In the lead-up to the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy, Entertainment Weekly shared some details from director Joe Pytka about an alternate ending to the original Space Jam (1996) film.
“When Michael comes back, I wrote a scene and actually ripped off The Natural,” Pytka says, referencing the iconic ending of the Robert Redford-led baseball movie classic. “It’s a tight game, the stands are full, and Michael looks up and his son gives him a sign to widen his stance, a call back to something he said at the beginning. Then Michael hits a home run and trots around the bases like Robert Redford, with all these flashes popping…”
Joe Pykta says the scene was filmed and even had Bugs Bunny featured, but the real question is was it ever finished, effects-wise? Will we ever see this ending?
Fans of the 1996 film know that Jordan suits up for the Bulls again, and we get a small scene with Larry Bird and Bill Murray courtside watching Jordan’s return to the court.
The director said that it always bothered him that Jordan never returned for the minor league baseball game, but I always felt that the movie poked fun at the idea of the legendary Michael Jordan playing anything but basketball at the highest level.
As a kid, I got it. It was hilarious watching Michael with a baseball bat. It seemed wrong in some way, like a surgeon flying an airplane. A surgeon could fly an airplane but it would seem weird to see. He seemed to be a different person on the baseball diamond than he was on the court, more contemplative than the brash aggression that came out in the NBA.
As an adult, I feel there is an extra dimension that is unexplored in the film. The movie posits that Jordan is not skilled at or happy playing other sports due to his celebrity and his passion for basketball. I see it now as he is trapped in a role that he is expected to play, though it may not be his true passion. The alternate baseball ending seems to take this route, allowing him to “Fly like an eagle” and succeed in his personal goal of being a baseball player.
The feel-good (for the audience) ending seeing Jordan dunk on the Orlando Magic was probably the smartest ending they could offer audiences in 1996 as the Bulls were a pop culture sensation. I hope the footage surfaces one day as it would be nice to see the character of Michael Jordan accomplish his dreams rather than be trapped in the hellish purgatory that is eternal celebrity, fame, and basketball.
