In Hollywood, disputes between directors and producers are nothing new. One such conflict occurred between acclaimed actor-director Billy Bob Thornton and the notorious film producer Harvey Weinstein. The two found themselves at odds over the film All the Pretty Horses (2000), an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel. Thornton had envisioned the movie as a grand, emotional western, staying true to Cormac McCarthy’s novel, while Weinstein pushed for a more commercially appealing version. The clash over the film’s length, tone, and even the score led to a dramatic shift in the final cut—one that left Thornton heartbroken and the film critically panned. Let’s take a closer look at the untold struggle behind All the Pretty Horses and how it became a symbol of artistic compromise in Hollywood.
How the differences between Billy Bob Thornton and Harvey Weinstein began?
Billy Bob Thornton, who directed the film, envisioned All the Pretty Horses as a sweeping epic. He had crafted a nearly four-hour-long western, staying true to the spirit of McCarthy’s novel. Thornton’s intention was to create a movie that captured the deep emotional and atmospheric essence of the story, with a focus on character development and subtle storytelling. The film was to be a slow-burn narrative, exploring the emotional and physical landscapes of its characters set in 1949, a time of significant change in the American West.
However, Harvey Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax Films, had a different vision. He believed that the film’s length was too excessive for mainstream audiences and fought with Thornton over the runtime. Despite Thornton’s creative passion, Weinstein ultimately won the battle, resulting in the film being cut down to under two hours for its theatrical release.
The Score Controversy
The issues didn’t stop at the runtime. Thornton had chosen acclaimed musician Daniel Lanois to compose the film’s score. Lanois, drawing inspiration from the novel’s 1949 setting, used an authentic 1949 guitar to create a haunting, spare soundtrack that perfectly complemented the film’s tone. This score was deeply intertwined with the entire filmmaking process and influenced how the actors approached their performances.
But Weinstein wasn’t satisfied. He ordered that Lanois’ original score be replaced with a more conventional orchestral soundtrack, seeking to make the film appeal to a broader audience. This change drastically altered the film’s tone and strayed far from Thornton’s original vision.
Box Office Failure and Critical Disappointment
When All the Pretty Horses was finally released, it did not perform well at the box office, earning only $18 million against a $50 million budget. The film, which had the potential to be a powerful and intimate western, was instead criticized for being disjointed and lacking emotional depth. The cuts made to Thornton’s original version, coupled with the change in music, left audiences and critics underwhelmed.
Matt Damon’s Defense of Thornton
Years after the film’s release, actor Matt Damon, who starred in All the Pretty Horses, came out in defense of Thornton during a 2012 interview with Playboy. Reflecting on the troubled production, Damon expressed his frustration over how the film had been altered.
Damon explained how much care and effort went into making the film, sharing that the entire cast and crew worked hard to capture the essence of McCarthy’s novel. He emphasized how important Lanois’ original score had been to the production, saying that it had “informed everything we did.” However, the studio’s desire for a more commercially appealing film led to a compromise that Damon still regretted.
Damon also revealed that Thornton’s health had suffered during this period, stating that the director developed a heart condition from the stress of fighting to protect his vision. According to Damon, the entire experience “really f*cked him up,” and it was something that bothered both of them even years later.
Despite the final cut of All the Pretty Horses being released to theaters, Damon mentioned that Thornton’s original version of the film still exists somewhere. This cut, with its longer runtime and Lanois’ haunting score, remains unseen by the public, a testament to what the film could have been if creative control had remained in Thornton’s hands.
