It ends with Jane and Ricky going down for first degree murder. Of course not. Director Sam Mendes shot it that way, and with editor Tariq Anwar he arranged a version of the movie including the frame device, as written. And then they cut it. The story did not need the frame narrative.
Frame devices package stories into pre-fabricated genres.
Ricky, who finds crystalline beauty in a dead bird. They changed it anyhow, but at the end of the day it is still Alan Ball's screenplay. Yes, land masses rubbing against each other also create destructive earthquakes. Development can sometimes be a harsh business. Writing a screenplay is a lot like being a parent.