So, What Was Up With The Ending To Scream 4?
Scream 4 had a rocky road to your local multiplex, going through multiple script revisions, much to the chagrin of its director and actors. But given the infinite number of possibilities that a Scream 4 script could go in, the ending that audiences saw was, to my eyes at least, odd and particularly unsatisfying. Is this really the ending (and the killer) that director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson intended? Major Scream 4 spoilers ahoy!
So to sum up: Emma Roberts was the mastermind behind the killings, with Rory Culkin as her right-hand man (right until she double-crossed him and Lillard-ed him good). Culkin wanted to live out his horror film obsessions and document the whole thing on the web, while Roberts was jealous of her cousin's notoriety and wanted the sweet taste of fame (and infamy) all to herself.
Now, no one goes to a Scream movie expecting a cinema vérité experience, but it was right about when Roberts was delivering her filibuster of the vacuous nature of fame in the 21st century that I nearly rolled my eyes out of my head. Did we get any inkling, any foreshadowing at all that Robert's character was so obsessed with fame before she delivered her preachy stemwinder? And besides the seemingly out-of-left-field nature of her sudden M.O., did they (they being whatever band of monkeys that rewrote Kevin Williamson's script) have to give Roberts such a windy diatribe? I got the gist after a few lines -- jealous of cousin, she wanted fame at any cost -- but the scene went on forever. Sloppy overwriting in the final reel does not make up for sketchy underwriting in the reels before it.
Based on the numerous reports of infighting and script tinkering, I think it may be fair to assume Roberts & Culkin were not the original killers as first scripted by Williamson, just as Laurie Metcalf (Laurie Metcalf!) was not meant to be the killer in Scream 2 until a leak prompted re-writes. So who do we think was the original killer in Scream 4? Frankly, as it played out, it could have been anyone, but I sort of liked the idea of it being Deputy Hicks, who had a brief flicker of Sidney Prescott obsession before getting lost in the shuffle. (And was it my imagination, or did it seem like she was shot in the head before she popped up and claimed the Kevlar caught it?)
Scream 4 isn't a bad movie, per se; I jumped in my seat and had an enjoyable time. But the ending hampered my enjoyment of the movie and may have contributed to its lackluster grosses. I just felt that the ending was far too pat and simplisitic (desire for fame is the real killer, children!), more appropriate for hastily delivered Jerry's Final Thoughts than a slasher flick.
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Comments
so Jill is the killer, fine. BUT what's with the FINAL ending where the news people outside are still saying that she is a hero?? Are we supposed to think they haven't gotten the news yet? The whole timing is a mess at the end, within the hospital. People are said to be still unconscious in ICU, but they are wide awake and able to fight etc etc etc
The final scene with the reporters is just supposed to be Jills imagination. Thats why after it shows all that it goes and does a close up on her face with the reporters still talking. And yea I agree the whole hospital ending stuff was pretty bad
While it appears you got the jist of the ending, you seem to have missed its many brillaint subtelties. It wasn't meant to be a just a straight 'killer with motive' resolution, the whole Emma Roberts as the "new Sidney" was something built into the movie's very fabric. Even before the movie came out, it was just assumed that Jill was being groomed as a new lead, in a figurative way, that is. And then they turned the tables on us and made it more literal. She wanted to be the new Sidney herself, it wasn't just our built in assumptions. It went beautifully with the fact that the killers were creating a remake. She wasn't just trying to remake Stab, she was trying to remake Sidney. It all worked well as a mock-up of remakes, but also a clever twist on them.
same here "moronpolitics" the newsreporters scene at the end made no sense at all
Do you know something called "twist ending"? The whole purpose of not foreshadowing that Robert's character was so obsessed with fame in the beginning and then suddenly revealing her secret M.O. is to let us not suspect that Jill was the killer.
Okey their saying ahes a hero because the reportera didnt get news that jill was the murder Yet
Jill Roberts is one of my favorite Ghost face killer in scream 4 she is the mastermind behind the killings in the survivor now call Woodsboro killing spree 21st century American hero right of the movies
my favorite scene from scream 4 with Jill Roberts as the ghost face killer 1st attack on jenny Randall and next Kate Roberts and Anthony Perkins and gale weathers at the stab a thon movie to out do the original movie at the party one with Sidney Prescott to the end of the movie the alternate ending with a scene with Sidney VS Jill the final show down
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