Julia Roberts seeks to alter the 'awkward' Leave the World Behind scene
Julia Roberts reveals her discomfort with a particular scene in the Netflix film Leave the World Behind, expressing her desire to bring about changes to the embarrassing moment
Julia Roberts recently discussed an "embarrassing" scene she wished to alter in the Netflix film Leave the World Behind. However, despite her wishes, director Sam Esmail insisted on keeping it as is.
Adapted from Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel, the apocalyptic drama Leave the World Behind, featuring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, and Myha’la, continues to make waves on the Netflix charts. The film portrays two families struggling for survival during a mysterious blackout.
The Higher Ground banner, led by Barack and Michelle Obama, served as executive producers for the film. This has sparked speculation among conspiracy theorists who see the narrative, ending, and imagery of Leave the World Behind as "predictive programming" due to these connections. Actress Roberts, who portrays Amanda Sanford in the movie, has also expressed concern about a scene that has not been analyzed by the online community.
Julia Roberts “embarrassed” by Leave the World Behind scene
The particular scene in question portrays the instance when Ali's George "G.H." Scott and Roberts' Amanda indulge in a few drinks and eventually start dancing to the 1997 R&B track 'Too Close' by Next. However, had it been left to the Pretty Woman star, the song choice would have been different.
Roberts told MTV in a conversation, "Sam [Esmail] and I are really good friends, and we agree on almost everything - except for that song. I asked him to change it so many times. No offense to the talented guys, but I was so embarrassed at the start of that song, especially with Mahershala Ali towering over me at eight-and-a-half feet tall."
Despite this, Esmail managed to persuade her. "Even earlier today, Sam reiterated why he chose that song, and he's totally right because being uncomfortable is the right thing, and just that song being somewhat known but not really popularized," Roberts added. "He always has an answer for everything, but it was really amusing to have to portray Amanda in that situation of my boogie."
Esmail was determined for 'Too Close' to be the song for that scene because he believed the moment in the film needed to feel grounded and silly. He felt that the song allowed the characters to cut loose in a unique way that a more familiar song wouldn't have.
"Plus, let's be real, those dance moves perfectly matched the lyrics."
If you're curious to see what everyone's raving about, Leave the World Behind is available for streaming on Netflix, and you can find more information about the movie below:
Editor's P/S
As a Gen Z netizen, I find Julia Roberts' discomfort with the dancing scene in Leave the World Behind to be relatable and understandable. It's not uncommon for actors to feel self-conscious or embarrassed about certain scenes, especially those that involve dancing or physical intimacy. I can empathize with Roberts' desire to change the song choice, as it can be difficult to perform convincingly when you're not fully comfortable with the material.
On the other hand, I also appreciate director Sam Esmail's decision to keep the scene as it is. The scene is meant to be awkward and uncomfortable, and the song choice perfectly captures that feeling. It's a testament to Roberts' acting skills that she is able to convey Amanda's embarrassment so effectively, even if it made her feel uncomfortable in real life. Overall, I think the scene is a powerful and memorable moment in the film, and I'm glad that Esmail stuck to his guns and kept it in.
