I have spent several hours on the web trying to locate the 101 min. version. No luck. It appears that Sarah Jessica Parker was in at least one of the deleted scenes. Does anyone know if it exists somewhere? Maybe when/if they release a DVD, they will include the missing material. By the way, I have an original VHS tape. The Netflix streaming version is far better quality, but unfortunately still 96 mins. This is an unforgettable movie.
shareThe 101 minute version, the rare Original Cut rated "R," is apparently ONLY available on 35mm film. It has never been released on home video, not even on the recent Blu-Ray. In fact, the movie was quickly cut to the 96 minute "PG" version for the theatrical release in the USA in 1979, as evidenced by 1979 reviews in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.
The scenes that were cut were scenes of Franny and Jamie having sex. As explained by United Artists executive Steven Bach in his book Final Cut:
. . . a story of teenage [sic] needs, affection, self-determination and sexuality. Expressed. Off camera and discreetly, written with delicacy and wit, but, no doubt about it, those kids actually do it! . . . And aren't harmed by it. And the sexual episode brings everything to a blithely happy conclusion.
Fitter was horrified. He saw the national membership of the parent-teacher associations storming [United Artists's offices] to tear it apart brick by brick. We countered that we weren't making it for the PTA or for his neighbors in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.
On Amazon and elsewhere they list the VHS version as being 101 minutes and the DVD and Blu-Ray as 97 Min. Is the VHS 101 or not?
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