Posts tagged fact

The original cut of The Glass House was almost three hours long. It was cut by over 50% to a final length of one hour and sixteen minutes.

All of the actors in Mamma Mia! did their own singing.

For the song “The Winner Takes it All,” Meryl Streep when to Stockholm to record her vocals and finished it in one take. Benny Andersson, former ABBA member and co-composer of the songs, called Streep “a miracle.”

The beginning of the song “Super Trouper” is sung live and a cappella.

Footage from a game on October 1, 2004, in Toronto, ON, between the Yankees and the Blue Jays was used for Fever Pitch. Both Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon were present, and Barrymore was even asked to throw the first pitch of the game. The ball barely made it to homeplate, and Barrymore was extremely embarrassed.

(Source: imdb.com)

It’s a Wonderful Life is the first, last, and only film that Frank Capra produced, financed, directed, and co-wrote.

In the film Milk Denis O’Hare plays the conservative anti-homosexual Senator John Briggs. In reality, the actor is openly gay.

When asked about being cast in a role so opposite to his real-life, he said, “I didn’t even remember who [Briggs] was at first, but I wanted to be in the movie so much I didn’t care what part. And then, like Vanya, once I started working, I realized it was a wonderful part, and how necessary it was for the movie to have that pillar of opposition. I come from a family of Catholic Republicans so I’ve encountered my fair share of that behavior.”

(Source: theatermania.com)

Gene Hackman is one of the most sustaining actors of all time; he still averaged two films a year well into his early 70s and starred in no less than six in 2001 alone. This changed, however, in 2004 when Hackman acted in his last film, Welcome to Mooseport. He has not appeared in anything since.

When Zach Braff sent the script for Garden State to people, he would include a copy of the songs that he handpicked to be in the film. This is why the official soundtrack album (which ended up including all of Braff’s picks) has all of the songs in the order that they appeared in the film.

The concept of Sally being a picky eater in When Harry Met Sally is based on Nora Ephron’s  own habits. Years after the film came out, Ephron, the screenwriter for the film, was on a plane and ordered something very precise. The flight attendant looked at her and supposedly asked, “Have you ever seen the movie When Harry Met Sally?”

Bill Murray, John Travolta, and Chevy Chase all turned down the role of Forrest Gump. Travolta later admitted that passing on the role was a mistake.

David Alan Grier, Ice Cube, and Dave Chappelle turned down the role of Bubba. Chapelle thought that the movie would be a bomb and has since admitted that he regrets not taking the role.

Terry Gilliam and Barry Sonnenfeld both turned down the chance to direct Forrest Gump.

The film went on to win six Oscars (including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, Best Director, and Best Picture), one BAFTA award, three Golden Globes (Best Director-Motion Picture, Best Motion Picture-Drama, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama), and many more awards.

So many people are kicking themselves for missing out on this iconic film.

The body in the bag belonging to the hitchhiker in There’s Something About Mary was actually that of Cameron Diaz, the lead of the film.