Another deleted scene?

This one?

It's not part of a deleted scene but rather a sequence of photos taken during rehearsals for the exorcism.

I think those stills are from the documentary, 'Movies that Shook the World'.

 

In the novel, that scene ends with Regan going downstairs to the basement and she remains there until time for bed. We don't know what she's doing there, probably playing with the ouija board. That's what I always thought and it's how I ended the scene in Sims 2.

I really don't know why the sneaker was deleted along with Chris' dialogue, 'I've been on this f*cking line for twenty minutes!' but either way the cut from that scene to the next comes to quickly.

I agree and have written about the stupidity of editing that scene. It lost its oomph without Chris's last line. Another rationale is that Blatty/Friedkin wanted to tone down Chris's aggressive nature with her use of peppery language. (Had it been a man, such as Howard, I don't doubt the line would have stood the test of time.)

Father B

Sofia said:

In the novel it's suggested that Regan picked up the bad language from Burke.

Shirley as Chris of the novel didn't shout at the telephone operator like that. Ellen Burstyn portrays her with such a temperamental, agressive nature.

Sof,

Good information. I really need to read and listen to the novel again. When you mention “Shirley,” you are referring to MacLaine who could have acted out the Terms of Endearment, “Give my daughter the shot!,” type of performance with the line that Burstyn was supplied with in that scene. Perhaps you can do a Sims with Shirley in the doctor's office using that line or just add the voiceover in that actual scene …

Father B

ugotugotugotwhatiwant said:

I’m not so sure.  I reread much of the novel recently, and Chris’s potty mouth seemed about the same as in the film.  The idea that Regan picked up the language from Burke is Chris’s thought, ironically overlooking her own use of profanities.  The reader, I think, is expected to pick up on this parental filtering.  In fact, there are scenes in the novel where her language is worse than in the film, such as the scene where she confronts Sharon and the Engstroms about the crucifix.  In the film, when they deny putting it in Regan’s room, Chris is just mute and stupefied.  In the novel, she loses it (“That f***ing cross didn’t walk up there!”).

 

 Oh, please, don’t even compare Chris of the novel to Chris of the film. As you probably know, she was based on a young Shirley MacLaine, and in the novel she’s a 32 year old, playful, goofy, charming, vibrant, sensitive young woman who doesn’t shout at telephone operators like a crazy person. Chris’ potty mouth certainly doesn’t seem about the same as in the film in Chapter 1 of the novel, and , yes, it is suggested that Regan picked up the bad language from Burke. Remember that Burke came over to Chris’ house all the time, there’s a scene in the first chapter in which Burke shouts ‘f*ck, cunting mind!’ and Chris tells him to hold it down because Regan’s in the basement and could hear him.

“In the film, when they deny putting it in Regan’s room, Chris is just mute and stupefied.  In the novel, she loses it (“That f***ing cross didn’t walk up there!”).”

 Come on… at that point we can understand why she’d act like that. The thing is that Ellen’s portrayal of Chris starts off being agressive/ temperamental and remains like that throughout the movie. We don’t really get a chance to see more of her kind side like we can in the novel. They’re just similar in the sense that they’re both strong women.

But then again, we never know how MacLaine would have played the part of Chris either. The lines and direction would not have changed and I can definitely see Shirley making Chris into the same kind of character. MacLaine is a strong and powerful actress … no likely she could have won the Academy Award that Burstyn was robbed of due to her lack of notoriety.

Father B

Sofia said:

I wasn't trying to be hard on Ellen but she isn't Shirley MacLaine. The role of Chris was written especially for Shirley, I wish she had played her so much.

Sof, certainly you are not being hard on Burstyn. You're just making an analysis. I see your point from a writer's standpoint. However, there is another route to think about:

Did Blatty intentionally influence Burstyn (directly and via Friedkin) to mimic MacLaine? This is the put the shoe on the other foot analogy that sometimes doesn't cross our minds because we focus too directly on one particular piece of knowledge.

Now, would you ever get any of them to admit that Shirley was the goal in any capacity? Hmmm …

Father B