10 Movie Adaptations That Changed The Ending For The Better

7. Invasion of the Body Snatchers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuL2QwsNeM8 Jack Finney's original 1955 novel of the same name held the same sentiment as Don Siegel's 1956 film, that the insidious replacement of the townsfolk by chilly, emotionless pod people was an allegory for Communism in the wake of the Cold War. Where the source material falters is in its lack of subtlety; it all descends into a groan-inducing flag-waving exercise by story's end, a jingoistic statement in which the brave Americans stand up to the pod people, which causes them to leave Earth out of fear. The film ending is vastly superior; there's no icky patriotism to be found, but instead protagonist Miles screaming about what has happened while the authorities largely refuse to believe him. So brilliantly bleak was it that party-pooping studio executives balked, forcing Siegel to add a slightly more optimistic ending where the police do, in fact, alert the armed forces. In the service of the film's amusing metaphor, Miles screaming "You're next!" would no doubt have made audiences far more creeped out than the overly happy ending of the novel.
 
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.