"
The film, a romantic comedy set in holiday-time New York City, starring
But then the attacks of September 11, 2001, happened.
Suddenly, director
Not only was the movie one of the first to open in theaters after the cataclysmic event, but weeks before it hit screens on October 5, Weinstein demanded that Chelsom erase the Twin Towers from a skyline shot in the movie.
The result is a movie that did moderately well at the box office (it earned $77.5 million at the worldwide box office on a $28 million budget). However, as the years have passed and more have discovered it on DVD and countless cable airings, "Serendipity" has become a rom-com classic.
Along with Cusack and Beckinsale's perfect chemistry, there's a wonderful supporting cast that includes Jeremy Piven, Molly Shannon, John Corbett, Bridget Moynahan, and Eugene Levy. Expertly paired with an acoustic-heavy soundtrack, featuring the likes of Nick Drake and David Gray, "Serendipity" captures a simpler time in the world and a fantastical version of New York City - no, you can't see the stars at night when you are in Manhattan and there's definitely no clock above Bloomingdale's.
In celebration of the movie's 20th anniversary, Insider chatted with Chelsom about Jennifer Aniston declining to be the lead in the movie, helping Levy on a difficult first day, and still regretting having to take the Twin Towers out of the movie.
Chelsom also exclusively provided Insider with black-and-white photos that he shot on set.
'Serendipity' saved Chelsom's career, he said
What I love about this movie is it's a fairytale. This New York City does not exist. There's no clock above Bloomingdale's. You can't see the stars when you're in Manhattan. And you definitely never hear bells like Jonathan does at the end. Was that "other" Big Apple a mission of yours to capture?
It's something I do with all my films. I have to know the reality to play with it. It's a film. It's not a documentary, and especially this is the case with "Serendipity." We were making a film about a world that we hope might exist. Yes, there's no clock. Yes, you can't see the stars. All that is absolutely right. But with it this way it transports you, you can escape more.
This was the third film you had made at Miramax. How did you get involved?
When I did "The Mighty," which was previous to "Serendipity," I signed a two-picture deal with Harvey at Miramax and that means that you have a pre-agreed fee and that you are expected to do a second film for them. It's something that Harvey weaponized.
What happened with me is I went and made "Town and County" [for New Line Cinema]. That was three years of my life. Once I was done with that movie, Harvey came to me with "Serendipity." I'll never forget, I was at my house and I read the script kind of not wanting to like it because I didn't want to do another film for Miramax, but it completely seduced me. And I also wanted to get back on the horse because I knew "Town and Country" was going to be a disaster.
So I took "Serendipity" by way of saving my career.
Kate Beckinsale's character was originally written as an American
Were John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale attached when you got involved?
No. John was instantly on my mind because [the actor] had actually offered me "Grosse Pointe Blank" and I turned it down.
What!?
Jason, you have no idea what great films I've turned down. I'm such an idiot. But I regretted not doing it after seeing it in the cinema, so John was a quick decision. He came on first. Then I saw a lot of people for the part of Sara.
And originally the role of Sara was written as American, right?
Correct. Kate Beckinsale came in and she did her first reading in an American accent. It was good. Her accent is fine, but for me, I like it when people play close to home. So I felt to get the most access and warmth out of Kate and for it to be more personal she had to just go British. She reread the scene in her British accent and it was great. So that was the decision I made at that audition. It felt right.
Jennifer Aniston turned down the lead because she felt she was doing a rom-com every week on 'Friends'
Now you said you saw a lot of people for Sara. What other stars came close before you met Kate?
Someone who came extremely close was Carla Gugino ("Spy Kids"). Her audition was spectacular. I ended up casting her in my movie years later, "The Space Between Us." Claire Forlani ("Mallrats") came close and I distinctly remember Jennifer Aniston coming in to meet us.
I remember when she came in, she said, "I do a romantic comedy once a week," her being on "Friends" at the time, so she clearly had other things on her plate and it was her decision not to do it. She had come to meet with me in good faith without an offer, but we definitely would have made her an offer if she wanted to make it.
Harvey Weinstein insisted on a new ending featuring Eugene Levy
What's fascinating is the first three scenes of the movie were reshoots. In the original DVD release, it features deleted scenes, one of which is of the original beginning of the movie. In it, Jonathan and Sara kiss. That shocked me because one of the great things about this movie is they don't kiss until the very end.
Yeah, I agree, that was the right decision to take that out. But also we didn't hit the ground running in terms of what the film was about and what the word serendipity meant so the best part of the reshoot was Kate gave the most succinct definition, which was "a fortunate accident." We needed someone to say that early on in the movie.
You know, Harvey was known as "Harvey Scissorhands" because he loved to re-edit the movies after the directors handed them in, but this is one of the few movies of his where he wanted a scene added.
Harvey wanted more "Serendipity?"
Yeah. My cut was about 88 minutes and I said, "Harvey, this movie is a lot of smoke and mirrors, if you play this too long it won't sustain." But Harvey wanted a scene added at the end in Bloomingdale's.
Where Eugene Levy shows up.
