Delta Air Lines is showing an edited versions of Carol on flights, leading some viewers to believe that Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara never kiss in the lesbian-themed film.
The disappointing news was brought to our attention when comedian Cameron Esposito watched the film on a Delta Air Lines flight and tweeted about the edit.
The tweet garnered tons of attention and anger from the comedian's followers, and some revealed that after watching the film for the first time on flights, they believed that the two main characters NEVER kissed in the film. Even singer Mary Lambert admitted she thought it had been a director's choice.
According to AfterEllen, Delta Air Lines' Corporate Communications representative Liz Savadelis released this statement:
There were two versions of this film that the studio makes available-one that is edited and one that is not edited. The edited version removes two explicit scenes that do not meet our guidelines. The edited version also removes all kissing. The other version is fully non-edited and includes the kissing, but it also includes the explicit scenes. Unfortunately, Delta doesn't have the rights to edit the movie, or to make the decision to keep some of that content (e.g. kissing).
Because of the explicit scenes included in the non-edited version, we chose the edited version. This is consistent with what is available to all airlines.
The Weinstein Company--Carol's studio--has not yet commented on the edit.
It has not been confirmed what other airlines use this edited version of Carol. ButCarol writer Phyllis Nagy tweeted that other domestic airlines, such as American and United, feature the theatrical version of the film.
Considering the amount of heterosexual sex scenes available on in-flight movies, showing this edited version of Carol was a poor move for airlines that claim to be LGBT-friendly.
Do you think queer romances should get equal treatment on in-flight entertainment? Tweet your support using the hashtag #FreeCarol.