During the making of the movie “The Pelican Brief” in the 1990s, Denzel Washington, a well-known actor, decided to eliminate a steamy scene from the film.
Directed by Alan J Pakula, the thriller stars Washington as a reporter alongside Julia Roberts, who portrays a law student.
The plot revolves around an FBI conspiracy, with the characters gradually developing romantic feelings for each other.
Originally, there were plans for a kiss and potentially more intimate moments between the two leads.
However, Washington opted to have these scenes removed for various reasons, one of which was related to how Black women are portrayed in films.
In a report by Newsweek, it was revealed that a previous movie starring Washington, “The Mighty Quinn,” featured a scene where the protagonist kissed Mimi Rogers, which did not sit well with Black female viewers.
Following negative feedback from test screenings, Washington made the decision to avoid similar situations in his future roles.
He expressed that Black women are often not depicted as objects of desire on screen and acknowledged them as his primary audience.
Interestingly, Washington did not face significant backlash for altering “The Pelican Brief,” while Julia Roberts received criticism for missing out on the opportunity for a romantic scene with Washington.
Roberts shared her perspective, stating, “I have received considerable backlash over the years for not kissing Denzel in that film.
Do I not have feelings?
Naturally, I wanted to share a kiss with Denzel.
However, it was his choice to remove those scenes.”
Therefore, if viewers find “The Pelican Brief” lacking the anticipated romance, Denzel Washington is the one to hold responsible.
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