“Hot-take whiplash” is a side effect of reading headlines proclaiming that low box-office numbers are dooming the theatrical release so soon after headlines that announced cinema is back, baby! Whether streaming has killed theaters or audiences still crave the in-person experience is an ongoing debate, comparable to the endless conversation about whether the humble rom-com is dead or reborn. (Bros recently got caught in the middle of both heated discussions.)
Enter George Clooney and Julia Roberts with their fifth movie together, which has already soared internationally. Ticket to Paradise offers a fun, if not familiar, narrative, bolstered by its famous leads and the equally charming supporting cast (hello, Kaitlyn Dever and Billie Lourd). Sun, sand, Julia Roberts in a rotation of fabulous jumpsuits all add up to a good time. (Clooney and Roberts’ crackling chemistry doesn’t hurt, either.) Still, nothing made me happier than what occurred during the closing credits. The end credits blooper reel, and it’s a hearty welcome back—I didn’t realize how much I had missed you.
The thrill I got from the verbal-sparring-flub showcase between Clooney and Roberts is worth the price of admission. Ad-libbed jabs that veer on the edge of taking it too far, jumpscares, forgotten lines, and a playful dig at the former Batman are a few of the charming moments, a return to gag reel cinematic greatness.
OK, that is a tad hyperbolic on my part, but there is something truly wonderful about seeing Clooney's mischievous grin as he knowingly says something devilish. The credit bloopers are an underrated bonus to the theatrical experience, especially as the entertainment industry struggles to entice an audience back to theaters.
Since pranks are as much a part of Clooney’s brand as tequila and humanitarian work, the footage of his light-hearted production shenanigans creates synergy between the promotional tour and his jokester material. Clooney’s proclivity for tomfoolery is usually the running theme of his publicity appearances. Ticket to Paradise is no exception to this rule, and the run-up to the new rom-com with Roberts at his side has been a salve to doomscrolling.
This is especially true of the blooper reel’s send-up of Clooney’s on proclamation as being the worst Batman.
Co-star Lucas Bravo (aka the hot chef from Emily in Paris) changed out of his Ticket to Paradise wardrobe and into a cheap costume store version of the classic Adam West-style gray and blue attire to surprise Clooney on the rom-com set. It is incredibly naive to think this rises to the same level as Clooney’s notorious practical jokes, but this only adds to Bravo’s charm. "So this is your prank on George? Because it seems like this might be George's prank on you?" quipped Jimmy Kimmel when the actor stopped by to chat about this attempt to catch Clooney off guard.
In some cases, rumors of scandal and strife on set will lead to a healthy box office (looking at you, Don’t Worry Darling), but the getting-along strategy is also a proven winner. Rumors of tension tap into our appetite for salacious gossip, but pranks and bloopers fulfill our fantasy that actors in a movie are also IRL besties—or more—and far from perfect at their jobs.
In the case of Ticket to Paradise, the bloopers provide an additional few minutes to soak up Roberts’ famous laugh, which I am pretty sure has actual restorative powers. The selection of mistakes and intentional gags hits the sweet spot, even if I know these flubs are carefully curated. They are not necessarily the act of spontaneity they purport to be—dropping a tray of glasses does come across as legit—but it offers insight into the kind of fallibility a star is willing to reveal.
Credit bloopers had been a comedy and action-comedy staple for decades. The Peter Sellers-starring Being There is one of the earliest movies to feature one. Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run quickly followed, and in some cases, this postscript peek into the filmmaking process has been seen as a bandaid to a lousy movie.
However, excellent teen titles like 10 Things I Hate About You and Bring It On, and Judd Apatow-produced hits like Anchorman are here to disprove that rule. That might be why I am conditioned to find these segments a delightful bonus to a great film, rather than a mark of desperation from a studio marketing a bad film.
Even Pixar got in on the blooper tradition with Woody and the gang “messing up” their lines in the Toy Story 2 credits, which is a meta-level that will wrinkle your brain if you think about it too long. In a way, it underscores how indelible these sequences became, and shows how eager we are to peek behind the filmmaking curtain.
There’s a long history of this, too. The facade of Old Hollywood and the studio system is cracked open by the footage of bloopers from this era. I cannot tell you how thrilling it is to hear even the softest curse words from stars like Jimmy Stewart or Lucille Ball asking what her next line is.
Humphrey Bogart messing up or confirming he had a short fuse is not something executives would’ve wanted audiences to witness. The carefully constructed image of a star did not allow for unpolished mistakes that the publicity department hadn’t sanctioned.
But decades later, there are other reasons that outtakes that were once so popular were at risk of extinction. For starters, additional material during the end titles has been usurped by the superhero teasers. Streaming has also changed how bloopers are consumed. Whereas gag reels used to be a staple DVD special feature, these compilations are now released via social media or at events like Comic-Con. As one of the approximately 10 people who still buy physical media, it should be no surprise that I have long gobbled up this veritable riches of very famous people messing up lines, being clumsy, and suffering giggling attacks.
“I find so much joy from people who can’t stop laughing,” Betty Gilpin, the actress who starred on GLOW and Gaslit, said on a recent episode of Deadline’s 20 Questions. When asked what she would take to watch in the hypothetical nuclear bunker scenario of this podcast, her response wasn’t a show or movie, but “all of the bloopers that are available on YouTube of all the shows.” Gilpin is a self-confessed gag-reel enthusiast, who raves about bloopers from titles she doesn’t even watch. Some of her favorites include It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the British Office. “The bloopers are joy” is Gilpin’s succinct explainer.
I have to agree with Gilpin. Some personal and much-repeated favorites include Colin Farrell forgetting that his Daredevil character Bullseye is Irish, and pretty much every Alias Season 1 screwup (seriously, Bradley Cooper screaming is a balm). A compilation from The Americans shows the reality of Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys side-by-side with their stoic characters. Yes, there is very obvious flirting. Comedy bloopers in the credits are amusing, but nothing quite tops breaking the serious drama illusion more than a gag reel.
One of the best to ever achieve this pendulum swing in tone comes courtesy of E.R.’s bloopers, a feast of mispronounced medical jargon, dropped equipment, and mugging to the camera. It is the perfect playground for Clooney’s infamous prankster antics and proof that references to his superhero role have long been a staple in his gag reel wheelhouse.
“I play Doug, and I’m Batman,” he quips in a Season 3 outtake. Little did he know how this association would pan out more than two decades later. (Co-star Julianna Margulies also rivals Roberts for her infectious laugh.) In a world that can’t decide whether the rom-com needs saving, Ticket to Paradise ensures the gag reel is alive and kicking.
