"This is what happens”: The story behind ‘that’ line in Jaws

Jaws is a near perfect movie. The screenplay, the acting, the music, the direction and editing all worked to create the blueprint for the ‘blockbuster’ as well as setting the new standard for modern cinema.

After near 50 years of being the cinematic yard stick against which today’s filmmakers measure themselves (Kevin Smith and John Krasinski to name two), Jaws is studied and scrutinised as much as it is lauded - which has shown up a few little niggles.

"THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS...”

One such niggle occurs during the autopsy of Chrissie Watkins. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) has just arrived on Amity Island and asked to examine the remains of the first victim, Chrissie Watkins (Susan Backlinie).

Amity Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) takes Hooper to where Chrissie’s remains are being kept - they are accompanied by the Medical Examiner (played by real life Dr Robert Nevin).

Hooper is visibly shaken by what he sees. Very little of Chrissie is left. Within moments, he assertively confirms this was no boat accident - as recorded in the Medical Examiner’s amended reports (at the request of Amity Island Mayor Larry Vaughn).

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As the autopsy progresses, Hooper continues to list what remains of Chrissie, then walks around the table and as he lifts Chrissie’s severed and badly scarred lower arm out of the tray in which her body rests. At this moment, Hooper says “This is what happens.”

‘This is what happens.” doesn’t seem to fit the moment. It doesn’t add anything to the scene, make sense in context to what had been said before or after… even the quality of that audio seems out of place. The line isn’t in the scripted version of the scene either.

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So why did this apparently awry line make it in to the final cut? The answer is surprisingly simple and a great demonstration of the less-is-more ethos of Jaws.

There has been much speculation about this line being included in the autopsy scene. During the editing of the autopsy scene, Jaws editor Verna Fields and director Steven Spielberg both felt things were going on too long. They couldn't find a good place to make a cut so they made up the line "This is what happens...." from some of Dreyfuss' lines elsewhere in the scene.

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They had to do this as there was no actual dialogue over where he picks up the arm. In doing so they "manufactured" a good place to facilitate the shortening of the scene.

I think you can also hear a "So" at the front of it making the line, "So, this is what happens...." But that might just be me. If true though, the line makes a bit more sense. Either way, Spielberg admits it's a rough edit but he thought he'd gotten away with it.

Watch the full scene below.

Words by Ross Williams

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