It’s actually kinda wild when you think about it. For a decade, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were the absolute center of the Hollywood universe, the kind of gravity-well fame we don’t really see anymore. Yet, they only ever made two movies together. Just two.
One started the fire. The other basically watched it burn out.
Most people remember the 2005 explosion that was Mr. & Mrs. Smith. You couldn't escape it. But then there’s the 2015 project, By the Sea, which most folks have either forgotten or never bothered to watch because it was, honestly, pretty depressing. There is a massive gap between these two films—not just in years, but in what they tell us about the most famous couple of the 2000s.
The Chaos of Mr. & Mrs. Smith
The first film with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie wasn't even supposed to happen the way it did. Nicole Kidman was originally cast as Jane Smith. When she dropped out because of scheduling conflicts with The Stepford Wives, Brad Pitt actually left the project too. He only came back once Angelina signed on.
That right there? That changed pop culture history.
The set was a mess, but the "good" kind of creative mess that director Doug Liman is famous for. He reportedly spent his own money to build a set in his mother’s garage and then—get this—destroyed it with a hand grenade after filming. He was constantly rewriting the script. In fact, there were something like 50 different endings written. Some featured huge action set pieces, while others were more quiet.
They eventually landed on that iconic therapy office ending. It worked because the chemistry was so thick you could practically see it on the film grain.
Why the chemistry felt "too" real
Honestly, the reason Mr. & Mrs. Smith still holds up is that you're watching two people actually fall in love in real-time. It wasn't just acting. They were having gun-loading competitions on set. They were doing their own stunts.
The paparazzi were such a problem during filming that the production had to "digitally remove" photographers from the background of certain shots. Think about that. The movie was so haunted by the real-world romance that the editors had to scrub the evidence out of the frame.
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- Release Date: June 10, 2005
- Box Office: $487.3 million worldwide
- Budget: $110 million (huge for a rom-com/action hybrid back then)
- Director: Doug Liman
- Fun Fact: The Bogota scenes? Not Bogota. They used recycled footage from Clear and Present Danger and filmed the rest in California.
The Colombian government was actually pretty annoyed about it. They sent a letter to the producers complaining that the movie made Bogota look like a tiny, humid village when it’s actually a massive, high-altitude metropolis.
By the Sea: The Honeymoon Movie Nobody Wanted
Fast forward ten years. By 2014, "Brangelina" was an institution. They finally got married at their French estate, Château Miraval. And for their honeymoon? They decided to film a movie about a couple whose marriage is completely falling apart.
Talk about a vibe check.
By the Sea was written, directed, and produced by Angelina Jolie (credited as Angelina Jolie Pitt). It’s a 1970s-style arthouse drama set in Malta. Brad plays Roland, a writer who drinks too much, and Angelina plays Vanessa, a former dancer who is deeply depressed.
It is the polar opposite of their first film. In Mr. & Mrs. Smith, they were trying to kill each other but secretly wanted to be together. In By the Sea, they are stuck together and don't know how to exist anymore.
The reality of filming a breakdown
Filming this during their actual honeymoon was, by all accounts, incredibly intense. Angelina has since said she thought the movie might be a way for them to communicate or "work through" things.
It didn't really work out that way.
The movie is slow. Painfully slow. It’s full of long shots of Vanessa staring at a radiator pipe or Roland sitting at a bar. Critics weren't kind. It holds a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. While Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a global blockbuster, By the Sea barely made $3.3 million. Total.
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But if you watch it now, knowing they filed for divorce only a year after it came out, it feels less like a movie and more like a confession. It’s raw. It’s uncomfortable. It’s arguably the most honest film with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie because it stripped away the "movie star" gloss and showed two people who were tired.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that they were "always" looking for projects together. They weren't. They turned down a lot of stuff. There were rumors for years about a Mr. & Mrs. Smith sequel, but it never happened because the original was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment.
You can’t manufacture that twice.
Another thing? People think By the Sea was just a vanity project. While it definitely had that "director’s passion project" feel, it was a legitimate attempt at 70s European cinema. Angelina was heavily inspired by filmmakers like Michelangelo Antonioni. She wanted to make something that felt like L'Eclisse, not Mission Impossible.
Comparing the Two Eras
If you want to understand the Brangelina phenomenon, you have to look at the numbers and the themes side-by-side.
| Feature | Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) | By the Sea (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Explosive, Sexy, Fun | Dour, Melancholy, Quiet |
| Relationship Status | The Beginning (Met on set) | The End (Filmed on honeymoon) |
| Key Location | Suburban L.A. / "Bogota" | Gozo, Malta |
| Commercial Success | Huge Global Hit | Box Office Bomb |
| Directorial Style | Kinetic/Chaos (Liman) | Static/Arthouse (Jolie) |
It’s a bizarre trajectory. They went from playing "perfect specimens" (as Time once called them) to playing broken, aging humans.
How to Watch Them Today
If you’re planning a marathon of film with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, don’t expect a consistent experience.
Start with Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It’s still a blast. The kitchen fight scene—where they basically destroy their house while trying to murder/make out with each other—is a masterclass in screen chemistry. Look for the small moments, like Brad Pitt’s improvised "What's your problem?" lines.
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Then, give By the Sea a chance, but change your mindset. Don't go in expecting a thriller. Go in expecting a mood piece. It’s a beautiful-looking movie. The cinematography by Christian Berger is stunning—he used a natural light system that makes every frame look like a painting.
Moving Forward: The Legacy of the Duo
What’s the takeaway here?
These two films act as bookends for a specific era of celebrity culture. We don't really have "power couples" who can greenlight $100 million movies just by standing next to each other anymore.
If you're a film student or just a fan of Hollywood history, pay attention to the credits on By the Sea. It’s one of the few times you’ll see "Produced by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Pitt." It was a total family affair, with their kids even hanging out on set in Malta while they filmed those grueling scenes.
For those looking to dig deeper into their filmography, check out the 2024 Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV series on Amazon. It’s totally different—Donald Glover and Maya Erskine play much more "normal" people—but it highlights just how legendary the Pitt-Jolie version was by choosing to go in the exact opposite direction.
To truly appreciate what they did, watch the 2005 film for the fantasy, and the 2015 film for the reality. They told the story of their own relationship through the lens of a camera, whether they meant to or not.
Next time you’re scrolling through streaming services, look for the unrated version of the 2005 film; it has about eight minutes of extra footage that makes the "boring suburban life" parts even funnier. It’s worth the hunt.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Watch Order: View Mr. & Mrs. Smith first to see the "spark," then By the Sea to see the "study" of a relationship.
- Cinematography: Pay attention to the lighting in By the Sea; it was filmed using the "Cine Reflect Lighting System" to avoid bulky movie lights on a small set.
- Trivia: Keep an eye out for the "alternate endings" on the Mr. & Mrs. Smith Blu-ray—they show a version of the movie that could have been much darker.
The era of Brangelina on screen is over, but these two films remain as the only tangible evidence of what happened when the two biggest stars in the world decided to share the frame.
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