Right. Doing the reshoot made everyone groan. John and Kate were reluctant to do it. I basically was like, "Look, we have to shoot this because I'm being asked to." It ended up the movie went out with a bang, so Harvey had a point. Also, Eugene Levy proved to be so popular in the test screenings, I think Harvey wanted him to come back at the end.
Levy had a 'very challenging' first day because he was trying to be too funny, Chelsom said
What was it like working with Eugene Levy? Because if he goes too big with the laughs he steals the movie.
Definitely. He came on board and it was a very challenging first day with him. John kept looking at me like, "Oh God, what are we going to do?" Because Eugene was overplaying it. I'm much more interested in something very real and the byproduct of which is funny as opposed to people acting funny.
So Eugene's first day was all the Bloomingdale's stuff and he was pushing the comedy too hard. We took a break and I pulled him aside and I said: "Relax, the laughs will come by virtue of the situation, don't push it."
Most good actors understand that and Eugene completely understood it. We did the scene again and it was great.
But the "chase me" line, which Eugene's characters says to Jonathan when he can't find Sara's name on a receipt, he didn't think that joke would work, right?
That first day we break for lunch and we come back and do the scene where John Cusack is wearing the blue velvet suit and says he looks like a magician and Eugene says he can't find the name. Eugene comes to me and says, "What do I do after saying that?" And I said, "Touch him gently on the shoulder and say 'chase me' and you run behind the counter." Eugene was like, "No, seriously, what do I do?"
And I said, "You do exactly that." John Cusack then said, "That is the most bizarre note any director has given any actor." Eugene then said, "Two hours ago you told me not to be over the top." So they aren't into it and I said, "Look, we'll get the crew in to watch the rehearsals if they laugh it's in the movie, if they don't laugh it's not in the movie." Of course, the crew laughed.
Weinstein demanded that the Twin Towers be digitally taken out from a shot in the movie following the attacks of 9/11
A month before "Serendipity" opens, 9/11 happens. This movie is known for taking out a shot of the Twin Towers before it was released. What led to that?
There were two issues: when do we open the movie and the taking out of the Twin Towers. I personally regret taking out the Twin Towers. They were only there in a helicopter shot I had done. It showed up halfway through the movie and it's this shot over New York and in the mist you can see the Twin Towers in the distance. So taking them out worked fine in regards to the CGI. I remember there being a big scramble to take it out.
Harvey wanted to take out the Twin Towers. And I got the impression that it was not negotiable. He may have been right at the time but in the big picture, no. I was very mixed about it. In hindsight, I really do wish we had not taken them out. The movie was a love letter to New York and it would be all the more so if they remained. But there was no discussion to be had with Harvey about this.
And because I'm an absolute obsessive perfectionist in terms of anything technical with the film, I did supervise the digital process of erasing the towers.
[Regarding the Twin Towers being taken out of the movie, Weinstein told Insider in a statement through his spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer: "Peter Chelsom made his best movies working for me and everybody agreed that taking out the Twin Towers around 9/11 was the right idea and the most respectful thing to do."]
Chelsom said he and the cast were 'apprehensive' about having the movie's premiere following 9/11
What was the energy like at the premiere in New York City?
The movie was the first premiere after 9/11 and it's almost like we all held our breath in the sensitivity of that. But I will never forget that premiere because it felt like we could laugh again. It was a really wonderful night.
But leading up, did you and the cast feel it was a good idea to have a premiere in New York City while lower Manhattan was still smoldering?
I was apprehensive, no question. And John and Kate were very worried about appearing on a red carpet smiling and dressed up. It all felt it might be insensitive, but it proved to be real joy. We can live and laugh.
Did you ever get the feeling that Harvey was mad at Kate for not dressing up? She has since said that Harvey berated her for not dressing more revealing at the premiere.
I don't remember that. I'm looking at what she wore, this beautiful all-white pantsuit. It never crossed my mind because to me she looks dolled up here. She always does. I don't think Harvey was justified in saying she should have dressed up more. I will say that. But I do remember she was worried. We all were apprehensive of whether this was in good taste or not.
Chelsom said he's come close to working with Cusack and Beckinsale on a rom-com again
Why do you think this movie didn't become the beloved rom-com it is now until it hit DVD and cable?
It had a very good opening weekend, exceeded expectations. But it wasn't a $100 million rom-com, like say "You've Got Mail." So in the grand scheme, it was good but not stellar and maybe it was the timing of when it was released. But since it's been insane. I did a movie in Italy recently, "Security" - over there all they want to talk about is "Serendipity." It just seems to keep growing.
But why this movie?
It's the balance between the man and woman. They have mirror problems: marrying the so-called perfect partner and realizing they can't. There were a lot of films in the early 2000s - and I said this back then - they were sexist. This idea of frat boy behaves really badly, shit hits the fan in act two, then all of act three is him apologizing to the beautiful blonde. That was the laziness of romantic comedies in the early 2000s and in some ways "Serendipity" was the apex.
I don't think there should ever be a "Serendipity" sequel, but have you ever tried to do a different rom-com story with John and Kate?
We have talked about it and I would be very happy to do it. It actually has come close a couple of times, doing a film with them together, but recently nothing is in the works. But, yes, I really don't think there should be a sequel to "Serendipity." But us three working together again, I would be really happy to do that.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.