The Tale of Two Endings

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2005)

Normally, I would post a general review of the movie, but this is a special case.
Let me start by saying I loved this movie. Let me continue by saying I recommend it, but specifically, I recommend the original director's cut. The explanation will contain what could be considered spoilers.
The theatrical ending grinds and fizzles. I understood it, I understood its necessity and its focus. All the same, I didn't like it. It was a teeny-bopper, watered-down ending to an edgy, dark, skillful movie. It changed the focus from him to her, and it left you with an overall, "Yeah, that was kind of a happy ending" feeling. I'm sorry, but you just don't "happy ending" a child molestation, accidental baby-killing, violent preteen, prison sex movie. You don't.
I was very happy to find that this was not the director's ending, but a sell-out ending to please the sample audiences polled before the movie's release. The makers said it wouldn't make the money they needed with the real ending. But let me say, the real ending is worth it. It's like, the entire movie is a burning fuse of one extremely disturbing image after another, and then the original ending says, "Bam! We saved the most disturbing for last." Watch this movie on DVD with the director's ending. It is the truly artful of the two.