I Didn't Know What You'd Be Serving

In Peter Benchley's novel an awkward dinner party provides the narrative with a set piece of mildly satirical social commentary. It's likely that this chapter was similar to the author's first draft of the manuscript, which - hard to believe in retrospect - was primarily comedic in tone. In the book Hooper is one of several invited guests and it is his openly flirtatious manner contrasted with her husband's boorish behaviour that ultimately pushes Ellen Brody into infidelity.

In the movie Hooper gate-crashes the family's evening meal, but does so with such charming social elan that he immediately wins over the chief's wife ('Wine. How nice!'). His entrance takes place in the background and out of focus as the camera remains on a brooding Brody, and recalls an earlier scene in the same kitchen when the action was split between two planes of vision.  Hooper's first comment ('The door was open. Mind if I come in?') serves to illustrate the trusting nature of Amity society as well as obliquely referencing the door motif that runs throughout the movie. His brief exchange with Ellen ('Your husband's home?' 'Yes, he is.' 'I'd really like to talk to him.' 'Yes, so would I.') wittily establishes a sub-text tension between the wife and the ichthyographer that will fuel the homo-erotic imagination of future fan fiction writers.

Like any good guest - whether invited or not - Hooper has brought wine to the table, and his explanation of presenting two bottles rather than one ('I got red and white. I didn't know what you'd be serving') tees up a number of satirical visual or scripted references to dinner party etiquette.