You might already know that Pretty Woman almost had a completely different, far more grim ending ― and a darker beginning and middle, too.
But the director of When Harry Met Sally, Rob Reiner, recently revealed in a CNN interview that the classic movie also almost ended in tears ― and only got a happy finale because the director finally met his wife.
“The original ending of the film that we had was that Harry and Sally didn’t get together,” Rob told interviewer Chris Wallace.
What was the alternative ending?
The sadder ― and far less satisfying ― original ending involved the couple “seeing each other after years, talking and then walking away from each other,” Rob shared.
This would have taken the place of the iconic New Year’s party scene, in which the pair, whose “will they, won’t they” relationship finally became a “they will” thanks to a famous speech delivered by Harry.
The scene, which interviewer Chris described as “tear-jerking,” would have lost out to the sadder, original ending if director Rob’s personal life hadn’t changed, he revealed.
The movie only has its iconic happy ending because of changes in Rob’s personal life
The director said, “I had been married for 10 years, I’d been single for 10 years and I couldn’t figure out how I was ever going to be with anybody, and that gave birth to When Harry Met Sally.”
Rob’s worries about finding love shaped the ending, he said. But then, “I met my wife Michele, who I’ve been married to now 35 years, I met her while we were making the film, and I changed the ending.”
Is someone chopping onions?