Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the threads…dum-dum… dum-dum…dum-dum dum-dum dum-dum dum-dum…

Okay, here's my 2 ½ cents:

I have to admit, I've never read the novel, but from all the things I've heard from friends over the years about the stuff that was in the book (organized crime, extramarital affairs, etc.), I can't think of a single plot thread that I'm sorry they left out of the movie. In fact, I think they did a great job of adapting the book, tossing out all the truly extraneous stuff so that nothing could slow down the basic story.

One if by land, two if by sea -

Er, okay, how are we dividing the sea time and the shore time? Do we count the early shark attacks, at least those seen from the beaches, as ½ land, ½ water? image One thing I must admit - I know lots of times people are surprised when they re-watch the movie and realize that so much of the picture goes by before Brody & Hooper head out with Quint. (I could pop in the DVD to time it, but I'm guessing it's at least 45 minutes into the picture). "Oh, I love to go swimmin' with bow-legged women…"

Even with a lot of the early scenes being set on land, though, I don't see what the problem is. I can't fathom (heh, heh) that negative comment in the newspaper review. The land stuff's boring? Geez, what was he lookin' at? It's full of great scenes: "this was not a boating accident!" & nails on the chalkboard & "I'm the chief of police - I can do whatever I want." When I first saw this at the movies as a kid, the audience was totally into the picture - right from the very beginning and all through the shark attacks, false alarms, squabbling with the short-sighted mayor and his bureaucats, etc.

Which brings us to Mr. Mayor - Larry the Louse

The Mayor's in hock to the mob? Oy. Glad they cut that. Because if everyone knew this was reckless behavior of just one guy, how'd he get it past the rest of the town officials? The medical inspector? The local business people?

As for the film, I totally bought into the mayor's intransigence. It's also worth remembering that he wasn't acting alone - the early scenes quite clearly show that he's got the backing of the other town leaders and many local businessmen.

I think this beat is much more believable than the "mob angle." And it's also worth keeping in mind the time when the movie was made - only a couple of years after Watergate. Wrong-headed officials looking after their own interests at the expense of the general populace? Not a hard sell to a seventies audience.

Hooper and Brody's wife:

Another beat I'm real glad they ditched. What the hell would it have to do with shark hunting? This would push the picture closer into those character study stories in which the killer shark ends up being just a convenient plot device that's used to resolve a romantic triangle. It's something that would seriously slow down the picture (by contrast, Quint's classic reciting of the tale of USS Indianapolis both deepens his character and also builds the threat and menace of the shark).

Re Joe's question about Hooper & Mrs. Brody and the dinner scene, I never got a particularly romantic vibe between them. Rather, I get the sense that Mrs. Brody - who's been reminded by locals that she'll never be considered an islander and thus will always be something of an outsider there - is delighted to have a friendly and engaging visitor drop by, especially since Hooper's also not an islander but a fellow outsider; in a sense, it comes across more as an American abroad running into a fellow American traveler.

Re the mom of the dead kid, yeah, I believe she's a non-actress, but that's okay, too. I think she works. It's okay for me that she doesn't cry (it evidently worked for them, too; after all, they could have added fake glycerin tears); you can feel the emotion in her voice. By contrast, a professional actress might have been tempted to go too much over the top with such a short but highly emotional scene.

Re Hooper's more likeable character - I think this also works very well; the more we genuinely like our characters, the more we're concerned for their safety and feel their jeopardy. Also, you understand how Spielberg might have seen a lot of himself in Hooper's character - he's short, a bit nerdy, and with an intense hobby that demands expensive toys. It's no surprise that Richard Dreyfuss would serve as the director's surrogate in his next film, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS.