The Long Kiss Goodnight originally killed off Samuel L. Jackson’s character, but the “audience was like f–k no.” Directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) and written by Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys), the 1996 action thriller follows an amnesiac schoolteacher and single mother who, with the help of a private detective, sets out to find her true identity and discovers a dark conspiracy. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, the cast also includes Geena Davis, Tom Amandes, Yvonne Zima, Brian Cox, Patrick Malahide, Craig Bierko, and David Morse.
Appearing on GQ‘s series in which actors break their most iconic characters, Samuel L. Jackson remembered how The Long Kiss Goodnight originally killed off his character, but the “audience was like f–k no.” Watch the portion of the video below, starting at the 15:50 minute mark:
Jackson explains that his character, Mitch Henessey, was originally killed off at the end of The Long Kiss Goodnight, but after test audiences strongly objected, they reshot scenes to keep him alive, even though the actor found the new ending corny, albeit fitting his character. Read Jackson’s full comments below:
Oh, I died. Yeah, I totally died, when I come out of that truck and I get her and get in the car and take her home with the kid. Yeah, I totally died. But then when they were testing the movie, the audience was like, “F–k, no.” That was like the main comment, “Mitch Henessy cannot die.” So like a week before the movie came out, we shot all that other stuff with me being interviewed, and doing all that shit. I thought that was the corniest joke ever. It’s like, but for Mitch it works though.
Why Mitch Henessey Doesn’t Die During The Long Kiss Goodnight’s Ending
Test Audiences Didn’t Like The Original Ending
In The Long Kiss Goodnight, Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) is a schoolteacher and single mother living a typical suburban life until she starts experiencing unsettlingly violent memories, and soon releases she possesses unexplainable physical abilities. With the help of private detective Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson), they discover that she is actually a highly trained government assassin, Charly Baltimore, who vanished after experiencing amnesia, and her former handlers want her back in their employ. Mitch Henessey dies after rescuing Samantha Caine and her daughter during the original ending, sacrificing himself to ensure their safety.
However, during test screenings, the early version of the film in which Mitch Henessey dies was received overwhelmingly negatively by audiences. In fact, during one test screening, an audience member yelled out, “You can’t kill Sam Jackson!” As a result, about a week before the film’s release, director Renny Harlin decided to rewrite and reshoot the ending, adding additional scenes in which Mitch Henessey is alive, including being interviewed by Larry King on television.
Our Take On The Long Kiss Goodnight’s Ending
Which Ending Is Better?
Though it’s debatable whether it was a better ending for the story, Mitch Henessey living at the end of The Long Kiss Goodnight does provide a more uplifting conclusion to the story and his relationship with Samantha. If nothing else, Mitch Henessey living provided him the opportunity to tell the joke on Larry King, “I’m always frank and earnest with women. In New York, I’m Frank, and in Chicago, I’m Ernest.” Though Sam Jackson and others found the ending cheesy, it’s fitting for the character of Mitch Henessey.
Source: GQ
