Undoubtedly, George Lucas’ Star Wars began as a children’s franchise, but its reach and impact have transcended far beyond those boundaries. The saga has fostered an immense and devoted community, to say the least—an understatement of galactic proportions. Consequently, many passionate viewpoints orbit the movies and characters, particularly concerning the quality of the prequel films.
Interestingly, Natalie Portman once disclosed a fascinating tidbit—that this rigidness almost transformed. Alas, due to some rather inappropriate improvisations between her and Hayden Christensen, those creative endeavors had to be discreetly edited out during the making of Attack of the Clones.
George Lucas’ Advice To Natalie Portman Backfired
In the epic tale of Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones, Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker find themselves reunited after a decade of separation. However, in Padmé’s eyes, Anakin still retains the essence of the child she encountered in The Phantom Menace. As fate intertwines their paths once again and sends Anakin on a mission to safeguard her, they embark on a journey to Naboo, seeking safety.
Within the tapestry of George Lucas’ Star Wars lore, a particular scene stands out—a tender lunchtime exchange between Padmé and Anakin. During this moment, Anakin displays his Force abilities by gracefully cutting fruit to feed her. As recounted in The Best of Star Wars Insider Volume 8: The Saga Begins—a treasured compilation of Star Wars Insider magazines spanning the years—Natalie Portman revealed that elements of this very scene were shaped through improvisation, contributing to its endearing allure before finding their place in the final cut of the movie.
“I don’t think George [Lucas] was satisfied with the dialogue he had written, because he told Hayden and me to just improvise — which was amusing, because it got inappropriate, very quickly,” she said. “It was a fun scene to shoot, although we felt pretty stupid biting fruit, which didn’t exist, out of the air.”
Did George Lucas Remove The Scene From The Film?
Undoubtedly, the final cut of the scene maintains a solid PG rating, leaving curious minds to think about what precisely made the improvised content deemed “inappropriate.” Was it too sizzling, evoking a steamy vibe? Or perhaps, it ventured into silliness, eliciting laughter? The mystery shall remain unless Lucasfilm decides to treat Star Wars fans to a Snyder Cut-esque revelation.
However, irrespective of the creative process behind it, the ultimate version we witness on screen consists of either the scripted dialogue or the improv that George Lucas personally approved. And speaking of the prequels’ dialogue, it’s a topic of considerable debate and discussion in its own right. Episodes I to III often face criticism for some of their lines being labeled as “silly,” yet George Lucas remains steadfast in his stance, standing by his writing choices.
Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones can be streamed on Disney+.
Source: Cheatsheet
