A Perfect Movie?

there are thousands of movies just like you described.

thousands

Most films are made the way the filmmakers wanted it to be. It is usually only later, that a studio or distributor will buy the film and say, trim the length so more screenings, or cut out this nude scene to make it a pg13 versus r, etc... Many time it is the rating board that chimes in and forces the film to be changed (if they want to maintain a certain rating).

Also, when test screened, the audience can force a change. My Best Friend's Wedding is a good example of this. After tested, the audience hated Julia Roberts, so they changed the ending and brought Julia back in for reshoots.

I could be wrong, but my impression has always been that studio driven films have a watchdog or line producer hovering over the set, making sure it conforms to studio expectations and budgets.

But even still some producers and directors have said to hell with you and made the film they wanted and the studios had backed down. Titanic's budget was way above what the studio allowed, but because Cameron threatened to walk (I think he actually did a few times) they allowed it. He also fronted his own money.

With Scream, Wes Craven threatened to walk because the W brothers wanted a different mask than what was picked. In fact they wanted Wes to do several takes with different masks so they could pick one later. Also they were sure about the rough cut of the opening and wanted it changes. As I said, Wes threatened to walk and W's back down and let Wes do it the way he wanted.

And with Waterworld, the studio were too afraid to check up on and argue with Costner because of his star power. I imagine they regretted that decision.

A lot of directors/filmmakers are given free reign, even within the studio system. And certainly in the independent world. Movies play at festivals all the time even without rights cleared stuff.

If you read Biskind's 90s film book, I can't remember the title right now, he talks about Warren Beatty making Bulworth and it's really really funny, it's like no one at the studio remembered even greenlighting it or knew it was being made. Beatty is a funny guy. Knows how to work the system.

But a lot of films that I think of as 'perfect movies' have a lot of studio oversight and a lot of problems. I mean Casablanca's shooting situation is pretty much the exact opposite of the situation you describe, but the film is pretty perfect.