Biker from a missing scene

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MISSING SCENES

Gardner Barnes: "...and since this is going to be a God-send to the local economy, we were thinking you could reciprocate a little on the lesson... Truman - on the lesson?"

MISSING SCENES

On this page:

About the Missing Scenes    Floating down the Guadalupe River

The Bikers: transcript    The Lagoon: transcript    The Vote: transcript

About the Missing Scenes

As reported by several readers, there are three scenes (or parts of scenes) missing from the cinematic version which are often included on the televised version: 'The Bikers', 'The Lagoon Swim' and 'The Vote'. These three scenes are missing from the cinema version of Fandango, but are featured in the US commercial network (NBC) broadcast.

Sometimes scenes cut from the theatrical release are added back in to the versions shown on commercial TV simply to pad the length to better fit the time slot for the movies. And yet some of the information in these restored scenes certainly add to the understanding of the film - for example, the Lagoon scene introduces the fact that Phil is scared of heights, something that is refered to later at the parachute school.

Fandango fan Daryl says: "What's also interesting about those scenes, is that there's, to my memory, a type of discontinuity problem with the added scenes (unless my memory is playing tricks on me as I haven't seen the TV version in quite a while). What I seem to remember, and, again, I might be wrong, is that there's discontinuity regarding Gardner's sunglasses. As we should all know from the VHS/wide-screen version is that his sunglasses are missing one of the bows (earpieces) throughout the entire movie. What I seem to recall is that, in one of the missing scenes, his sunglasses are perfectly normal, whereas before/after they were broken (missing one side). Again, this is what I seem to remember and thought that was interesting, or perhaps one of the reasons why (at least one of) the scenes were removed."

Fandango fan John, from Dallas, TX, says: "We've all heard about how Kevin Costner thinks Fandango is a "flawed movie," and have all pined to see the complete movie with deleted scenes, etc. Since the movie is not out on DVD (yet), I wonder if there's a way we can collectively petition the studio to release the DVD with perhaps a director's cut of the movie or at least bonus features with director's commentaries and deleted scenes. I'm sure we would all love to hear Kevin Reynolds story of taking "Proof" from a student film to a feature-length production. Anyone have any ideas?"

Floating down the Guadalupe River

The book Adventures of a No Name Actor reveals another filmed but unused scene: 'Floating down the Guadalupe River'. Bedford McIntosh says: "There was a review in today's LA Times of a book by bit-part actor Marco Perella called, 'Adventures of a No Name Actor' (pub by Bloomsbury $24.95, 224 pages). One excerpt recounted in the review is about Fandango (the book probably has more to say about Fandango; I don't know): "In Fandango, for example (in which he was hired to teach Kevin Costner how to dance), Perella and other actors were supposed to float down the Guadalupe River under a bridge where Judd Nelson's character was sleeping. They were to represent Jungian archetypes in the character's dreams-Perella wore a jester suit. At acute risk of freezing or drowning, they floundered in the icy water for two days. The footage was never used."

Transcripts

Transcripts of the following scenes were sent in to us by Bedford McIntosh:

The Bikers and The Lagoon scenes follow one after the other. They are early in the film, just after the Groovers decide they have to go get DOM. In the VHS version, the fantasy-like, zoom-in shot of the DOM rock and the car going down the road is then followed by Carol King playing on the radio. These two missing scenes are inserted between those two shots.

In both versions, the scene of the car going down the road is shown and Gardner says "Hey, how about Margaritas at Chato Ortegas?", though the next two lines "We could see the donkey lady!" and Phil: "We could get diseases" are cut from the TV version. The Bikers scene begins after that shot.

The Bikers: transcript

(Scene is the outside of a roadside café with a gas pump in a dirt parking lot. Nothing else is around. GARDNER, PHIL, and WAGGENER emerge from the café into the lot.)

GARDNER: Philip, I will pay you back.

PHIL: Ah, well that's great but what are we supposed to do for money in the meantime?

(They look up to see a group of 10 mean-looking bikers parked in the lot hanging around their motorcycles, but away from the car, which is parked by the gas pump. A biker pulls up behind PHIL's car and siphons gas from the rear. Apparently they have been taking turns doing this. PHIL sees this and gets mad.)

PHIL: Ahggh…what!

(PHIL heads for his car but GARDNER restrains him.)

GARDNER: Philip, let me handle this

(GARDNER heads for the main group of bikers. Looks back at PHIL and WAGGENER)

GARDNER: Look good folks, they'll move.

(GARDNER approaches the chief biker who is reclining on his chopper, drinking tequila from the bottle.)

GARDNER: Say friend, ah, could ya, could ya ooch those scooters over there just a hair, yeah, cause we're leavin' now?

