MovieChat Forums > Men of Honor (2000) Discussion > Alternate Ending

Alternate Ending

posted 21 years ago by iwishiwerejamesdean
16 replies | jump to latest

I just watched the DVD version of Men of Honor and loved it. But there's something that really pisses me off! The alternate ending. This alternate ending is possibly one of the best endings that I've seen in movies lately! The most moving point of the movie was in the deleted ending. And that's really what is was: a deleted scene. It was 3 minutes of extra information that explained what happened to Billy Sunday. And probably the one part that will send you into tears. If you haven't seen this ending, rent the DVD just for that! It's worth it! Does anyone else agree?

Born a rebel
Die a hero
Remembered a legend

[–] Mister_Anderson 21 years ago

No. I disagree. I just watched the alternate ending on FX. I can see why they cut it. It came out of NOWHERE. Maybe if they had set it up a little more. It was 90 seconds of a complete separate plotline that made no sense. The movie ends better the way it does normally.

[–] The_Godfather_of_all 21 years ago

Actually Mister Anderson, I disagree. The whole film was about honor, and individuals breaking the rules. Billy was told not to dive because it could be fatal, but when a situation arose he could not help himself. In that situation a boy may have died and Billy did the honorable thing: went against the rules, ignored personal safety and aided a person who was in dire need. It also concluded the movie by strengthening the parallel between Carl and Billy, in that they both had conditions that prevented them from diving, but they both persevered and continued, Billy lost his life and Carl may have jeopardized his future health and marriage.

[–] RobBase086-1 12 years ago

I see your point about the alternate ending The Godfather of all. You do have a very good point about it and I agree with you on what you are saying about the alternate ending of the film.

Dedicated to USA UP ALL NIGHT and the fans! http://usaupallnight.webs.com

[–] summingup 21 years ago

so what actually happens to Billy Sunday? where iam, i don't have access to DVDs.... thanx in advance!

[–] iwishiwerejamesdean 21 years ago

It goes from the ending scene in the courtroom, and cuts to Sunday driving with his wife over a bridge. He stops the car because a boy is panicing on the side of the bridge. He goes over to the boy and sees that a boy fell into the river very far below. He jumps in to save him, pushes the boy to the surface, but he never surfaces himself. From here we cut to his coffin being lowered into the ground, with his wife, Carl, and Carl's wife there watching. The wives leave and Carl stays behind for only a moment. He says (I think this is right, I'm going from memory), "Now you square that rig you old sombitch." then he sits the radio with the A.S.N.F. on the coffin, and then Carl walks away.

Born a rebel
Die a hero
Remembered a legend

[–] Zootles 20 years ago

I thought the alt ending was terrible and they totally made the correct decision to leave it out.
Reason being that it shifts the story on to the fictional character of Sunday and takes aways some of the empahasis on Carls character.

This movie was about Carl Brashear and his life, not a drunk fictional charcter played by De Niro. To give De Niro the final scene would have also taken away from the great acting of Gooding who made this film his own.

[–] yankee9642 19 years ago

I agree to have left it out, when i saw it, i was upset, but glad it wasnt in the final cut. Billy Sunday had worked to help Cuba get back on his feet in what i think Deniro felt was a way to revalidate himself on how great of a diver he used to be. when he and cuba salute each other and Deniro turns around and walks away, i love that last connection they shared. Deniro saying, "you've done it, im proud, good luck" and cuba thanks him with his look. if you look closely, the shot right after Deniro saluting his hand down, when cuba does it, at the last second before the shot changes, he makes a fist like a "hell yea we did it". anyway, im glad that's how it ended, if deniro had died, it would've just left me empty. we all have our tastes though...

[–] firefighterusf 19 years ago

why the hell doesn't Sunday surface? It looks as though he simply chooses not to rather than just not being able to do so before drowning.

[–] ferriscj24 19 years ago

he doesnt surface because of his medical condition. It killed him. If you recall to the scene in the hospital in the beginning, the doctor tells him his lungs can not handle even the slightest pressure anymore and it is unrepairable. He dove off of a huge bridge, and went deep to get the boy, and it killed him.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cdfacts 19 years ago

He wasn't trying to keep himself from floating to the top...If you remember in the hospital, the doctor told him the pressure would kill him INSTANTLY. Well if someone dies INSTANTLY, they're not going to look like they're trying.

[–] nutsberryfarm 14 years ago

they should have found a way to put it in. somehow.

I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"

[–] vash_and_wolfwood 19 years ago

I hated the alternate ending. I sat there and cried after I watched it, very sad. Although it was very good in the acting department I just had a major mood change. I was happy about Cubas character and was happy the way it ended. Then after I saw the alternate ending it ruined that happy little ending I already had. >_< Being such a De Niro fangirl I guess that added to emotion.

[–] tomtkh 14 years ago

Um....thankfully I'll NEVER see the alternate ending to this predictable and lines-from-other-movies-stealing piece of garbage!!

[–] renegade1179 12 years ago

I wasn't a huge fan of the alternate ending. Gwen Sunday could've made a small effort to help him; jeez woman, jump in there! She seemed so at ease watching her husband die right there. Did she just get into the car, drive home, and play out the rest of her day as it was any ordinary day? lol.

[–] Leveticus 12 years ago

I disagree. The alternate ending was a buzzkill so I'm glad they left it out.