Originally the film opened with Ryan in the doctor's office, being told his wife is dying. Then we see him walking the streets, and the story is told in flashback.

We'd be working in our motel room through the night, and I'd come up with an idea at two in the morning, and he'd start jumping up and down, pacing across the room, or whatever.

We cut a few corners and brought the picture in under budget by $25,000, so Paramount let us go back to Boston with a small crew to shoot some additional footage.

So I decided to move that scene in the doctor's office to two-thirds into the movie, after the viewers had come to know Ryan and Ali and share in their happiness.

People were very fond of the project, but nobody could have - or would have - predicted how much of a phenomenon it would become.

I thought we were making a nice little movie. That's how it was regarded by everyone else, too.