Test Audiences Demand Aniston Happiness
America just wants Jennifer Aniston to be happy, OK? And by "America," we of course mean that segment of the population who can be lured into theaters by people holding clipboards amd promising free movie tickets in exchange for their very valuable opinions on the filmmaking process. Page Six reports that The Break Up, the project that conveniently brought together the newly jilted Aniston and her bearlike love-savior, Vince Vaughn, went through some reshoots to fix a negative reaction to the film's ending:
Our spy reports, "The original screenplay had Jennifer and Vince's characters breaking up at the end. So it was shot that way - but test audiences hated it. It tested really - and I mean really - badly."
So Aniston and Vaughn, who met while making the picture and subsequently fell in love, were sent back to Vaughn's hometown of Chicago to do reshoots, costing Universal millions.
"The new ending has them getting back together in the end. It should really be called 'The Make Up,' " snickered our source.
"People want to see Jennifer happy after she was thrown over by Brad Pitt for Angelina Jolie," added another insider. "And with the original ending - well, it was just too much of the same."
A rep for Universal e-mailed us: "Every film can benefit from a few extra days of shooting, and 'The Break Up' was able to return to Chicago for some quick additions that we believe will add to what we know is already an enormously satisfying movie."
The new ending, while somewhat darker, should sate test audiences' desire to see things finally turn out in Aniston's favor. [SPOILER ALERT!] Just as it seems that her character can't put her last relationship behind her and resolves herself to losing Vaughn because of her emotional unavailability, he arrives at the apartment they share as movers are packing her belongings. An uncomfortable silence is slowly replaced by shrieks of joy as Vaughn produces a hat box containing the severed head of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's genitals. As they embrace, the movers quietly slip out to allow the couple some privacy as they seal their fresh, baggaged-unencumbered beginning with a kiss. And to leave open the possibility of a sequel should the movie perform to expectations, the camera irises in on the hat box, where Jolie's head gives the audience a knowing wink. The genitals, however, remain motionless.