Kirk's Brother

[adamisme]

Question for you all, do you think his Brother still exists in the new reality or is James T Kirk an only child

 

[KingstonTrekker]

According to the novelization, the kid on the road during the corvette scene is Sam Kirk, who is running away from home due to the boys' step-father.

 

[EJD1984]

There was a scene filmed with Jim & Sam Kirk along with the "evil" step-father, that was cut. Will most likely wind up on the disc release.

 

[Phily B]

The kid on the road was supposed to be his brother, but I guess that sorta got lost along the way somewhere.

 

[Falconfire]

According to the novelization, the kid on the road during the corvette scene is Sam Kirk, who is running away from home due to the boys' step-father.

Yep for whatever reason its mislabled in the credits as Johnny, but the kid hitchhicking was intended to be Sam running away from home after a scene previous to that involving the two of them and their uncle, which was cut.

Thus Jim stealing the car was getting back at Sam being kicked out.

BTW I think part of the issue is that young Jim calls out to the kid "Georgy" which sounds like Johnny. Why Georgy? Because Sam Kirks whole name per TOS is George Samuel Kirk Jr.

 

[adamisme]

ah cool, i've got the novelisation, but only seem to read books on the way to work, so not got to that part yet

 

[Kelso]

He says "Johnny" in the movie. Though, as someone pointed out, it is his brother in the novelization.

 

[Caretaker]

I'd kind of like to know why the filmmakers changed it, aside from being a minor plot element in the end.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

There was a scene filmed with Jim & Sam Kirk along with the "evil" step-father, that was cut. Will most likely wind up on the disc release.

Was it the stepdad, or Uncle Frank? Because if both of those are the same person, then Winona Kirk is creepy.

Fun fact: Greg Grunberg (Abrams' regular actor) was the voice of the stepdad

I'd kind of like to know why the filmmakers changed it, aside from being a minor plot element in the end.

Maybe the kid actor forgot what name to yell out?

Also, the divergence in history happens at Jim's birth, and his brother is older than him, so the Abrams reboot shouldn't change anything about that. Kirk should still have a brother.

 

[The Wormhole]

I'd kind of like to know why the filmmakers changed it, aside from being a minor plot element in the end.

Rumour I heard was that it was felt the emotional poignancy of George sacrificing his life for his newborn son would be lessened if it wasn't his firstborn.

Or maybe that's just my cynical attitude applying that theory as a rumour. I don't know.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Because Sam Kirks whole name per TOS is George Samuel Kirk Jr.

But, again from TOS, Kirk always called his brother "Sam". Presumably everybody *else* called him George.

 

[FormerLurker]

Babaganoosh is correct, or would be if the screenwriter for 'Operation Annihilate' had been paying attention to the dialog in 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?'

Wormhole is also correct, insofar as keeping up appearances in this one film. Bringing in the character in a future film, and having one or two throwaway lines about George(that's Sam to you guys) not wanting to stick around after the bad childhood he and Jim had, so he wasn't around would be enough for the non-Trekkies to get the idea without burying them in exposition.

 

[Falconfire]

Because Sam Kirks whole name per TOS is George Samuel Kirk Jr.

But, again from TOS, Kirk always called his brother "Sam". Presumably everybody *else* called him George.

BUT that was the old universe. Remember there was a George Samuel Kirk in that one, their father.

I could see this universes Kirk calling Sam, George instead, since there wouldnt be household confusing gaffs related to two people with the same name.

 

[MvRojo]

That's stupid that they changed it from "Sam" to "Johnny".

 

[Sector 7]

When I saw the movie, I heard him say "Georgie" which I knew was his brother George Samuel Kirk, Jr. It never occurred to me to be anyone else, although I did not catch the entire dialogue over the roar of the engine.

 

[MvRojo]

When I saw the movie, I heard him say "Georgie" which I knew was his brother George Samuel Kirk, Jr. It never occurred to me to be anyone else, although I did not catch the entire dialogue over the roar of the engine.

He says "Johnny" which is what is listed in the credits.

 

[Jeri]

Well, I'm going to have to say they screwed up in the credits; the novelization includes a really nice backstory to the corvette scene which includes George. That's the story I'm sticking to.

 

[PiperMaru22]

I think he still exists. I mean it never says that Kirk is an only child, and I'd argue that it isn't even implied either.

Also hearing that Sam is in the novelization and a cut scene makes me wonder why exactly he was cut. They didn't have to explain that he was his brother, his name could have remained Sam instead of Johnny.

Btw, since I haven't read the novel yet, is it uncle Frank (as in Kirk's actual uncle) or his step father (and just being called 'uncle')?

 

[Aragorn]

If they were going to make the kid someone other than Sam, they should've just cut him all together. Kirk yelling out to some random Johnny served no purpose.

But leaving the scene in, they could've just left it as Sam and not gone any further into detail.

 

[Jeri]

PiperMaru22, it's the step-dad. I don't remember anyone being called uncle.