I thought I'd post clips from two of my favorite movies. Which just happen to have two of the best endings I know of. Coincidence? Not if remember Josh's Equation For Movie Enjoyment (or JEFME):
(Movie Quality + Ending) / Expectation = Enjoyment
When I previously talked about the equation in this post, it was in the context of how expectations color judgment, but endings are huge. As you can see in the equation, I rate a movie's ending as carrying equal weight to the overall quality. Part of that is because no A movie could ever have an F ending, just as no F movie could have an A ending.
But part of that is the fact I feel the lasting taste in a viewer's mouth is crucial to the moviegoing experience. If you've seen what could've been an A movie turn into a B because of a D ending, you're enjoyment is not a B. It's a C (depending on expectations) because although you just saw a B movie, your deflation at what might have been drags your enjoyment level down a notch.
And that's why it's no surprise two of all-time favorite -- arguably my top two -- are movies with terrific endings. It not only fits JEFME, it's the basis for it. I usually say 'The Shawshank Redemption' over 'Seven' when asked about my favorite movie because the moviegoing experience I had seeing it the first time was the best I've ever had. 'Seven' comes in a close second. The difference? Expectations, of course. The movies came out with a year of each other, but I saw them with completely different mentalities.
I saw 'Shawshank' upon it's re-release in 1995 after being nominated for an Oscar for 1994 (I'd been so lukewarm about it, I'd never even considered seeing it the first time around). It was a Sunday night, I was depressed, and had no expectations at all. For 'Seven', I'd waited for it for it for weeks, and saw it on opening day in the afternoon. I had tremendous expectations. They both were great, but the fact that 'Shawshank' surprised me as well as touched me, and inspired me when I needed it, makes the idea of it just a notch above 'Seven', which wowed me, but also depressed me, and left me feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. A great experience, no doubt, but still a slightly less positive and uplifting experience.
So, after all that blathering, here they are the ending of both movies. On more similarity between them: Morgan Freeman playing the second lead, and narrator, and speaking both film's magical lines -- in one heartening and hopeful, in the other heartbreaking and haunting. First 'Shawshank':
"I hope to make it across the border, I hope to see my friend and shake his hand, I hope the pacific is as blue as it's been in my dreams. I hope." That says it all man, maybe my favorite final line of all time.* If not, it might be this one...
"Ernest Hemingway once wrote 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for'. I agree with the second part." Poetry. It helps when you have Morgan Freeman elegantly uttering your words, but you've got to tip your hat to Frank Darabont and Stephen King for the amazing words in 'Shawshank' and Andrew Kevin Walker for the stunning work in 'Seven'.**
* Most people don't know this, but the script actually has a lot more dialogue after that line -- there was a whole scene between Andy and Red on the beach written. I know because I have a copy of the script. The scene was a good cut. So good I doubt they even shot it that way for safety (especially because it didn't involve that helicopter shot in the final cut. I was planning on writing something about this someday and posting that never used last scene. Now that I've mentioned it, I'll probably just throw that up as a short post tomorrow. That should give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
** I also have a script for this with a different ending, but it's more complicated -- a totally different feel to the work, with Morgan freeman's character ending up in the hospital. Long story.
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