Is There a Serenity (BDM) Director's Cut, or Extended Version? by Schism

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Is There a Serenity (BDM) Director's Cut, or Extended Version?

POSTED BY: SCHISM
UPDATED: Sunday, November 23, 2008 19:18
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Sunday, November 23, 2008 12:13 PM

I was watching the deleted scenes, and they were all really good.
Probably just cut for time.
But is there a version of this movie available with all those scenes intact?
Like an 'extended version'?

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Sunday, November 23, 2008 12:26 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

No. Joss has said that the movie that premiered on September 30, 2005 was his preferred version, and there would be no extended cut. The studio might disagree and put one out at a later date, but they'll be doing it behind Joss' back.

I would like to have seen at least one of those cut scenes remain in the film - the one with Mal and Inara in her shuttle when he asks "Why did you leave?" and her reply is "Why didn't you ask me to stay?"

Other than that one I don't think the films suffers from the loss of any of the others.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Sunday, November 23, 2008 3:46 PM

NCBROWNCOAT

I agree with you ECGordon. That one scene says a lot about Mal and Inara's relationship and it's one of my favorite scenes.

http://fireflyfaninnc.livejournal.com/

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Sunday, November 23, 2008 7:18 PM

PENNAUSAMIKE

I wrote the following before the Collectors Edition of Serenity came out.
Part of it was read on a Firefly Talk podcast; Summer of Serenity #13, August 6th 2007
An article from our recent contest, entitled "The Case For An Extended Version Of Serenity�?"

Report of the release of a 2-disc “Special Edition” version of “Serenity” is exciting news for Browncoats.

Some of the excitement comes from the inclusion of the Region 4 DVD extras (tho’ with the world wide web, eBay and region-free DVD players, hardcore fans already have this covered). Anticipation is also brewing for finding out which cast and crew members will participate in the commentary tracks. I vote for Joss and Jewel and Gina and Geoff and Summer and Sean and Nathan and Alan and Adam and Ron and Morena and Barry and Mary and Loni and Lisa and Pat and…you get the idea. Really, I’d like multiple commentary tracks grouped by area of participation: the creators/ producers, the lead players, the guest star/supporting actors and the artists/technical people. (If you are going to dream, dream BIG!) There is also a contingent of fans excited for new cover art, tho’ Llama lovers are in fear for the loss of their supposedly subliminal cover icon.

The area of greatest anticipation for me is the possibility for an extended version of the movie. I want to see the subtext of the characters played out in between the moments that drive the story forward. I understand the reasons for editing the theatrical release of the movie the way that it was, but a DVD for a home audience is a whole ‘nother animal.

To get a lay of the landscape, I think it is important to think of the three ways that the main audience for a 2-disc “Special Edition” version of “Serenity” found Joss Whedon’s Sci-Fi Western in the first place.
One: they saw the Firefly TV series as it was first aired; out of order, kinda confusing,
hit-or-miss scheduling, abruptly ended…and they fell in love.
Two: they saw the Firefly DVD boxed-set; in order, cohesively introducing many
possible story telling threads building to something, not quite so abruptly ended…
and they fell in love.
Three: (my story) they saw “Serenity” all packaged in a fast-paced, neatly wrapped up
little ball, fell in love, heard this story and these characters were from some TV
show, found the Firefly DVD boxed-set, and fell in love even harder!

Both Joss and executive producer Chris Buchanan have stated that it was important to make “Serenity” a movie that the uninitiated could see, understand and enjoy without having seen the series. This was not just a reasonable artistic goal but important from a business sense as well. And without business, there is no art; at least when “art” is defined as something costing tens of millions of dollars.

Joss originally wrote the “Serenity” script with the title “The Kitchen Sink”, coming in at an un-filmable 190-ish pages. That was whittled down to the shooting script (which was filmed) that would probably have come out to about 130 minutes in length. The last step was to produce the theatrically released movie, two hours long. And it’s a great flick! Without writing a movie review, it should be noted that the editing process produced a fast-paced story where every witty word of dialog, every nuance of character development presented, every visual shown; drives the plot forward. From an editing standpoint, it is the embodiment of everything a current blockbuster movie should be. Joss is understandably proud of “Serenity” and he absolutely met the goal of producing a movie that the uninitiated could see, understand and enjoy without having seen the series.

