Star Trek: Insurrection/Trivia


 * Directed by Cast Member: Jonathan Frakes again.
 * Executive Meddling: Averted; Paramount sent an astute-sounding letter pointing out the holes in the plot, even (accidentally?) offering a valid rationale for Picard's interference -- namely, that the Ba'ku lack the numbers to procreate and thrive in a normal environment, and hence cannot be relocated without dooming them to extinction. Pillar and Berman must not have gotten that memo.
 * Berman played it straight, though, as he demanded that a scene where Picard expresses his sympathies to Worf about Jadzia's death be removed, even though Worf was still suffering through it on DS 9 at the time.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Antonio Salieri is Ru'afo.
 * What Could Have Been:
 * Patrick Stewart wanted Brian Blessed to play Admiral Dougherty.
 * There were some serious rumblings that fan-favorite Q would appear. That ultimately did not pan out and Jonathan Frakes is on record as being disappointed with that.
 * According to Michael Piller's unpublished book, Fade In, the first draft was about Picard hunting down his old friend from the academy, Duffy, who has gone native with the Baku against the Romulans. Baku was being used as a fall guy by the Federation to ensure peace with the Romulans. It eventually ended with a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington like speech by Picard in front of the Federation council, the crew of the Enterprise about to be arrested, but stopped by a Slow Clap started by Boothby.
 * That... sounds quite a bit like Wing Commander IV, actually. (Except Picard killed Malcolm McDowell two movies back, so he can't be the bad guy again here.)
 * Internet reviewer SF Debris provided a rather interesting premise for the film: the family argument. Only half the officers would go with Picard to defend the Ba'ku while Riker and the others would stay on the Enterprise to help the Son'a. The whole outline is in Part 4 of his review.