What Happened To That Scene Or Dialogue In The Trailer? It’s Missing From The Movie!

Remember that great line of dialogue in the trailer for “Get Him To The Greek”? P. Diddy’s character exhorts his crew for ideas to keep a record label afloat. One clueless fool, slumping in his chair, oozing cool nonchalance beneath his hooded head, offers this gem to his boss: “Two words. Mexican Jonas Brothers.” Funny line, even classic. Only problem is it didn’t make the final cut of the film. The movie I saw had its charms but the most memorable line in the trailer: “Two words. Mexican Jonas Brothers,” was completely absent from the proceedings.

Perhaps I used to pay less attention, but I recall a time when virtually everything in the trailer showed up in the final film. By contrast, every film released these days seems to have missing trailer footage. It’s become an epidemic. Movie geeks could play a trivia contest built around the subject.

I, for one, find the practice jarring. We’ve been delivered a product that doesn’t include the promised parts. The disconnect may be unavoidable based on marketing cycles that require trailers be spliced and diced from footage weeks or months before a final cut has been assembled. But would it really impinge the artistic integrity of the filmmaking process if filmmakers and studios were encouraged to synch their end product more closely with the trailer they’ve been showing us for months?

There is a bigger problem here. The sad truth is that movies often seem different than the impression we’ve been given by the trailers that precede them (irrespective of missing scenes). A trailer could find its way into the film, every word and frame transferred to the end product, but through the magic of editing the “coming attraction” that enticed us to to pay our ten bucks ($19-20 if we’re in New York) could be nothing more than a mirage. The slick preview may have suggested a movie that’s all wine and roses, smiles and sunshine. But when we struggle to our seats, a fat tub of popcorn and leaking soda cup huddled in our arms, we witness a darker less accessible film than the carefully orchestrated marketing campaign foretold. We’ve been drawn into the multiplex on a false premise by clever people who know that selling tickets sometimes requires that they not reveal the true nature of their product.

Of course, the movie-going public isn’t stupid. [See "We Are All Studio Execs" for more on this.] We know the game and take our chances. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen with every film. But it happens enough that our guard is up. Under these circumstances, what difference does it make if a line of dialogue, even a memorable one like: “Two words. Mexican Jonas Brothers,” vanishes into thin air somewhere between trailer and final cut?

I guess what’s really bugging me about “Get Him To The Greek” is not the missing dialogue at all. Based on the trailer, I expected a comic romp, pure escapist entertainment without a message. But I’ve seen the movie and it offered more. Amidst the hilarity and goofiness, there were sad people dealing with drug addiction and broken relationships. 

When you’ve been deceived about the nature of a film, it’s usually cause for anger or annoyance. But in this case the film remained funny and the added elements made it even better. Still, I can’t help but ask: Where do they get off, delivering a movie with greater depth and lasting impact than I expected?

Jabcat Invites Your Comments On Trailer Scenes Missing From Movies. Click Here
Also read Jabcat’s Twitter review of “Get Him To The Greek”

Tagged as: Missing Dialogue, Missing Trailer Footage, P. Diddy, Trailer Dialogue

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