In the Australian Q&A session that is on the Region 4 release of “Serenity”, one of the audience asked Joss what great scenes had to be left on the cutting room floor, what moments didn’t we get to see? Joss answered that they had decided to leave all the great scenes in, and only cut the crappy ones. He went on to allow, though, that Inara suffered at the hands of the editor’s knife the most. In describing the extra footage of Mal and Inara’s quiet moment in the shuttle, Joss described it as "a lot of yack-yack that I wrote-wrote that goes nowhere slowly". But I don't agree. The characters dance around the question of Inara’s choice to leave (the ship) Serenity, and Mal quips to get out of discussing it. These are the little "human" moments that made the TV show the love and obsession of a group of fans calling themselves Browncoats who have watched and bought and lived and loved these characters so hard that a little failed TV show has taken on a real life of its own outside of just video to sit in front of and be watched.

And so the issue of the legitimacy of creating an extended version of “Serenity” comes back around to the special edition DVD’s target audience and how they found the ‘verse in the first place. It is important to note that in all cases, I believe the special edition DVD target audience has gone on to embrace the Firefly TV series and the “Serenity” movie as a whole package. The more casual fan of the “Serenity” movie, who wasn’t interested in the TV series, likely enjoyed the pacing and the action and the special effects. That purchaser (assuming they bought the original “Serenity” DVD release) is less likely to buy a 2-disc set that has features that didn’t interest him/her about the Firefly series in the first place.

Discussion of an extended version of “Serenity” must also address Joss Whedon’s stated aversion to “director’s cuts” and “alternate endings” and the like. I have mixed feelings about changing the original presentation of a film and I am one of those for whom “Greedo Shoots First” has come to symbolize meddling with a vision that was pure and worthy and true in the first place.
But I contend that these viewpoints and criticisms don’t apply to restoring certain character developing moments to “Serenity”. I feel it is IMPORTANT to remember that all the scenes shot for “Serenity” were part of the original artistic vision. Those scenes were then cut if they contradicted narrative points, presented information that wasn’t clear without knowledge from the Firefly series, or if they interrupted momentum pushing to the series of mini-climaxes leading to main story climax.

Some examples of the cuts made because they contradicted narrative points would be the cut scenes where the Operative expostulates on information he has discovered from the Maidenhead Bar video, or at the Training House where he divulges more detail on his motivations to Mal. The Operative was serene and yet menacing. Too much dialog from his character undercut that menace, and as interesting as some of the exposition was, it didn’t service the Operative character. An Operative cut scene that could be restored is the scene at the end where he asks Mal how he could carry on in the face of the loss at Serenity Valley of all that he was. Menace is no longer an issue, the acknowledgement of Mal’s toughness (and its cost) reinforces Mal’s right to emerge as the victor, and Mal’s “What a whiner!” comment brings the character back to the Captain we have lived with and loved thru the previous 15 hours of acquaintance.

Inara’s scenes were the most heavily cut for reasons both of needing prior knowledge and because their placement slowed the theatrical momentum. If you hadn't seen the TV series, the Training House scenes looked like kind of a languorous lesbian orgy. The whole "Companion/Geisha/Hooker-Equals-High-Society" thing just didn't come across clearly to the uninitiated. The Sheydra-Inara dialog verbalized the station of a Registered Companion in the ‘verse, but the viewer needed to have lived with the series for it to really resonate. These scenes belong in an extended cut. In the context of a viewership made up of those who have embraced the Firefly TV series and the “Serenity” movie as a whole package; they add visual color and beauty, and they flesh out the grace of Inara and the discomfort she feels at her association with (and unrequited love for) a noble pirate in Captain Reynolds. When Mal asks Inara at movie’s end if she is ready to get back to her girls, her somewhat demure “I don’t know” packs tons of subtext and out of character meaning that is lost without the experience of Firefly’s Inara. The Training House and Sheydra scenes speak to that previous exposure and belong in a film made for fans of the ‘verse.

