Despite all of the meticulous preparation that goes into making a movie, not every shot can go to plan. But every mistake is an opportunity for something new and plenty of mishaps intentionally wind up in the final cut.
Here are 12 magical movie moments that were actually total mistakes.
1
One of Midnight Cowboy’s most iconic scenes involves Dustin Hoffman screaming at a cab driver. “We’re walking here!” Apparently, the angry driver drove through the scene and really did almost hit Hoffman, who adlibbed the line.
2
In Tora! Tora! Tora!, a staged airplane attack turned real when a remote controlled plane crashed. If the extras in the shot looked spectacularly frightened, it’s because they were really running for their lives.
3
During a stunt jump in Mission Impossible: Fallout, Tom Cruise missed his mark, and broke his leg. That moment was kept for its authenticity.
4
A stuntman in a “Mad Max” movie hit his ankles on a bar while flying through the air, and broke both of them. This shot is in the movie. Apparently his first reaction was, "did you get the shot?"
5
The famous “sword to a gunfight” gag in Raiders of the Lost Ark was originally supposed to be a long and elaborate fight scene. However, much of the cast contracted dysentery, and the bit was created to ease filming.
6
Stuntwoman Cheryl Wheeler-Dixon smashed into a pillar during an aerial stunt in Back to the Future Part II,falling twenty feet face-first into the concrete, shattering her face and severely damaging her wrist. Of course it was left in the movie.
7
In Guardians of the Galaxy, Chris Pratt’s character drops the orb in one of the movie’s funniest jokes. Pratt actually did drop the orb.
8
This harpist in Django Unchained is playing Für Elise, which wasn't published until 1867; eight years after the movie takes place. Still, it makes for a magical moment.
9
In Die Hard, John McClane climbs down a ventilation shaft and tries to reach across for the next one, but misses and falls before grabbing another shaft. The original plan was to just grab that first ledge, but the stunt man missed and fell. The editor worked some magic to keep it in the film.
10
In Scream, this phone was left connected, and puzzled 911 operators heard Drew Barrymore screaming for her life.
11
Also in Scream, Billy accidentally drops his phone, leading to a realistic but improvised response from Matthew Lillard.
12
In Mission: Impossible Fallout, Henry Cavill’s character seamlessly grows a beard and a shirt pocket in a quick editing cut. The shot made the movie, and somehow is still cool without breaking immersion too much.
