Original photo by Moviestore Collection Ltd/ Alamy Stock Photo
The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: When breaking the first rule, be sure to point out that almost every shot in Fight Club features a Starbucks cup. David Fincher’s cult classic, an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s counterculture novel of the same name, has become an anti-establishment rallying call since it first hit theaters in 1999. Few companies symbolize the kind of corporate ubiquity the film satirizes quite like the coffee behemoth, leading Fincher to feature their instantly recognizable cups throughout. Somewhat surprisingly, Starbucks approved of this: “They read the script, they knew what we were doing, and they were kind of ready to poke a little fun at themselves,” Fincher said.
David Fincher wasn’t the first choice to direct “Fight Club.”
The studio initially considered Peter Jackson, now best known for directing the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Jackson was working on his film “The Frighteners” at the time and therefore unavailable, so the gig eventually went to Fincher.
Finding each and every Starbucks cup has become a treasure hunt of sorts for devoted fans, who pause and rewind so as not to miss a single Easter egg. Jokes about Starbucks stores being everywhere aren’t unique to Fight Club — see also this hilarious exchange from Best in Show — but it might be one of the most pointed popular movies in its critique of consumerism. Even so, it wasn’t personal for Fincher: “We had a lot of fun using that — there are Starbucks cups everywhere, in every shot. I don’t have anything personal against Starbucks … they’re just too successful.”
Edward Norton’s character in the film is named Narrator.
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The film's ending was changed in China.
With its bleak view of the establishment and rebellious bent, Fight Club was bound to receive some edits in the Middle Kingdom. Even so, few could have expected the country’s take on the film’s ending, at least on the streaming platform Tencent Video. Rather than the original finale, in which the (anti)heroes watch as skyscrapers representing the financial industry crash to the ground around them, this version’s ending is replaced by the following on-screen text: “Through the clue provided by Tyler, the police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding. After the trial, Tyler was sent to [a] lunatic asylum receiving psychological treatment. He was discharged from the hospital in 2012.” The real-life story does have a happy ending, though. After backlash — not to mention a good amount of ridicule — the original ending was restored in China.
Michael Nordine
Staff Writer
Michael Nordine is a writer and editor living in Denver. A native Angeleno, he has two cats and wishes he had more.
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