(Biker belches and spits at GARDNER's feet.

GARDNER turns, sort of sighs, and walks back to PHIL and WAGGENER. PHIL looks mad; WAGGENER looks nervous. GARDNER motions them to move back in to the café.)

GARDNER: Listen, y'all want to stay a while?

PHIL: (angrily) No!

GARDNER: Philip, there's a time to stand and there is a time to tuck your tail. Now, I can't see getting killed over this.

PHIL: (to GARDNER) You done?

(GARDNER gets out of PHIL's way. PHIL walks over to chief biker and points at him.)

PHIL: Jerkface. Get the pigs off my car.

BIKER: You call that a car? (laughs) Hell, it looks more like a big ol' blue mule booger from here (laughs). (Bikers all laugh.)

UNKNOWN BIKER IN BACKGROUND: Rip his head off, Cecil!

PHIL: Cecil? Your name is Cecil?! That's a name! Do you hear what this guy calls himself?!<

(GARDNER decides he needs to step in; WAGGENER heads for the car.)

PHIL: Cecil! Ah that is…<

(GARDNER covers PHIL's mouth and pulls him back.)<

GARDNER: Cecil…Cecil…Cecil, your highness, on behalf of me and my buds I'd like to apologize for bein' alive and if you'll forgive us I'll just take this poor demented worm out of your sight and we'll be on our way.

PHIL: You gonna let this scum push us around?<

GARDNER: Yeah Philip, I think that it's best.<

PHIL: Coward.

(GARDNER gives up and walks away toward car; PHIL rolls up sleeves to fight. Cut to WAGGENER and GARDNER at car. WAGGENER is knocking on the window; DORMAN is apparently sitting in the back seat.)

WAGGENER: Dorman!

GARDNER: (talking about PHIL as he walks up to WAGGENER): The boy's lost his mind…

WAGGENER: He's locked us out.

(DORMAN is sitting in the car chewing on a toothpick and not interested in what GARDNER and WAGGENER have to say.)

GARDNER: Dorman, remember our motto? 'A bud in need is a bud indeed?' Well, we're in need, son, so open her up.

(Cut back to PHIL, who is removing his glasses. Biker is taking a big gulp from his tequila bottle. PHIL uses the opportunity to run up and hit the biker three times in the belly as hard as he can. This has no affect on the biker at all, and PHIL retreats a few steps. Cut back to the car.)

GARDNER: Dorman... Dorman, have you had time to reconsider, bud?

(Dorman ponders his toothpick. GARDNER and WAGGENER check their pockets for the keys and see them sitting in the car's ignition. Cut back to Phil who returns to strike more blows to the biker, who pulls a large machete that is in a sleeve on his back. PHIL retreats again, in shock. Close up of a boot breaking the glass in the car's passenger window. Noise of car's screeching tires. Elton John's "Saturday Night's…" swells up again as the soundtrack. Car swoops by PHIL as biker is about to carve him up but someone grabs PHIL into the car. Car drives through parked motorcycles, knocking over one, and spins around. Car heads out of lot with bikers throwing bottles at it. Car heads down the road with PHIL's feet and legs hanging out the window, but bikers do not follow.)

The Lagoon: transcript

Note: Bedford points out that this lagoon scene is completely different to the scene described by the guy in the LA Times book review, mentioned elsewhere in this site.

Cut to a close up of a small boulder splashing into water. It was apparently tossed by DORMAN, who is standing in a lagoon at the bottom of a small, shady canyon. He has his pants rolled up and he is about to toss another rock In the background, WAGGENER is swinging from a rope over the water with only his boxers and boots on, with GARDNER at the launching point about 15 feet up the canyon wall. PHIL sits near them, further up, and LESTER is lieing near PHIL.)

WAGGENER: Yahoo! (GARDNER catches WAGGENER as he returns to the side.)

GARDNER: That's a good one, son!

(GARDNER takes rope for his turn. GARDNER is dressed only in jeans and his sunglasses.)

WAGGENER: Yeah boy! Woo! Man, I'd forgotten about this place, hadn't you?

GARDNER: No. (GARDNER swings away.)

WAGGENER: Hey Philip, is this pretty enough for ya?

(PHIL is sitting higher up near a rock with the word "GROOVERS '67" painted on it. LESTER is unconscious behind PHIL.)

PHIL: (sedated) It's OK.

WAGGENER: OK?!

(GARDNER returns from his swing.)

WAGGENER: Come here and take a swing!

PHIL: I don't like heights.

WAGGENER: Heights?

PHIL: Yeah heights. Besides you won't catch me.

(GARDNER has taken off his pants and is now down to light blue briefs.)