I’ve already spoken of the value of the Mal and Inara subplot that was excised from “Serenity”. The pacing isn't the issue that it is in a movie theater. A home DVD allows those quiet moments that allow a script to pause, take a breath, and share those sweet moments that explain just what the hell Inara is doing on that Firefly, anyway!
Even the little moments, like Fanty and Mingo sharing the value of their unwavering greed with Mal and Jayne, are the wink and the nudge and the twinkle in the eye that exponentially increase the value of Joss’ Sci-Fi Western. For a theatrical release movie meant for the general public (who stayed away anyway) and the uninitiated, all those cuts were wise choices. But that movie has been seen and the un-interested have fallen by the wayside. A “Special Edition” extended version of “Serenity” is a chance to reward the fan who loves ALL the elements and character moments of the Firefly/Serenity ‘verse, not just to present the scenes that relentlessly push to the payoff. I think there was some Shepherd I heard tell once, “The journey is the worthier part”.

Whatever form the 2-disc “Special Edition” version of “Serenity” takes, Browncoats will be there to support it. But for me, it won’t be truly “Special” unless it gives me a little more Fanty and Mingo, the Companion Training House, the Mal and Inara relationship; I want to live with those characters a little longer.

ADDENDUM: My Movie! (Eight months you…)

Let’s imagine a hypothetical situation where all the available versions of the DVD releases have been purchased by a fan and a personal “Special Edition Serenity” is being put together for personal viewing pleasure. The following is a list of the scenes to be re-included and why those scenes, and not others, have been included.

Simon hands River her boots before the payroll job. I believe this was shot, tho’ I don’t think it was ever edited. I admit it, I just want to see more River, and hear her proclaim that she’s the “brains of the operation”.

Jayne and Kaylee dispose of Reaver junk:
Just a few extra seconds with two great characters. No theatrical pacing, so nothing is lost and the tapestry is enriched with a few extra threads.

Inara at the Training House:
If “Serenity” is seen as the next adventure in the series, (not a stand-alone story), the audience will “get” the Training House. It’s a pretty moment, visually. People spend millions building museums in which to view art in the name of visual pleasure. Without the need for theatrical pacing, “Serenity” can afford a few seconds for the same reason. The introductory visuals are also the lead in to…

Inara and Sheydra share a few words:
This is a piece of Joss’ “yak-yak” that I think his fans like-like.
Morena’s portrayal of Inara’s discomfort is priceless as a stand-alone character moment, and it also hearkens back to “Our Mrs. Reynolds” (“I hit my head, like Wash!”)
This is also the first moment that gives credibility to Inara’s presence on (the ship) Serenity as the story unfolds. Sheydra is pretty easy on the eyes, too.

Fanty and Mingo at The Maidenhead:
I like the dialog. The reveal that Mal believes Fanty and Mingo sent him and his crew knowing there were Reavers about makes Fanty and Mingo less likeable.
Hey, not every petty bad guy gets to be warm and fuzzy like Badger.
We get an extra coupla seconds with Wash and Zoe and that makes me happy, too.

Naked as the day I came cryin’:
Mal and Inara; she left, they both miss each other, t’ain’t neither can say it.
I’m watching my DVD; I have a few extra seconds to watch ‘em squirm!

Mal and Inara escape from the Training House:
Another cut I totally understand from a theatrical standpoint. But, I want to see it as part of my Firefly leads to Serenity DVD viewing experience. Mal’s excuse-ify-in’, Inara’s trying to save their skins and the Alliance, well Mal never credited them with too much in the way of brains anyway. I would say that while the grenade trick may have made the Alliance troops look a little silly, only a real idiot WOULDN’T leap out of the way of a live grenade. The slowness of their recovery was the problematic issue, and these are troops who haven’t faced any real resistance since the War For Unification. This lighter moment felt like Firefly to me, so nostalgia is a part of re-including it.

