenwriter myself, if the version that is being reviewed right now is from Oct 99, you can almost more than guarantee there will be changes. Writing is rewriting... even if you're one of the chosen ones.
Disney didn't fork over ten million for the storyline to be spilled on AICN. :) So disresepct Harry, your site is the only one worth reading these days.
das' it -
The film hasn't even come out yet and people are lambasting it, what is wrong with everyone? Plus this draft of the script is 8 months old, do you really think that there won't be any tweaking of the script, heck you still have to go through screenings and editors and distributors. But what I have read of this script so far, it sounds interesting and original. Give the man a break.
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Am I the only one who actually enjoyed the twist at the end? I'll admit it caught me totally off guard, although like The Sixth Sense, I felt I should've seen it coming all along. But once I took time to digest it, I realized it's actually the perfect conclusion to this story. About the only complaint I have with the script is that it feels like a first act. It kinda reminds me of Elizabeth, in that the story ends right before you reach the really good stuff. But the story that M. Night does tell is still very entertaining. Naturally everyone will wonder whether this movie features a twist ending only because The Sixth Sense had one. My guess is...probably. But I don't mind a twist ending as long as it serves a purpose and enhances the story that preceded it. The Sixth Sense did this. American Psycho did not. And it's my humble opinion that Unbreakable is an example of a twist ending that works.
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with the 6th Sense parade. Can we just get over it? People liked the movie, man. It made 3 mil!! At any rate, re_Veers, you're so right about the mother/son relationship. Especially the last scene in the car. I never use this word, but it was quite touching. Plus I dig Toni C's acting chops. About Unbreakable, it's a great story, but I'm kind of in the boat with the guy who said making the movie sort of build up to a twist cheapens it as a whole. 6th Sense wasn't really about the fact that Malcolm was dead, which made the ending a lot more interesting. On the other hand, it worked really well for Fight Club when you find out Mr. Norton and Tyler are one in the same. One last thing: If David and Elijah are supposed to be a kind of Biblical reference, shouldn't it be David and Nathan, as Nathan was the prophet who counseled King David?
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Maybe it's too sooon to start guessing about the Unbreakable ending, and maybe if someone guesses right then it will ruin it for everyone else. Well I never said I was a team player, so here is how I think Unbreakable will end: Bruce and Sam are in some cleverly orchastrated mess were both their lives are in ultimate peril. Touching music, witty comments, Sam does something superhuman and Bruce bleeds for the first time. THEN: pull out to reveal that it was a just comic book the whole time.
Last shot: Sam Jackson putting the final touches on a panel that was obviosly penciled by Todd Mcfarlane. He says one more witty thing, then his kid comes in and jumps on his lap spilling ink all over the only draft of the comic. The pages get thrown in the trash. FADE TO BLACK.
Just a guess. -
I dunno, but I think that from what I've seen of this disorder, the afflicted person cannot even stand on his own two feet. They have to be in a wheelchair, if I'm not mistaken. They can't shake hands for fear it will shatter their own. I just wanted to make that clear, because a man with such a disorder could not be found in many circumstances this film might render. It's commonly called "Brittle Bone Syndrome".
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...don't you pay attention? The twist was given away at least once on AICN before now. If you rrrrreally wanna know, I guess you could email me.
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Twist endings suck!! Because most movies with a twist ending exist only for that one oh so clever twist, and once you've seen them, you don't care anymore. Films with twist ending are not the one's you watch two, three, four or whatever times, because once you know the twist, that's it. Sixth Sense was scary and well handled, and the twist, well, uncexpected and somewhat cool, yes, but then again - after knowing the twist you start to rethink, and all of sudden you find all the fucking plotholes. Remember MAVERICK? William Goldman gave us one ending, and onother and then, all of a sudden Gibson and Garner are father and son???!! All the bickering between the two, all the stuff you enjoyed throughout the movie, from one moment to the next you're expected to buy that it was all set up. What a cheat!! Same with THE GAME - what a stupid fucking ending - hey, it was just a game, there was never any danger for Michael Douglas! What the fuck!!?? Or what about FIGHT CLUB? Fuck twists!! So please, M.Night, give us a good story, good characters, but, please, spare us the fucking twist ending!!!
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...I'm going to see a double bill of Raiders and Temple of Doom on the big screen tommorrow night! WOO-HOO! Best Scene: When Gestapo guy gets out the metal/chain thing in front of Karen (is that her name?) and Belloq, and it turns out to be a coathanger. Damn nearly died laughing...
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I think the secret ending will be that Bruce's character decides to use his invulnerability to commit crimes instead of being a hero, thus destroying all of Sam's faith in life and hope, there by "breaking" the "unbreakable" spirit of Sam's character. Snootch to the Nootch.
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To any one who has read the script, please email me and lemme know if I'm right ;)
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may be that bruce willis is really just a figment of sam jackson's imagination. a way for him to live out his dreams of being a superhero. or maybe not.
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I've read this, I like the ending, I'll pay for a ticket to see the movie. I thought that the direction of Sixth Sense was really underrated - and I went a second time just to enjoy it again. All that said, Night's really tied his hands with this one - the middle sequence of this script is SLOW. I can't wait to see him try to pull this off. And don't forget that this is a $5 million script, with $5 million to direct. No pressure there!~
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I work down the block from where they've been shooting the "Limited Editions" scenes and was wondering what a comic book art gallery had to do with the story.
BTW, that location had been a cajun restaurant, then was vacant for a couple of years. After they finish filming, the guy who owns a mexican restaurant down the street is moving his operation over there (after a little renovation).
As the kids say, "Mad props" to Shamyalan for keeping Philly so prominent in his flicks...I'm really hoping he has Indy search for Ben Franklin's missing note-books or something in IV! ;)
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Sorry, but 6th sense's twist was like a poor man's Roald Dahl twist. Didn't grab me, but who am I to talk? Millions of Americans were so impressed they saw it twice to find out how they'd been tricked (duh!?!). Anyhoo, this sounds suspiciously like it has many elements of Fred Schepsi's "Fearless" (with Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez). Also, does anyone remember the classic Lauwrence Olivier / Michael Caine movie "Sleuth"? Now THAT'S a good integrated twist ending!
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I know nothing about the script, but I have a feeling the ending is a red herring. The studios must surely know that keeping the ending top secret will translate to more cash at the box office. And even though all the websites that have done reviews have been really careful not to give away the ending, I honestly doubt that the studio would ever rely on the spies not to spill the beans. So what do they do, they let slip the script with a phoney ending that is meant to be HORRIBLE. The reviews come in, great script terrible ending. So everybody goes into the movie on opening night expecting exactly that, a crappy ending, and guess what, it's different! It's not crappy at all, but marvelous! The whole word-of-mouth things starts up again just like it did for 6th Sense, and the Studio Marketing execs all get big fat raises. If course I could be wrong. I just really, REALLY want to be right. Please, M. Night, don't let the ending SUCK!!!
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Jun 25, 2000 2:19:55 PM CDT
This Idea Sounds Cool! Hope They Decide Not To Try Too Hard For
by buzz maverik
...like Stephen King said he learned, not all stories need a Twilight Zone ending. M. Night doesn't need to be the shock ending guy. It's enough that he's the Original, Talented, Visionary Guy. I can't wait for this one.
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does Anyone have the origional oct.8 draft of UNBREAKABLE? I know how carefull Night is being with the script. but it seems like a lot of others have gotten to see it, and damn it, why cant I? -b.arnold@erols.com
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O.K. I am probably reacting to this all wrong but does anyone else think that this movie may owe a small bit to a movie called "fearless" directed by that nice bloke Peter Weir?
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