MovieChat Forums > Beetlejuice (1988) Discussion > Awkward script writing (spoiler)?

Awkward script writing (spoiler)?

posted 9 years ago by NeilNR
3 replies | jump to latest

I don't know if this has been discussed, but it's always bothered me that after the dinner scene and all the guests are wildly enthused about the ghosts, as soon as Lydia comes back and says the ghosts won't come down, some of the guests immediately lose interest and even act as though the dinner scene didn't happen. They just leave.

Dick Cavett's exit line is really a cop-out. It's like Tim Burton needed to reduce the number of characters for the last part of the movie and just didn't know how to do it, so he just forced it and hoped no one would notice.

I saw the movie multiple times when it was released and once on TV, but not for several years, so my memory isn't great.

Thanks.

[–] Getalis 9 years ago

It's how those high-society types function. One minute you're hot, the next...

That the ghosts were real had already been established. The pertinent matter at that point was "How do we benefit from them?" By refusing to come down, the Maitlands essentially answered, "You don't." Thus, there was no reason for Bernard, Goldbutt & Sickly Asian Girl to stay.

[–] jsn_hylnd 9 years ago

I felt it was a shame that they left early esp Dick Cavett's character I was anxious to see him come face-to-face with Beetlejuice.

[–] HellboundHero 9 years ago

Reminds me of all of New York being in denial about Mr. Staypuft in Ghostbusters II.