They're memorable.
And they were never meant to happen.
Sometimes, an ingenious on-set improvisation creates a moment that not even a film's directors
and screenwriters could capture, and unexpectedly cements itself as an unquestionable classic.
Though they were never in the script, here are a few memorable movie scenes that just
kind of… happened.
Caddyshack
One of the most popular comedies in history, it isn't hard to understand why Caddyshack
is a classic, especially with a cast that included Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and
Bill Murray.
The film had a chaotic production, thanks to the cast's penchant for constantly ad-libbing
their lines, but Murray was easily the worst offender.
In what's become known among fans as the "Cinderella" scene, Murray, as caddy Carl Spackler, fantasizes
about life as a professional golfer — and the rest is comedy history.
"Somebody know where, he's got about 350 yards, he's gonna hit about 500 yards, don't ya think?
He's got a beautiful back swing.
That's!
Oh, he got out of that one!"
According to director Harold Ramis, the improv ran almost 30 minutes, which is something
we'd all love to see in a Director's Cut.
Unfortunately, it'll probably never happen.
"I want ---"
"You'll get nothing and like it!"
Dazed and Confused
Matthew McConaughey has built an impressive filmography over the years, but no matter
how many awards he wins, he'll never escape the three words he uttered in 1993.
"Alright, alright, alright!"
It's become one of the signature lines from Dazed and Confused, and McConaughey improvised
it on the spot.
The actor claims to have based the line on a live album performance of "Roadhouse Blues"
by The Doors.
"I'd been listening to this live, Morrison live Doors album.
And in between two of the songs, Morrison goes, 'Alright, alright, alright!'"
The line became a catchphrase on set and in pop culture, and it's since become one of
McConaughey's signature lines in real life.
"And to that I say, 'Alright, alright, alright!'"
All right.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The story of Dead Man's Chest picks up with Jack Sparrow doing battle with the nefarious
dead pirate Davy Jones, and as he's done in every Pirates movie, Depp gave a charming,
bizarre performance.
One scene had Jack parading around with a jar of dirt, mocking Jones and confusing his
fellow crewmates.
"I've got a jar of dirt.
I've got a jar of dirt!
And guess what's inside it?!"
"Enough!"
Before filming, Depp asked director Gore Verbinski if he could improvise, and you don't really
say no to Johnny Depp.
Depp began to dance around with the jar while the cameras rolled, and Verbinski caught the
genuinely perplexed reaction of the other actors.
But really, after so much time on set with Depp, nothing should have been too surprising.
Blade Runner
Ridley Scott's sci-fi opus Blade Runner notoriously suffered from a troubled production, which
included an ever-changing script that pushed the cost of the film ever higher.
One of the movie's best lines, however, didn't come from the screenwriters, but actor Rutger
Hauer.
Roy spends the movie trying desperately to find a "cure" for the design flaw dooming
him and his friends to shortened lives, but by the end of the film, he's given up hope.
As he's slowly dying, he recalls a short list of incredible things he's seen in his short
life, which is partially improvised and altered by Hauer himself from the original screenplay's
30 or so lines.
Hauer and Scott tend to disagree about who added what and where, but both agree that
the film's most iconic line was 100-percent, pure, on-the-spot Hauer.
"All those moments will be lost in time, like tears… in rain."
Also not in the script, according to Hauer's autobiography, was the entire chase scene,
which was originally a fight in a gym, and the dove that he's holding as he dies, both
ideas that Hauer himself introduced to the story.
Big
It's the story of a 12-year-old boy who makes a wish to be a grownup.
Against all odds, the wish comes true, and the man-with-a-12-year-old's-brain, played
by Tom Hanks, realizes he has a lot to learn about living an adult life.
And one of those things you have to learn as a man is how to properly eat unusual foods.
Hanks got caught up in acting like an oblivious preteen, and improvised the whole thing.
Director Penny Marshall found it hilarious, and kept the take in the final cut.
Full Metal Jacket
Director Stanley Kubrick was known for his overwhelmingly meticulous demands of his actors,
and his 1987 war drama Full Metal Jacket was no exception.
Former drill instructor R. Lee Ermey joined the production as a technical advisor at Stanley
Kubrick's request, but once on board, he expressed his interest in the role of drill Sergeant
Hartman.
When Kubrick saw a video of Ermey insulting a group of potential actors, he cast him as
Sergeant Hartman on the spot.
"You're so ugly, you could be a modern art masterpiece."
In a most unusual move for the controlling Kubrick, Ermey was allowed to improvise most
of his own dialogue, in particular the insults that made the character so memorable.
"Your ass looks like about 150 pounds of chewed bubble gum, you know that, Pyle?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
Full Metal Jacket won critical raves when it opened, especially for Ermey's performance.
He's since gone on to a prestigious acting career.
Mostly screaming at people.
The Departed
While filming The Departed, Jack Nicholson often approached director Martin Scorsese
with ideas about his character, a violent mobster naked Frank Costello.
In one scene, Nicholson totally surprised co-star Leonardo DiCaprio in the worst way.
"You got something you wanna... ask me?"
Nicholson had proposed the interaction to Martin Scorsese, who allowed Nicholson to
pull a real, unscripted gun on DiCaprio, who reacted with genuine fear.
A little because having an unknown gun waved in your face is scary, but more because Nicholson
was making every effort to be actively terrifying on set.
Saving Private Ryan
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan follows the adventures of an Army squad
in search of the title character during World War II.
Matt Damon, who had just scored an Oscar nomination for his performance in Good Will Hunting,
was cast for one of the main roles.
At one point, Ryan tells a pretty odd story to his squad captain about catching his brother
gettin' busy with a questionable girl.
"Picture a girl who took a nose dive from the Ugly Tree and hit every branch comin'
down!"
Matt Damon, an Academy Award-winning writer, improvised the story.
The crew thought Damon had botched it with the weird, meandering story that didn't really
have a point.
Spielberg, however, thought it fit the character perfectly and kept it in the movie.
Because who doesn't love a story about watching your sibling doing the nasty?
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