The fifth edition's ending, which was the director's cut shown during the premiere, is considered the most brutal version according to various rumors. New Line Cinema was concerned the audience wouldn't accept such a harsh conclusion, so in the first round of screenings, copies of this version were limited. In some cities, there may have been only one theater showing it.
Originally, New Line Cinema hoped to soften the impact of the tragic ending and allow the general public to experience a more Hollywood-style happy conclusion.
However, they never expected that this move would inadvertently spark the audience's interest.
The less people saw of it, the more coveted it became.
Everyone in the industry was discussing and searching for where the fifth edition's ending was playing.
After an entire day of searching on Friday, although they couldn't be 100% certain, rumors had it that the AMC theater was showing the fifth edition's ending.
As a result, passionate movie fans flocked to the theater like a tidal wave.
And that's how Roger found himself in this situation.
After learning the details, Roger immediately realized one thing:
Everything cannot be judged by conventional logic.
The situation at this AMC theater cannot represent the entire Los Angeles area, and certainly not the entire North American market. The cancellation of tonight's "Sea of Fury" screening might be specific to tonight, with a different story unfolding tomorrow.
The reason was clear: these crowds of viewers may not have chosen to watch The Butterfly Effect; they were simply driven by curiosity about the rumored fifth edition's ending.
This rumor could be true, or it could be a complete fabrication. It's even possible that the theater manager at AMC intentionally leaked the information.
The viewers were just following their curiosity.
Once the novelty and curiosity about the "different ending" wore off, the situation could look completely different.
In other words, the box office showdown this weekend still held a lot of uncertainty; it was too early to make any predictions.
Roger couldn't help but marvel at the boldness and risk of the promotional strategy. It completely broke from the norm and shook up everything the industry thought it knew about marketing.
The Butterfly Effect managed to unexpectedly hold its own against Sea of Fury despite its limited release, even gaining a slight edge in terms of buzz.
Impressive!
Last year, Catch Me If You Can was already remarkable, but this year, The Butterfly Effect was even more unexpected. This was something no one saw coming.
So, what does this have to do with the quality of the film? The movie and its promotion are two entirely different things, right?
The key question is: was the movie, which was chosen by the astute Anson, really as sloppy as some critics say?
Roger thought he needed to wait and see.
This attitude persisted until the end of the movie.
As Roger left the theater and stood outdoors, the quiet of Los Angeles surrounded him. He could still see the city's vibrant lights flickering in the night, but the city had already entered sleep. In the stillness, his thoughts surged like a tidal wave.
Here, it wasn't a city that never sleeps.
In fact, California has a regulation that all bars and clubs must stop selling alcohol by 2 a.m.
This rule causes late-night partygoers to lose interest once it hits two in the morning. Although California doesn't set specific closing hours, most bars still close around three. This is why people often head to Las Vegas or Atlanta for all-night revelry—clearly, Los Angeles isn't suited for endless partying.
Unless it's in your own home.
By now, it was already 2 a.m. The AMC theater was about to close, and everyone had to go home. The streets outside were already empty.
Roger sighed lightly. The temperature difference between day and night in November in Los Angeles was huge. At that moment, he could feel the sharpness and desolation of the coming winter, and his mood inevitably sank. Loneliness enveloped him.
It wasn't just Roger; the young people around him felt the same.
At the beginning, they were all excited, eagerly waiting for the answer to be revealed. But by the end, they were all trapped in an emotional whirlpool. Despair and sadness gripped their hearts, and they couldn't escape it.
On the faces of those young people, Roger could see the traces left by the movie.
Suddenly, Roger began to understand Anson. Beneath that youthful and handsome exterior, there might reside an old soul.
With Anson's intelligence, could he not see the script's childishness and superficiality?
But Anson might not care. In fact, he might cherish that simplicity—one of the privileges of youth. He views the world in the most straightforward way, thinking of himself as the most unfortunate and tragic protagonist, as if the Earth revolves around him.
And then, Anson uses the ending to deliver the shock.
Are the five endings really just a gimmick?
Oddly, Roger remembered his experience watching The Elephant at Cannes earlier this year.
Simplifying things, appearing foolish, but bearing immense weight.
Clearly, beneath that superficial exterior, there is still a great deal of charm waiting to be uncovered.
"The movie, without a doubt, is immature. There are too many flashbacks and too much time travel, and it doesn't create the dreamlike, reality-blurring quality in the film. There are too many fates, too many twists, and too many journal chapters. Countless dramatic moments are hurriedly crammed into the story, revealing the movie's overly direct and shallow production techniques.
Until, at a certain moment, I finally realized that all these plot points were just surface-level; all the details lead to the final choice:
Standing at the crossroads of fate, what will you choose?
It's not just about family, love, or friendship; it's also about how to define happiness? If every choice you make leads to tragedy, and if striving for happiness only brings misfortune to everyone, how should you redefine your view of life and happiness?
The story is very simple—so simple it's like one plus one equals two. On the big screen, every audience member feels they could make a better choice than the protagonist. Everyone has a wiser answer. And the film, bluntly and forcefully, presents this mathematical problem to the audience.
So, what's your answer?"
In a way, Roger's perspective was very similar to Carl-Rivette's. Later, netizens noticed that although their expressions were somewhat different, they ultimately reached the same conclusion.
So, could this be... the hero's perspective aligning?
"That's why the most important and pivotal scene in the entire film was thrown out at the beginning and again at the end, forming a callback.
The answer is not in the ending, nor in the protagonist's choice, but in the protagonist returning to the starting point of everything, facing a blank piece of paper. He can freely write whatever he wants on it, full of possibilities. This time, he can overturn the choice and start over.
So, if he starts everything over again, will things be different?
In One One, it's said, 'I thought that if I lived again, maybe something would be different, but in the end, it's still the same. Nothing changed. Suddenly, I realize there's no real need to live again.'
In a sense, the film, in its extreme foolishness, touches upon the same theme."
Nicholas: Bingo! I think the same way.