The Shepherd’s prayer:
OK, I’ll miss Jayne’s guitar chord but the prayer restores the power to Book’s character.
Even before I watched the Firefly series, watching the deleted scenes version of the Shepherd’s prayer for the fallen spoke to the legitimacy of Book as the crew’s conscience. I believe it is a good thing to portray some religious figures in a positive light (and not always as the easy springboard to corrupt characters). I appreciate the dignity and competence and compassion that Joss Whedon and Ron Glass brought to the Shepherd’s character. We saw many moments of this in the Firefly series, but in the headlong rush to driving “Serenity’s” story, this was largely lost. The prayer restores Book’s authority. The scenes shown in the background of the crew reuniting with Book and his flock spoke to the Firefly/Serenity theme of assembled family. And finally, the prayer was the segue to Mal’s comment that it wasn’t River who killed those men, but the Alliance. The Operative was right, the Alliance wasn’t an evil empire; but they did have a voracious appetite for taking and fencing up what they wanted to achieve their goals. Mal’s “aim to misbehave” wasn’t just about River, but about the whole inclination of the Union of Allied Planets to swallow up what it felt entitled to own. I found Mal’s comment in response to Book’s prayer to speak to his wartime experiences as well as River’s plight.

The inevitable mutiny:
I already stated that the yak-yak that Joss wrote-wrote appeals to me.
And, I remain convinced that it is one of the major draws for the fandom of a writer.
Nostalgia also plays a role here. Mal and Inara’s exchange “feels” like Firefly and the “inevitable mutiny” is pure Firefly gold.
Besides, are we really in such a rush to bump into those icky Reavers?

I’ve seen so much death:
Mal and Inara; maybe they DO need each other…
I’m going to pull one cheat here and put this scene after River says “I’m OK” and before the “aim to misbehave” speech.
Only thing is, I haven’t ever seen this scene except on the blooper reel.
Is it out there?
Maybe on the Special Edition disc?

What a whiner:
I already detailed this inclusion. The key is the development for Mal’s character, what it says about his strength and the Firefly-presented caustic flippancy. This is the Malcolm Reynolds you would follow even when it flies in the face of good sense.

Not included:

River counts pebbles-hummingbird. I liked it for itself, but it undercut one of the movie’s greatest lines, “Shiny! Let’s be bad guys!”.

The extended River and Simon scene with the shouted, “EVERYBODY’S!” (death) wasn’t as foreboding as the quieter version presented in the theatrical release.

The additional Operative scenes undercut his menace, as already noted. If watching the extended version is part of watching the Firefly series, the audience already knows the exposition the Operative is, well, expositing.
The biggest loss here is time spent on the Alliance vessel. Unlike the Training House scenes, the visual payoff doesn’t offset the narrative loss.

Book-ending the series, “What was that?”:
The Big Damn Movie was my introduction to the Firefly/Serenity ‘verse.
When I sit down to watch the whole thing through
(over several nights, real life does intrude)
I like to start with the BDM, watch the Firefly series in DVD order and then watch the BDM to conclude.
I view “Serenity” as both the introduction and the wrap-up to the story.
My goal is to have an extended version of the movie to serve as the wrap-up with all the inside nods and character moments restored, while the theatrical release continues to serve as that glorious introduction.

In conclusion, I would note that with the investment of a little learning time, a home computer and some practice, modern tech makes it possible for every audience member to assemble his own “special edition”. Han can (quite appropriately) knock off Greedo before he is put at risk and still meet with Jabba the Hut in Star Wars IV: A New Hope.
Although I feel there is good reason to create an officially released, extended version of “Serenity”, it isn’t necessary. It is possible for individual audience members to play in the sandbox in ways that suit their individual tastes.

It would just be kinda cool if it came from the creator…

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