There are no scenes missing, that is how it was in the movies. I don't know what ended up on the editing room floor, but that's exactly how the movie has always been since its release in theaters.
I never felt like anything was missing in regards to that particular outcome, personally. Gooding's character is going through all kinds of emotional and intellectual changes all throughout his time with Hopkins, especially from the point where he gets the duct tape slapped over his mouth and he realizes that "freedom" is a myth, a bunch of illusions. And he realizes a LOT of things in his life are just illusions. You can see Gooding's character going through the wringer, so to speak, first by having all the things he considered "important" shattered, then by being shown new values, and given new meanings to things he cherished, but were actually really "twisting him up into knots inside," as Hopkins' character points out. Gooding realizes he hasn't even had time in his life for just ONE other person, because his goals were driving him so hard. As he says, "I knew all the right people," he knew how to get where he wanted, he could NEVER be a "loser." But he sees that he's lost so much more just by getting to where he THOUGHT he wanted to go. Hopkins' character doesn't just show him that, he's also shown that by Donald Sutherland's character, and Hopkins' daughter, as well (sorry...LOL...I forget all their names in the movie). So it's not JUST Hopkins who teaches him these new things and shows him a different way to look at life, it's several people around him and in his life at that moment.
In the beginning, Gooding is driven to "crack open" Hopkins because he believes he's a good doctor and he might even get notoriety or even a book deal out of the encounter. In the heart of the movie, he's very confused as his personal values break down. Sutherland warns him not to get emotionally involved, and to remember that HE'S in charge, not Hopkins, but that exact thing happens, regardless. And just when Gooding thinks he's gained control again, and he's gotten Hopkins back on good terms with his daughter, dressed in a suit and ready to go to court and get him possibly RELEASED, what does Hopkins do? He shatters all Gooding's plans and proves, once AGAIN, that Gooding was not in control, and never really was. Another illusion, just a game being played by "the takers." It's perhaps the most important message Hopkins teaches Gooding out of the entire movie.
In real life, a story like that likely wouldn't end "happily ever after" with Hopkins breaking out a la One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, running off into the sunset, or in his case, disappearing into the foliage to live amongst the silverbacks...he'd likely languish for years in his cell, broken of will. But because it's a movie, all the things he taught to Gooding can't be for nothing, so he escapes and Gooding realizes his final lesson.
The speech at the end is entirely appropriate, to me; at that point, he's horribly desperate to get to Hopkins, at his wit's end. None of his plans panned out, everything has seemingly fallen apart, and he is out of time, out of control, in a sort of panic. He doesn't want to "lose" Hopkins again after all the work he's done, and so he opens up his heart to him, hoping that by proving to him he's more of a "friend" who taught him something than just a patient and a doctor, that Hopkins will say something, anything. But that would ruin Hopkins' plans, wouldn't it? He has to be able to stand at the window for long periods of time without raising any suspicion, so he remains mute. The note Hopkins left for him was what he wanted to say but couldn't at the time, and it just drives home the "final lesson." At that point, Gooding's character has come fully around and has a new, different outlook on life, that will hopefully stay with him.
Makes perfect sense.
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I can't understand your crazy moon language.
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