# "Insomnia" - (SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861 "2003-08-31T21:47:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/1 "2003-08-31T21:47:26Z")
Anyone see both versions of “Insomnia”? I saw the original years ago on IFC, and loved it. So when the Pacino-Williams-Nolan version came out, I was excited. But it sucked! I can’t figure out why Nolan changed the story around and removed the twist ending. Can someone explain why? Please? ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/2 "2003-09-01T00:41:46Z")
Yes. I’ve seen both and enjoyed both, though they were different. However, now that I try to think of them, I find that the details of both were impermanent and I don’t really recall much of either. ---
**Author:** ![NFlanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@NFlanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NFlanders)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/3 "2003-09-02T14:04:42Z")
I’ve seen both but was disappointed by both. It seemed to me that the whole movie was one of those sitcom situations where everything could have been solved in five minutes with a simple explanation. Hey, I got lost in the fog and accidentally shot my friend. Okay? So let’s go bust the mystery writer already . All that said though, I prefer the Norwegian one. Robin Williams just kind of walked through the American one. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/4 "2003-09-02T14:26:27Z")
I don’t remember the details, but I remember being impressed by the added ambiguity of the American ending. I liked both versions, FWIW. And I _hatehatehatehate **HATE** _ Robin Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/5 "2003-09-02T15:06:23Z")
I know I’ve read this somewhere, but what happened at the end of the original version? ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/6 "2003-09-02T15:55:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Slacker \* > \*\*I know I’ve read this somewhere, but what happened at the end of the original version? \*\* In the original one, the female cop plays a much smaller part. So in the end, the Pacino character gets away with the killing of his partner, and is headed back home. But the female cop hands him the original shell casing just to let him know that she figured everything out. Nice unexpected twist. And Flanders, you’re right, but sometimes you’re in a situation where you’re confused and don’t act. And the it’s too late. Plus he had a motive to kill his partner. ---
**Author:** ![NFlanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@NFlanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NFlanders)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/7 "2003-09-02T16:23:07Z")
I forget… what was his motive to kill his partner? Did he have something on him? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/8 "2003-09-02T16:41:13Z")
FWIW, the chain of evidence was so badly broken with the shell casing in the Pacino movie that it couldn’t have been used to indict, much less convict, him. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/9 "2003-09-02T17:21:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NFlanders \* > \*\*I forget… what was his motive to kill his partner? Did he have something on him? \*\* His partner was going to cooperate with Internal Affairs, who were investigating both of them. There was the potential that IA would invalidate many of the convictions that were achieved by Pacino’s work by showing that evidence was gathered illegally. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/10 "2003-09-02T19:25:17Z")
I saw the Pacino version at my school before it was released, and I **hated** it! One of the worst movies tht I have ever seen. The story sucked and it was drawn out…ugh. I want my two hours back. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/11 "2003-09-02T21:14:04Z")
I remember more now, and I do think the American version did a better job of setting up why the Pacino character lied about the shooting. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insomnia-spoilers/198861/12 "2003-09-03T02:35:16Z")
The original version was entertaining. Tried to watch the remake, but everyone fell asleep (seriously).