The book storyline that would have ruined JAWS the movie
You can catch The Shark Is Broken from 25th July 2023 at the Golden Theater, New York, NYC.
Hello, Islanders!
If you’ve ever read Peter Benchley’s novel “Jaws” you know that there are parts in the book that did not make it to the big screen. Some things, like the number of Brody children (in the book, there are three Brody boys – Martin, Jr., Michael and Sean) and the way the shark is destroyed (in the book it just dies and sinks below the surface). But one plot point that is instrumental to the tone of the book is the affair between Ellen Brody and Matt Hooper.
In the book Ellen Brody is part of the socialite scene who fell in love with a cop. When handsome and charming Matt Hooper comes to Amity to help with the situation we learn that Ellen actually used to date Hooper’s older brother, David. Matt let’s slip that he used to have a big crush on Ellen and, eventually, their playful banter leads them to a seedy motel. Brody senses something has happened, which makes him jealous while treating Hooper with great animosity both on land and on the ocean. Actually, the characters in the novel are so unlikable that you actually begin rooting for the shark.
While this may have made for suspenseful reading, had the film kept the tone of the book I don’t think it would be regarded as the classic it is today. In the film, the Brodys are presented as a happy couple, still obviously in love. Martin is a conscientious man, worried not only about the welfare of his family but of the town he has been hired to protect. In spite of losing track of Sean at the beach on the Fourth of July, Ellen is a loving mother whose inner strength guides her during the tough times. Matt Hooper is just a funny guy with a nice boat and a dream of seeing a Great White Shark.
Because these characters were made softer and, in my opinion, more realistic, the audience can root for them. In the book, the three men on the ORCA are constantly bickering, led by Brody’s constant barrage of questions for Hooper about how he spent a certain afternoon, one on which he couldn’t locate Ellen. This tension is made greater because, in the novel, the ORCA would put in to port each evening, allowing Brody to transfer his anger to Hooper back to Ellen once he arrived home.
Because the affair, and other negative aspects of the Brodys, was eliminated, you feel empathy for the characters. You truly like them. Would you feel sorry for a woman that betrays her husband or for the man who, knowing she was married, took her to bed? I wouldn’t. When the shark breaks into the submerged anti-shark cage with Hooper inside, all I would be thinking is “karma is a bitch, buddy.”
Words by Michael A Smith. Michael is co-author of Jaws 2: The Making Of The Hollywood Sequel. You can order the book by contacting Michael at OsFanMike@aol.com.
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