Keanu Reeves Saved His Best Movie With One Hilariously Simple Suggestion
Keanu Reeves’ filmography boasts an array of iconic movies, but Speed undeniably stands out as one of his best and most well-known works. This high-octane thriller managed to weave an audacious premise into a gripping narrative, skillfully blending seriousness and humor to create an unforgettable cinematic experience. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, it might not have been that way if Reeves hadn’t spoken up and told Joss Whedon that his character wasn’t a SWAT team hotshot but was actually incredibly polite.
Joss Whedon claims he rewrote most of Speed‘s script and that Keanu Reeves’ research into real life SWAT team members inspired the changes.
We live in the era of podcasts — nowadays, there’s a podcast for everything. So, of course, there’s a podcast solely dedicated to the making of the movie Speed. It’s called 50 MPH, and it features interviews with actors like Keanu Reeves and director Jan de Bont, as well as writers, producers, and executives.
Basically, the show focuses on getting anyone who was involved with one of the most famous action movies of all time to tell their stories from production. Most recently, the show interviewed writer and director Joss Whedon because of his involvement with script doctoring Speed. Allegedly, Whedon wrote 90 percent of the film’s final dialogue, and it was in large part thanks to Keanu Reeves’ help.
Probably the most well-known line in the film is “Pop quiz, hot shot!” which no one involved in the film will take credit for.
According to Joss Whedon, Keanu Reeves’ interaction with real-life SWAT officers for character research inspired a unique perspective that no one had previously considered. Whedon recalls Reeves’ observation that these officers displayed unwavering politeness, addressing everyone as “sir” or “ma’am.” This revelation was pivotal in shaping the character’s demeanor — a lateral thinker who defused situations rather than resorting to bluster.
Yoast taking all credit for the script created a rift between him and Whedon that it seems still exists.
Keanu Reeves’ suggestion to make Jack Traven polite was enough to change nearly the entire script and could have likely been why Speed became as popular as it did. However, despite Whedon having written 90 percent of the dialogue for the film, the Buffy The Vampire Slayer creator never got writing credit for his work. Although Whedon had petitioned the Writer’s Guild of America for credit, the film’s original writer, Graham Yoast, also petitioned for sole credit, and the WGA sided with Yoast.
Yoast taking all credit for the script created a rift between him and Whedon that it seems still exists. However, it did inspire Whedon to support the decision for the animators on his next project, Toy Story, to receive writing credit. However, in a funny twist of fate, no one, including Whedon or Keanu Reeves, will take credit for Speed’s most iconic line.
Probably the most well-known line in the film is “Pop quiz, hot shot!” which no one involved in the film will take credit for. According to Whedon, the line was already in the script before Keanu Reeves advised him that Jack wasn’t a hotshot, though Yoast denies writing the line as well. The sleuths over at the 50 MPH podcast were determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, so they meticulously analyzed various drafts and credited another script doctor, Paul Attanasio, with coming up with the line.
