‘Gilmore Girls’: Richard and Emily Had a Movie Night Featuring ‘Crossroads,’ ‘Glitter,’ and ‘Billy Jack’ in 1 Deleted Scene
Few events are as iconic in the annals of Gilmore Girls as Lorelai and Rory’s mother-daughter movie nights. However, in a deleted scene from season 3, Rory’s grandparents, Richard and Emily Gilmore, planned an epic movie night of their own. Their film marathon included Crossroads, Glitter, and Billy Jack.
Movie nights are serious business in ‘Gilmore Girls’
BuzzFeed says Gilmore Girls references 463 movies, but many fans argue that number still falls short. Even if the number is debatable, it illustrates the seriousness of the issue: Lorelai and Rory watch a lot of movies.
The Gilmore Girls pilot alone mentions West Side Story, Rosemary’s Baby, and Mommie Dearest. Rory and Dean’s first date is at a movie night. Casablanca sets the mood for Lorelai and Luke’s brewing romance in season 4. And Christopher woos Lorelai with an epic private drive-in movie screening during their try-again romance. That’s not to mention the Black & White & Read Bookstore, where the residents of Stars Hollow converge for movie night. It’s a thing.
Richard and Emily do movie night in a deleted ‘Gilmore Girls’ scene
Considering the above, it only makes sense that the older Gilmores should have a movie night. But as is the case with all things Richard and Emily, movie night at the Gilmore mansion looks a little different from the rest.
The deleted scene is from Gilmore Girls Season 3 Episode 20, “Say Goodnight, Gracie” (available on YouTube). Rory visits her grandparents for one of the series’ notorious Friday-night dinners. Now that Lorelai (Lauren Graham) has repaid her parents for funding Rory’s schooling at the prestigious college prep school Chilton, she’s no longer obligated to attend Friday-night dinners. But her absence has created a rift between Lorelai and her parents.
In the scene, Emily and Richard have rented an expensive projector, hired a movie theater ticket-taker and (failed) projectionist, and even brought in movie theater popcorn and sodas. The marathon’s films include Crossroads, the Britney Spears–led coming-of-age story; Mariah Carey’s singer-turned-star film, Glitter; and the ’70s Western-action flick Billy Jack, starring Tom Laughlin.
The night is perfectly Gilmore — true to the show’s quirky soul, Richard and Emily’s elite mentality, and the complicated relationship between Lorelai and her parents. It’s unclear why the scene ended up on the cutting-room floor, but Emily soon orchestrated a more memorable movie night.
Emily and Rory’s non-movie movie night
In yet another attempt to get the upper hand on Lorelai, Emily wrangles Rory into another movie night, shown in Gilmore Girls Season 4 Episode 1, “Ballrooms and Biscotti.” On Rory’s last day before she leaves for Yale, Emily suggests a movie night. But this time, the grandmother and granddaughter wind up watching a marathon of dated ballroom dancing videos from Emily’s VHS collection.
Ironically, although Emily largely considers the night a failure, watching old ballroom dancing competitions is likely one of the most Lorelai-and-Rory things Emily has ever done. So in trying to outdo her daughter, Emily reveals one of her quirks that makes her most like her daughter and granddaughter.
Furthermore, the event encapsulates the series’ biggest theme: the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters. That theme made Gilmore Girls the beloved classic it remains today.
