Alternate Ending(s)?
I read another long thread on this board about the film's ending (which is somewhat ambiguous and open to interpretation). My take on the conclusion was the same as the poster who felt that Lenny was one of those personalities who wants what he can't have. He's thrilled by the challenge of a seemingly unobtainable goal, but once he's obtained it, the thrill is gone. At what should have been his pinnacle moment of triumph, he finds himself sitting on a couch with a couple of kids - and they're just as bored & unconvinced by the bull$hit he's spouting as he is. Sure he's got his victory, but it's a hollow one. And no, I don't think he's contemplating a return to Lila at the end; I get the feeling he's wondering if he can get ANY satisfaction from his life.
However, when The Heartbreak Kid was first released in 1972, there were stories in the media about the ending and how it had been a point of contention - perhaps between the studio and the filmmakers, or simply as a result of less-than-successful sneak previews. But I'd read the film had alternate endings, one of which centered on Lenny learning something "surprising" about his new wife Kelly. I came here to find out if anyone else was aware of alternate endings that had been written and/or shot for the film.