GARDNER: Oh Philip, would you quit being so anal retentive. I swear I don't even know why we bring him along sometimes.

(GARDNER leads a fully-dressed PHIL to the rope.)

PHIL: My car…my money… (PHIL takes rope)

GARDNER: OK, just wanted to make sure you knew why. Philip, you be careful; you might like it.

PHIL: You'd better catch me.

(PHIL takes off over the water. WAGGENER and GARDNER stand ready to catch him when he swings back, but they are distracted by a shout just as he returns, and they miss him, leaving him to swing over the water.)

WOMAN: Young man, you are tresspassin'.

(It is an older but not unattractive woman standing further up the canyon shouting down at them. GARDNER and WAGGENER look contrite.)

GARDNER: Sorry, we didn't know this belonged to anybody.

WOMAN: Sugar, land always belongs to somebody.

(PHIL still dangles)

GARDNER: (quietly to WAGGENER as he puts his sunglasses back on) I saw right up her dress.

(WAGGENER laughs. PHIL finally drops into the water. Cut to close up of a half buried Coke bottle in the dirt by the side of a road. The car drives by. Close up of radio with Carol King's "It's Too Late" playing.)

The Vote: transcript

This scene takes place on the morning after their night at the set of Giant. It lengthens the scene of that morning and takes place right at the burned out set. In the VHS version, PHIL has discovered that 'the rattler' was just a lizard. He says "I was having a nightmare!" and flops to the ground. GARDNER says "Get used to 'em." This is immediately followed by a close up of the new front of PHIL's car at the gas station. "The Vote" takes place between those two scenes, and is a continuation of PHIL's post-rattler trauma.

(GARDNER and WAGGENER walk away from PHIL to DORMAN, who is sitting right in front of the burned out set. He is playing with newspaper, and makes paper hats during the scene. LESTER lays unconscious next to D.)

PHIL: (off camera) I hate this place!

GARDNER: Well then you'll be glad to know we'll be leaving here lickity-split.

(PHIL sits up at this news.)

PHIL: Then we're going home, right?

GARDNER: No.

(PHIL gets up and angrily runs over to the group.)

PHIL: You promised! You promised we would be home by tonight.

GARDNER: Well that was yesterday.

PHIL: (loudly to WAGGENER) Didn't he promise???

WAGGENER: Stop screaming, Philip.

PHIL: Well, didn't he?

WAGGENER: Of course he did…he always does.

GARDNER: I tell you what, Philip, we'll vote on it, all right? Now, everybody that wants to be a canker and go home raise their hand.

(PHIL raises his hand; he is the only one.)

GARDNER: All right, all the neat guys raise theirs.

(GARDNER and DORMAN raise their hands but WAGGENER just ignores them and is fussing with his boots.)

GARDNER: (to W) C'mon son, let's make it unanimous for the neat guys.

WAGGENER: Y'all decide; I don't care.

(WAGGENER throws up hands and walks away.)

GARDNER: Well, we beat you Philip, two to one.

PHIL: He didn't vote.

GARDNER: So?

PHIL: Well he might have voted for me and then that'd be a tie, and a tie goes to me because it's my car.

GARDNER: All right Waggener, will you let him have it son? C'mon, where's that old groover spunk…just raise your hand up there…

WAGGENER: (cutting off GARDNER, agitated) I said I don't care anymore!

(WAGGENER walks away, leaving GARDNER who stands there for a few seconds trying to figure out what to do.)

GARDNER: All right (pulls a coin from his pocket) here's his vote.

(GARDNER flips coin and PHIL calls it in the air.)

PHIL: Tails (Coin is "tails")

PHIL: Oh yeah! Yeah! (PHIL jumps around)

GARDNER: Two out of three.

PHIL: No.

GARDNER: Yeah.

PHIL: (firmly) No. (laughs)

(GARDNER knows he is about to lose this one.)

GARDNER: OK, neat guys want a recount.

PHIL: Fine.

GARDNER: Fine.

(GARDNER and DORMAN raise their hands. GARDNER points to LESTER.)

GARDNER: Put his hand up, Dorman.

(DORMAN raises LESTER's hand.)

GARDNER: Three outta two; we beat you.

(GARDNER and DORMAN pick up LESTER and head for the car.)

PHIL: He doesn't count…he's unconscious! I... I forbid you to take my car.

GARDNER: (off camera) We'll get you freshened up. You'll have a whole new attitude.

(Having realized he has lost again, PHIL kicks the dirt in frustration but reluctantly heads for the car. WAGGENER brings up the rear, slowly. Cut to close up of the new front of PHIL's car at the gas station.)

 
Thanks again to Bedford McIntosh, for transcribing and sending these in.