When I saw the trailer for Couples Retreat a few months ago, most of the primary couples' problems seems like old hat to me, but I was struck that one subplot appeared to involve Jon Favreau vigorously, enthusiastically cheating on his wife (Kristin Davis) and that Universal would actually advertise that. This is one of the lead characters of a big mainstream comedy, and he's picking up some floozy over hot wings and banging her in the restaurant bathroom! I was impressed that a seemingly by-the-numbers comedy would go all the way with the infidelity idea instead of stopping at mere "temptation," and I was curious to see how the story would play out when I went to a screening of Couples Retreat last night.
Well, guess what?
All those scenes of infidelity in the trailer (including Davis's own assignation with her personal trainer) have been cut from the film, something I should have suspected when Favreau was dragged away from Iron Man 2 to do Couples Retreat reshoots shortly after the trailer's release. Both Favreau and Davis still have wandering eyes in the film, but temptation is the couple's main problem rather than onscreen cheating. Aside from an argument the two have late in the movie (which feels like it's referencing the original storyline), there's no indication that either one has ever been adulterous.
Lesson learned: Women in focus groups might not see your movie if it's about the dude from Swingers tomcatting around on poor Charlotte! For a glimpse at what's been lost, enjoy the original trailer: