One ofthe best movies based on a board game,Clueis a cult classic and one of the silliest whodunits around. Named after the characters in the famous game from the 40s, the cast includes Yvette (Colleen Camp), Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Wadsworth (Tim Curry), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), and Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn). These people were asked to come to Mr. Boddy’s large mansion, and each of them quickly becomes a suspect of murder. As the film progresses, more and more people around the mansion are found dead while more and more clever puns are tossed out. What makes this mystery particularly unique is that it follows the spirit of the game by allowing for more than one kind of ending. There aren’t as many endings as there are characters, but it’s still more innovative and ambitious than what most other films try for. Althoughit wasn’t commercially successful when it was released, apparently in part because of these different endings,Cluehas since become a cult classic. There is now a version in which you can watch all three different finales in a row, and they are intriguingly distinct. If only movies took a chance like this more often.
A more serious take on the mystery genre would never want to have more than one ending, butClueis so comedic, silly, and hard to follow that it feels totally fine to have more than one specific resolution. It’s important to note that just because there are three different endings, doesn’t mean they don’t have anything in common. For example, every climax has Wadsworth explaining most of the situation, someone pulling out a gun, someone calling Communism a red herring, and a mastermind who either killed everyone or manipulated someone else to help with their scheme. There are even characteristics that only two of the three endings share. Regardless of which conclusion you watch, they all make about as much sense as you would expect from a comedic take on a board game, and they all have their special moments—makingClueone ofthe best movies with alternative endings. Since this story isn’t really about logic,the three endings can better be judged by their entertainment value, iconic moments, and how well they fit in with the rest of this whodunit’s overall aesthetic.
3"How About This?"
The Mastermind: Mrs. Peacock
In the “How About This?” finale, Wadsworth pins the blame on Mrs. Peacock, at which point the butler tells everyone to turn out their pockets and purses. He says that nobody has called the cops, going on to suggest that everyone leave and pretend that nothing ever happened. Mrs. Peacock exits the mansion first, while Wadsworth amusingly leads the others in singing “For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow” to show that they mean no trouble. Once she’s gone, Wadsworth assures everyone that the FBI will take care of Peacock. Colonel Mustard says “There’s still one thing I don’t understand,” and Mrs. White says “Onething?"—one of those moments that only two of the three endings (sort of) have in common.
It turns out that Mrs. Peacock was taking bribes from a foreign power, as her husband (a senator) has influence over defense contracts. After Plum asks if the FBI is in the habit of cleaning up after multiple murders, Wadsworth responds with such a delightfully silly pun: “Yes—why do you think it’s run by a man named Hoover?” This is also one of the two endings in which Wadsworth says that “Communism was just a red herring”—another swish. Peacock winds up getting caught by the authorities right outside, at which point Wadsworth asks if anyone would like some fruit or dessert. Though it’s not the best of the three alternative endings, this one nevertheless rounds things out by showing that thismystery movie has just as much funas any other you can find.
2"How It Could Have Happened”
The Mastermind: Miss Scarlet
This is far froma perfect mystery, but it’s also not trying to be.Clueis entertainment first and foremost, and it passes that test with flying colors. In the “How it Could Have Happened” ending, Yvette killed the cook and Mr. Boddy. She wasn’t acting alone, though; she was acting under orders by the person who in turn killed her: Miss Scarlet. Identifying as a capitalist, she’s the one who says Communism was “just a red herring” in this version. The person who says “There’s one thing I don’t understand” is Mr. Green, while Plum says “Onething?” Miss Scarlet, as it turns out, is about secrets. When she threatens Professor Plum with the United Nations finding out that he’s implicated in not only an affair with one of his patients but in her death (and the deaths of five other people), Plum’s reply is hilarious: “You don’t know what kind of people they have at the UN; I might go up in their estimation.
The best part of this ending is when Miss Scarlet is about to shoot Wadsworth, at which point the butler points out that there are no more bullets in her gun. He counts one for Mr. Boddy, two for the chandelier, two at the lounge door, and one for the singing telegram. The back and forth they subsequently have is so silly and hysterical that it’s one of the best quotes in any of this film’s versions. After that, the cops come in and save the day—followed by an unexpected but welcomeGone with the Windreference. But it turns out that thereisone bullet left in that gun, after all; Wadsworth accidentally shoots the chandelier, and it falls (without harming anyone). Overall, those who watched this ending in theaters needn’t feel disappointed—as this provides a enjoyable ending to thissolid mystery with a great sense of humor.
1"Here’s What Really Happened”
The Mastermind: Wadsworth
In the final and most spectacular resolution, “Here’s What Really Happened,” Wadsworth describes how every character but Mr. Green is a murderer. Professor Plum killed Mr. Boddy, Mrs. Peacock killed the cook, Colonel Mustard killed the motorist, Mrs. White killed Yvette and her husband, Mrs. Scarlet killed the policeman, and Wadsworth chooses to “expose” himself—to which Colonel Mustard exclaims that there are ladies present. It turns out that Wadsworth was the real Mr. Boddy, and the man whom Plum killed was actually the butler. Wadsworth assembled everyone here to have his spies and informers eliminated, getting rid of any evidence against him. There is so much to love about this ending. For one thing, Wadsworth takes Mrs. White’s hand and rushes up the steps so quickly that she falls on the way up and he doesn’t even bother to help her.
Mrs. White is the biggest highlight of this denouement, but not for the stairs. Her crazed explanation for why she killed Yvette is one of this movie’s funniest moments by a mile, which is ever better when you learn thatMrs. White’s iconic moment was improvised. Everyone else followed along with her troubling tangent in the only way they knew how: by staring in confusion. Bravo to Madeline Kahn, and kudos to the others for not breaking. In the end, Mr. Green shoots Wadsworth and reveals that he’s an FBI informant. The “communism was just a red herring” joke works just as well here as in the Mrs. Peacock-centered ending, and it’s satisfying to see so many characters being guilty of murder. It’s very hard to remember who was where, at least on the first viewing, so it’s easier for the audience to believe that almost everyone is a murderer. Throughout the film, Wadsworth felt like the one who was manipulating everyone’s movements, so it makes the most sense that he was pulling the strings this whole time. Also, given how many people have already died, it fits to have Wadsworth killed too—as opposed to the other two, nonviolent endings. Along with that completely random boast from Mr. Green about sleeping with his wife, this fantastic ending toCluehelps it join the ranks ofmemorable mysteries in which no one can be trusted.
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