▁Nick ▁gives ▁Michael ▁an ▁old ▁cli pping ▁of ▁an ▁article ▁he ▁had ▁written ▁about ▁Alex . ▁Michael ▁states , ▁tongue ▁in ▁che ek , ▁" S ar ah , ▁Harold . ▁We ▁took ▁a ▁secret ▁vote . ▁We ' re ▁not ▁leaving . ▁We ' re ▁never ▁leaving ," ▁and ▁they ▁all ▁laugh . ▁ ▁Cast ▁ ▁Production ▁Job eth ▁Williams ▁later ▁re called ▁a ▁scene ▁was ▁shot ▁which ▁flash back ed ▁to ▁the ▁characters ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁" It ▁was ▁just ▁wonderful ▁to ▁shoot ," ▁she ▁said . ▁" They ▁r ented ▁this ▁big ▁house ▁in ▁Atlanta ▁and ▁installed ▁be ad ▁cur tain s , ▁rock ▁post ers , ▁inc ense , ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁Life ▁mag az ines ▁- ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁real ▁time ▁war p ." ▁Williams ▁says ▁in ▁the ▁scene ▁her ▁character ▁was ▁living ▁with ▁William ▁Hur ts ' ▁character ▁and ▁ign oring ▁Tom ▁Ber enger . ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁Alex ▁character , ▁played ▁by ▁Kevin ▁Cost ner , ▁" looking ▁like ▁a ▁sc ru ff y ▁James ▁Dean . ▁That ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁problem ... N ob ody ▁could ▁live ▁up ▁to ▁that ▁role ▁after ▁the ▁build - up ▁through ▁the ▁film , ▁and ▁aud ien ces ▁said ▁they ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁to ▁see ▁anybody ▁try . ▁So ▁the ▁last ▁ 1 0 ▁minutes ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁were ▁just ▁cut ▁out ." ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁response ▁Richard ▁Cor l iss ▁of ▁Time ▁described ▁The ▁Big