This week, the epic love story/disaster film Titanic marks its 15th anniversary (and the 100th anniversary of the actual sinking on April 15, 1912) with a 3D release in the theaters. (No worries for those who hate 3D, as it’s also being released in “Real D.”) This re-release has caused a stir among those who love the film and those who hate it. What better time to share five fun facts you might not have known about one of the most polarizing films of the 1990s?
1) The iconic nude portrait of “young” Rose (Kate Winslet) was sketched not by Leonardo DiCaprio but by Titanic director James Cameron and, in April of 2011, was auctioned off for $16,000. Don’t feel left out. You can always download a copy for yourself and slap it up on the wall. Who will know the difference?
2) The studio pushed for Matthew McConaughey to play Jack Dawson, but Cameron decided DiCaprio was best for the part. McConaughy got himself cast in another Academy Award-nominated period piece that year, Amistad (which clocked in at a paltry 38 minutes less than the three-hour and 15-minute Titanic).
3) It was Cameron’s original desire not to have any song playing before, during, or after the film so James Horner and Will Jennings wrote the classic My Heart Will Go On behind his back and had Celine Dion record a demo to play for him. The rest is painful, over-emoting history that went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
4) The most frequently asked question has an answer: Jack says Rose’s name 50 times over the course of the entire film. Not to be outdone, and counting both “young” and “old” doing the saying, Rose says the name “Jack” 80 times.
5) James Cameron made a feel-good, goofy alternate ending. You can see it on the special edition of the DVD (or on YouTube ). It’s called Brock’s Epiphany and, essentially, Bill Paxton’s character Brock catches “old” Rose trying to toss the “Heart of the Ocean” into the ocean and tries to talk her out of it. Old Rose somehow convinces Brock that it’s better to toss it away, and after he has the chance to hold it, he LETS HER TOSS THE NECKLACE. So, basically, the alternate ending was as infuriating as the one they ended up using. Hooray for wasting three hours of our lives and the millions of dollars that necklace cost, lady.