The Safe House - Expositions

There is a final version of the movie which is currently playing in theatres and was sent out to movie critics to review. And there's a work print out there, floating around the internet. It was not sent out to critics as far as we know, but people have reportedly seen it appear in movie theatres as well.

Here are the differences:

-- In the final version Sy's already in police custody *at the very beginning of the movie* and he's then telling the whole story in flashback.

Some proof from reviews (Thanks to Angela!):

Entertainment Weekly
http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp38.html
"(Sy tells the story in flashback in a police interrogation room; from now on, at least, he couldn't hurt a fly.)"

Mercury News
http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp27.html
"When someone finally takes Sy's picture in "One Hour Photo'' -- writer-director Mark Romanek's wonderful new creep-o-rama, starring Robin Williams -- it may be the first proof of Sy's existence in this world. "Do you guys have your own lab, or do you send it out?'' he asks the police detective (played by Eriq LaSalle OF "ER'' ) who has just ordered a set of mug shots. The rest of the film is a flashback explaining a set of photographs that Sy took -- but we can't see -- just before he was arrested."

Ain't It Cool News
http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp73.html
"For those that want to know the differences in the theatrical cut and the earlier cut I'll go into what I noticed while watching the theatrical version tonight. To start off, the movie now opens with Sy getting interrogated by Eriq La Salle, so you know something happens... You know Sy does something that puts him in that interrogation room and that adds to the tension of the film."

From people who have actually seen it in theatres:

"Hi, I went to see "One Hour Photo" sunday evening. At the Grove Theater in Los Angeles and the version I saw began with Sy being interrogated by Eriq LaSalle's character from the very beginning. You see something that says "threat management division" and then he says how he has confiscated pictures from Sy's Apartment, and some from his camera from the hotel. Sy asks to see the pictures but he won't let him. He asks him how he knows Will Yorkin. Then he starts to do a voice over and the story begins." -- Useyourwings

"The version of this film that I saw playing at the Lupo Frightfest in London last Saturday had an initial interrogation scene bookending the movie and iniating the Sy narration that goes through the film. This is the version of the film approved for festivals etc, and not cleared by the BBFC, but I can't understand why a second cut would be floating around. In the first scene I saw, Eriq La Salle asks Sy if he held anything against Will Yorkin personally, and told him they'd recovered and developed the film from the hotel. Then begins the flashbacks." -- Katxx

"I think I saw the version you guys talked about with Robin Williams being interrogated at the beginning and the end." -- Brandy

"I'm not sure if there's 2 version of the movie, but I did go see it yesterday. It began with Robin's character in the white interogation room, which is also in the end. I saw it in LA, if that helps any. :)" -- Vlada

"I went to see the movie today. I'm in NYC. The movie started with Robin in the interrogation room so if you didn't see that then I say there is another version. :)" -- *Suleika

"The opening scene in the final one is now Sy at the police office. ... The whole movie is a flash back in the final cut." -- Linda

This first scene plays out very differently in the work print:

-- In the opening scene Sy explains the 'red-eye effect' and we see a montage at the Yorkin's home. It's Jake's birthday party where a lot of happy family pictures are taken.

Ain't It Cool News
http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp73.html
"Missing is the "Red Eye" speech Sy gives, which I miss because it perfectly sets up one of my favorite scenes in the film: Sy's nightmare. Thankfully, the nightmare is still there and even creepier on the big screen with Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek's great score driving it."

"Also, the opening scene ... from the original cut has been "recreated" on the website as "Exposure" 1 on the central navigation." -- FSLAndrew

More differences:

-- Infidelity scenes:

A few minutes into the work print, there is a scene that sets up the infidelity angle with Will opting to stay at home instead of going to the mall and getting the party photos developed. This scene is not present in the final version as far as we know, but instead there's another MV scene at some point in the final version where his character Will Yorkin is having a fight with his wife Nina.

Some proof from reviews (Thanks to Angela!):

Entertainment Weekly
http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp38.html
"''You're neglectful. You're never here,'' Nina accuses her husband, although we've got no backup for the accusation based on the hundreds of photographs accumulated as a family."

New York Times
http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp40.html
"Lifelike is the operative word. Nothing in this picture's world seems quite real, until Sy notes the anguish in Nina's face one day when she drops the photographs off. He subsequently follows her home and observes the sordid details of her family life. She can't get her husband, Will (Michael Vartan), to spend any time at home, and it turns out he's responsible for her misery. Sy takes it upon himself to solve the problems of the Yorkin family by stalking Will to teach him a lesson. Sy wants to be the daddy-savior figure, which raises another question: How far will he go?"

Ain't It Cool News
http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp73.html
"There's a new scene of Connie Nielson arguing with her husband (Michael Vartan) about him being an emotionally neglectful husband and father. I couldn't tell if the scene was a reshoot or just added back in after the first cut, but it's not a bad scene. It's not jaw-droppingly great either, but it does set up some imperfections in the core family that Sy covets so much."

More differences:

-- Music:

"About the music, I LOVED the music in the workprint SO much. It was perfect, especially the requiem for a dream one. And the puppet love song from Being John Malkovich was So beautiful." -- Linda

"Even the use of the American Beauty theme worked well with it [the work print]." -- reni

"There are differences but the major ones are what you noted. However, the big difference is in the score - the music composing team of Klimek and Heil (Run Lola Run) really did a tremendous job - some of the music [from the final version] is on the site and on the trailer." -- FSLAndrew

"I know I keep talking about it, but the number one reason for me urging a theatrical viewing of ONE HOUR PHOTO is Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek's score. They use a great, light orchestral underscore to back up the jarring chimes and drum beats that really take ONE HOUR PHOTO to a new level. The score acts as a magnifying glass. The script is still great without it, the performances are still amazing without it, but without that score in the movie it would seem... I don't know... duller. Less impactful. The score multiplies the impact of the great writing, the great atmosphere, the great performances from everyone involved... Makes them sharper, more intense... You know... Does was a score is supposed to do." -- Quint

-- Digital camera:

"I noticed another difference in the OHP versions. In the final version when Sy is admiring Nina's camera, she mentions that Will was trying to get her to go digital (from the KCAL interview clip at the OHP premiere from vartanetc.com) but in the workprint it doesn't have the bit where Nina mentions the digital thing." -- Angela

-- Quote:

"Another quote I missed, and it was my favorite one in the workprint, is "there's no such thing as an innocent photograph". -- Linda

-- Sy's escape:

"And further I can't really explain what's different, I have to see the final cut a couple of more times for that, but I do know that certain scenes were changed, like the end scenes (Robins "escape")." -- Linda

For even more differences, you can check out these two Ain't It Cool News reviews (Thanks to Angela!):

http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp73.html

http://www.vartanho.com/articles/ohp/ohp76.html

Back To One Hour Photo Articles