Author Peter Benchley took issue with the ending of Steven Spielberg's iconic Jaws adaptation, and ended up getting himself thrown off the set. When it comes to film, there's one universal truth: it all starts with the script. Without a script, those involved essentially have nothing, but unfortunately, that doesn't necessarily mean writers are treated very well. Once it actually comes time to make a film, the person or people who wrote it are often completely excluded from the remainder of the process, as the director, producers, actors, and others make changes during production.
This is just as true for book authors like Peter Benchley, who agree to let their novels be adapted into Hollywood films, but also basically agree to let the filmmakers twist and alter their creations as much as they see fit on the way to the big screen. Sometimes this is for the best, as books and films are two very different artistic mediums, and what works on the printed page often doesn't translate well on a visual level.
In Benchley's case, perhaps he should've realized quickly that Jaws wouldn't see too much actual input from him. Benchley wrote the first draft of Jaws' script, which Spielberg summarily rejected. He then wrote two further drafts, also rejected by Spielberg. The script that ended up being shot - still co-credited to Benchley, but largely rewritten by Carl Gottlieb - was so different to the book that Spielberg reportedly told star Richard Dreyfuss not to read it. For Benchley, that was a prelude to actually being ejected from the set.
Jaws’ Author Hated Spielberg’s Ending (& Got Thrown Off Set)
In Peter Benchley's Jaws novel, there's no rousing victory for Chief Brody like there is in Steven Spielberg's film. Instead, the shark simply dies after receiving multiple wounds via grizzled hunter Quint, who's killed in the process. Marine biologist Matt Hooper is also eaten by the shark, leaving Brody as the story's lone survivor. The movie gets a much more upbeat climax, with Hooper surviving and Brody exploding the shark by shooting at a pressurized tank jammed into the creature's mouth.
Benchley, who actually cameoed in the film as a TV reporter and was on set for much of production, hated Spielberg's ending, arguing that the explosion and the circumstances surrounding it were entirely unrealistic. He made these concerns known to the director, who argued that by that point in the film, the audience would be willing to go wherever he wanted to take them, regardless of realism. Benchley's protests continued, so Spielberg had him kicked off the set for the remainder of filming. It's safe to say Spielberg was right, and that moviegoers had no issue accepting Jaws' ending.