Controversial 2002 Film Tiptoes Sparked On-Set Disputes and a Divisive Premiere in Austin

January 21, 2026

Tiptoes centers on a character played by Matthew McConaughey who faces an unexpected pregnancy and then reveals that members of his family have dwarfism, while he himself is of typical height. The casting placed Gary Oldman as the protagonist's brother, a role performed in ways that drew criticism, and Peter Dinklage appears as the brother's close friend.

Production produced regular friction. Kate Beckinsale agreed to accept minimum wage terms set by the Screen Actors Guild if she could wear a personal black-and-white striped beanie on camera. Producers objected to the hat once filming began, and that wardrobe dispute became the first in a chain of conflicts that contributed to mounting tensions on set.

Those tensions escalated into broader battles between director Matthew Bright and the production team, which included at least one producer known for creating the TV show Cops. Bright ultimately lost his position on the film, and he petitioned to have his name removed from the project, seeking replacement with the pseudonym Bill Weiner.

Creative differences extended to how long the film should run. Bright completed a director's cut running roughly two and a half hours, and that version debuted in Austin at the original Alamo Drafthouse on Colorado Street during the Butt-Numb-A-Thon film marathon organized by Harry Knowles. Later, producers reduced the movie to about 90 minutes for a Sundance Film Festival screening in 2004.

The edits provoked an intense response from Bright at the shortened screening, where he reacted so angrily that others had to restrain him and escort him offstage. Years after release, a segment from the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast revived attention when hosts Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer played the film's trailer while McConaughey watched along. He said he had never seen the trailer before, found it hard to believe, yet praised how effective the preview felt.

Tiptoes arrived after McConaughey's roles in A Time to Kill and The Wedding Planner, and just months before How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The movie's production history and the contrasting versions shown in Austin and at Sundance have kept it a recurring subject of discussion about casting choices and creative control in Hollywood.