Actors and actresses are regularly improvising or going off-script while reciting their lines. Sometimes the directors hate it, other times they love it. Occasionally the improved lines become immortalized as some of the most memorable in cinema history.
Check out these five great unscripted scenes—you may be surprised at how many of your favorite lines were off-the-cuff.
5. Gun vs. Sword
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
While chasing Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) after she’s been kidnapped, archaeologist and adventurer Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) runs into a large sword-wielding bad guy dressed all in black. Instead of fighting him in what would surely be a losing whip versus sword battle, Indy simply pulls out his revolver, puts the man down with one shot and moves on.
The original script called for a long sword fight but a day earlier Ford got a severe case of food poisoning and didn’t have the energy to film the scene as written. After a discussion with director Steven Spielberg, the scene was changed and became an iconic part of Indiana Jones mythos.
4. Necklace Laugh
Pretty Woman (1990)
In what became one of the most famous scenes from the film, Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) presents call girl Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) with a gorgeous and rather expensive diamond necklace. As Roberts reaches out to touch the precious jewels, Gere—in an unscripted playful moment—quickly snaps the box shut genuinely surprising her.
Her laugh was so honest, and the scene so good, that the director decided to leave it in the film as is.
3. Farting Wife
Good Will Hunting (1997)
In this scene between therapist Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) and math genius Will Hunting (Matt Damon), Williams proves that comedic-minded actors usually give the best ad libbed scenes.
The entire story about Maguire’s flatulent spouse was made up on the spot by Williams and not a part of the original script.
2. Delayed Explosion
The Dark Knight (2008)
Originally, the Joker (Heath Ledger) was supposed to walk down the street while the explosion at the hospital began, get on the school bus during the scripted pause, and the bus would drive away while the explosion finished.
However, Ledger stopped walking during the pause and in a moment of improvisation began fidgeting with the remote detonator in a very Joker-esque manner –bringing a slight amount of dark humor to what would have just been a serious scene.
1. You Talking to Me?
Taxi Driver (1976)
When screenwriter Paul Schrader wrote this scene it simply said “Travis talks to himself in the mirror.” There was no specific dialogue given. Everything that insomnia-plagued taxi driver Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) says during his faux-conversation was improvised by De Niro on the spot.
To this day, whenever someone walks by a mirror they can’t help but utter his now famous line “You talking to me?”
You have read this article Indiana Jones /
Movies /
Pretty Woman /
Taxi Driver /
The Dark Knight Rises /
The Joker
with the title Top 5 Greatest Unscripted Movie Scenes. You can bookmark this page URL https://ksalsafadinho2009.blogspot.com/2012/10/top-5-greatest-unscripted-movie-scenes.html. Thanks!
