That 'Inside Out' Bing Bong Scene Was Originally Even Sadder
"Inside Out" was all about emotion, and it certainly brought out lots of emotions in moviegoers, too, particularly in one heart-wrenching scene between Joy (Amy Poehler) and Bing Bong. Now, Richard Kind, who voiced Riley's lovable imaginary friend, has revealed that that interaction was initially even more sad than what audiences eventually saw onscreen -- and thankfully, filmmakers spared us that rollercoaster.
In an interview with MTV News, Kind discussed the scene in question, in which (SPOILER) Bing Bong is trying to help Joy out of the memory dump abyss, and sacrifices himself so that she can survive and reunite with Sadness (Phyllis Smith). It's an absolutely heartbreaking scene, especially when Bing Bong tells Joy, "Take [Riley] to the moon for me."
Kind admitted that that last bit of dialogue "kills me" and "gives me chills," but added that originally, there was even more content to depress audiences. He told MTV:
When I first saw the movie, the scene down in the valley, where the memories have been lost and disposed of, was about 40 seconds to a minute longer. And I loved it. I actually talked to the producer's daughter who agreed with me and said she didn't like the shorter version as much. The reason why they cut it — and I think they're sort of right — was because that earlier version was heart-wrenching. It was absolutely heartbreaking, and I likened it to the scene in 'Bambi' when his mother dies. We don't need to see that again. I think we felt exactly what we needed to feel in that scene.
Reliving Bambi's mother's death isn't something we'd like to do, either, so we appreciate director Pete Docter and co. sparing us that fate. Kind added that the bonus Bing Bong footage showed the character "get a little desperate. It was a lot sadder," but we agree with him that the version we saw onscreen was the right choice for the flick.
So when you go to watch the movie again, and get upset over Bing Bong's death all over again, just remember: It could have been much, much worse. You're welcome.
[via: MTV News]
Photo credit: Disney