The Studio Recap: Deleted Scenes

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To start off, there’s delightful news as “The Note” unfolds: Renowned director Ron Howard is back with a new film. This is advantageous for multiple reasons. Being a seasoned professional, Howard consistently delivers critically acclaimed movies that resonate with the public. Consequently, due to his influence, he can retain final editing rights, which means less work for Matt, Sal, Maya, and Quinn – their main task here being to watch the movie and devise strategies to market it. In addition, they have valid reasons to be hopeful about Howard’s latest creation, an action-packed film featuring Anthony Mackie (Quinn’s preferred actor) and Dave Franco, who, according to Maya, has a charm that leaves women feeling more moist than an oyster. What could possibly go awry?

As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that initially, there was no cause for concern when watching The Studio‘s two previous episodes. However, the twist in A Beautiful Mind caught me off guard, leaving me puzzled, apart from those instances. The film itself, at least during its initial phases, was quite captivating. For two hours, it transported the Continental gang to Alphabet City, a 1970s New York thriller featuring Mackie as a cabbie who encounters a dangerous passenger played by Franco. The ending was absolutely mind-blowing. But then came the postscript – a drawn-out sequence of scenes where Mackie wanders the motel grounds with his son’s ghost, accompanied by Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind.

The ending is so poor that it not only dampens viewers’ interest in the movie but almost negates the positive impact of the two hours of intense action leading up to it. It’s not Matt’s responsibility to critique Howard, but as Maya points out, “You’d have to be crazy to think people would watch that.” Clearly, Matt needs to advise Howard to remove the motel scenes when the director visits for their scheduled marketing meeting later in the day. Matt is aware of this, but he struggles to express it. “You deliver harsh studio criticism all the time, and it’s typically to people who dislike you,” Quinn says, bewildered. “Ron Howard actually seems to genuinely like you.

It’s possible that the issue here is Matt not being critical enough with Howard, who appears to be one of his favorites. So far, we haven’t seen much in the way of constructive criticism from Matt, apart from a single suggestion in “The Oner.” However, considering Matt’s history with Howard and his apparent affection for artists he admires, this lack of critique might not sit well with him.

This brings us to a central question that the series poses: Could it be that Matt’s aspiration to be liked by the talent and his fondness for the ‘artsy fartsy’ make him unsuitable for a studio head role? But if this is indeed the case, what does this say about the future of cinema?

In the lobby of the studio, Matt arranges to meet Howard, where they greet each other pleasantly. However, when given an opportunity to share feedback, Matt finds himself unable (except for saying “You’re awesome, man!”). Fearing the confrontation, Matt looks for someone else to pass on the unfavorable news. With everyone else from the executive team waiting in line behind him, Matt admits his cowardice, but justifies it as a calculated move to preserve his reputation as a studio head who is friendly with talent. It’s clear that another individual needs to communicate to Howard that the project’s ending isn’t effective.

Quinn is the one who feels it’s necessary to help Howard avoid his own self-destructive tendencies. She’s prepared to take action, but when Anthony Mackie appears, she becomes so starstruck that she can barely utter anything other than compliments towards him. Fortunately, Patty arrives on the scene, momentarily easing the tension but potentially causing more problems in the future by complimenting a scene that holds deep personal significance for Howard, a way for him to cope with the death of his cousin during childhood. She understands the scene is flawed, but feels pressured to flatter Howard now that she’s back to production after serving as the studio head. In exchange for her advice on managing sensitive artists (specifically about the film “Demolition Man”), she asks Matt to read a script about a dishonest Australian chess team, titled “Check Mate”.

Sal will feign a similar loss and leverage it to establish rapport with Howard. However, this plan doesn’t sit well with others, compelling Matt to reveal his past relationship with Howard: In the early stages of his career, he submitted a comment after a private screening of A Beautiful Mind, implying that it would be intriguing if viewers were aware throughout the film that Paul Bettany’s character was merely a figment of the protagonist’s imagination. This didn’t go down too well. Fortunately, Howard seems to have forgotten this incident (Matt hopes), but Matt is not willing to endure such public embarrassment again.

Let’s go ahead with Plan B then. It seems to be taking shape! Interestingly, talking to Sal appears to strengthen Howard’s resolve for the motel sequence, despite its grueling nature. In fact, Sal’s words prompt Howard to stick to his guns. An unexpected ally in this situation is Mackie, who acknowledges the sequence as particularly challenging and urges Matt to toughen up (using more explicit body language). However, Matt continues to resist taking on the responsibility. It isn’t until Maya returns with the information that exhibitors are hesitant due to the movie’s length, stating “People don’t want films that long unless they involve capes or aliens,” that Matt finally consents to deliver the message.

Initially, it wasn’t until Howard proposed the idea that we emphasize the motel sequence for our film promotions that I felt compelled to voice my opinion. Unfortunately, this didn’t go smoothly. Once Howard produced a reminder about his movie, he admitted to recalling the story of A Beautiful Mind, which was the breaking point for me. This led me to confront the director, insisting that the motel scene had to be removed. The situation escalated rapidly, and as the episode concludes, I’m seen wandering dejectedly around the lot, humming Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind.” (A nod to our shared love for bookends.)

However, the episode concludes with a unique postscript. Howard phones Matt to acknowledge that Matt was correct in eliminating the motel scene. Moreover, Howard threatens him, saying he’ll “really mess things up” if Matt steps out of line again, yet it still ends on a positive note. Matt managed to achieve his goal, albeit by an indirect route. He rescued the movie from potential failure and prevented its director from bringing shame upon himself. Perhaps he’s more skilled at this than we thought?

Perhaps not just yet. There’s still plenty more to unfold in this first season, and it seems unlikely that Matt will enjoy a streak of victories. However, this latest episode has made us hopeful that he’ll manage to secure some wins. He’s striving to foster a welcoming atmosphere for artists (despite the fact that Alphabet City may not appear particularly appealing, even with the enthusiasm it generates from the Continental team) while keeping a watchful eye on the finances. If Matt continually faltered, The Studio would come across as merely cynical; instead, it’s shaping up to be a series about an individual with noble intentions and a genuine passion for cinema, doing his best in a role that might exceed his capabilities.

And … Cut!

Day after day, I find myself taking verbal blows that would make one question the sanity of the scriptwriter – yet, O’Hara never fails to deliver lines that leave me breathless with their impact.

While I must emphasize that all the performances in this episode are commendable, Hahn truly shines. Despite her tendency to label everything as a “mood” or a “vibe,” which might make her appear as a trendy clown, she portrays her character brilliantly. Beneath the surface of her sometimes silly role, she presents a woman who is exceptionally skilled at her job. She understands the nuances (or so it seems to anyone in her industry) of what they’re doing.

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2025-04-02 15:54