There’s no denying the fact Twister‘s Dr. Jonas Miller, played by Cary Elwes, is a massive prick whenever he’s seen or heard in Twister, but did the secondary antagonist (the first being the actual tornadoes) in one of the best ‘90s movies actually have to die in that massive EF-5 tornado?
Like a lot of people getting ready for the release of Twisters on the 2024 movie schedule, I recently went back and watched this 1996 box office smash hit for the first time in years to prepare myself. While I didn’t come out of the experience with a hot take, like one of my colleagues arguing Bill Paxton’s character was the villain, I did start to contemplate his on-screen rival’s fate and if the death was necessary.
That being said, grab a belt or anything else to keep you in place because we’re about to go on a fast and furious trip down memory lane.
So, What Happens To Dr. Jonas Miller In Twister?
Unlike a lot of the other great disaster movies from over the years, there aren’t really a whole lot of deaths in Twister. In fact, outside of Jo’s dad dying in the opening prologue (a death that honestly could have been avoided), only two characters are killed by those raging tornadoes: Dr. Jonas Miller and his driver, Eddie (Zach Grenier). So, how did those two storm chasers bite the dust?
You may recall that right before Bill and Jo Harding drive into the fifth and final tornado of the movie and finally deploy Dorothy IV into the heart of the storm, they try to warn Jonas and his team that they should turn back because the funnel cloud was changing direction and heading right for them. Arrogant and stubborn, Jonas doesn’t listen to his driver’s pleas to be reasonable and turns off the radio. Moments later, Eddie is decapitated by debris and the vehicle is picked up by the tornado before hitting the ground with an epic explosion. RIP, you prideful S.O.B.
I’ll Admit, Jonas Miller Is A Prick Throughout Twister
Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that Jonas is a prick throughout Twister and was more than deserving of the tussling he received at the hands of Bill early in the movie. Running folks off the road, stealing an “unrealized idea,” manipulating his rivals, having more pride than brains, the list goes on. Cary Elwes, who despite playing a hero and giving us great lines in The Princess Bride, is perfect as the arrogant and borderline sociopathic storm chaser and makes the rivalry between Jonas and Bill seem all the more real.
Though not quite one of the meanest ‘90s movie villains, Jonas is the perfect foil for Bill and Jo, representing everything they’re not and everything they stand against. I mean, a caravan of all-black trucks, vans, and mobile weather stations, not to mention corporate backers, makes Jonas not only a prick, but a prick who’s in the game for all the wrong reasons.
The Disaster Movie Gods Require A Blood Sacrifice, But It Could Have Been Someone Else
If you watch enough disaster movies, you’ll begin to realize that the disaster movie gods require a blood sacrifice before the end credits, and in the case of Twister, that was Dr. Jonas Miller. Sure, his explosive death in the final act of the 1996 summer blockbuster wasn’t out of left field and you could argue it was merited, but there are plenty of other characters whose deaths could have appeased the gods and allowed the arrogant prick to live another day, and maybe even help Jo and Bill, like Ice Man in Top Gun or Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick.
I’ve long been in the camp that thinks Aunt Meg (Lois Smith) could have been the one to die and inspire Jo and Bill to work through their differences and finally get Dorothy into the air. I mean, she had the great scene with Jo before they darted off and pretty much fulfilled her purpose with the inspiration for the revamped Dorothy. Still not sure why they didn’t pull the trigger. Maybe so Twister could be a movie where the dog lives and it still be believable.
And Yeah, Jonas Should Have Listened To Bill Harding
I will concede that Jonas kind of had it coming at the end there when he straight-up turned off his radio when Bill was trying to tell him to turn back. Like, come on, guy. I think your heart is in the right place and all, and I know how competitiveness can get the best of us at times, but there’s a literal EF-5 tornado just ahead and you can’t put aside your pride?
There’s no reason to believe that Bill wanted to do anything besides save his former friend and colleague from being sucked up into the biggest funnel cloud the state of Oklahoma had seen in years and then burnt up in one of the best explosions of 1996. Even Eddie, who was pretty much just as much of a prick up to that point, wasn’t really about that life.
However, Being A Jealous, Cocky, And Competitive Rival Shouldn’t Be A Death Sentence
But come on, when did being a jealous, cocky, and competitive rival become a crime punishable by death? If that were the case, some of the best sports movies would have ended with opponents getting got, or Top Gun seeing Ice Man dying instead of Goose. Yeah, Jonas should have listened to reason, Bill, and even Eddie at the end there, but let’s not go around acting like some toxic character traits were enough for a death sentence.
You could make an argument for Jo dying, as Helen Hunt’s character constantly threw caution to the wind, disregarded other people’s wishes and desires, and risked her life and that of her entire team multiple times throughout the movie. She was competitive, she was cocky, and you can’t say she wasn’t jealous when Bill showed up with Dr. Melissa Reeves.
So, Did Dr. Jonas Miller Deserve To Die?!
While Dr. Jonas Miller was an insufferable prick, didn’t really listen to anyone, and pretty much stole Bill and Jo Harding’s idea, albeit “unrealized,” the question remains: did he deserve to die?
As much as I want to say that he had it coming and didn’t really stop himself from going up to the great plains in the sky, I honestly don’t think he deserved to die. It looked cool and made for a great scene, but the movie wouldn’t have been any worse if he had lived. In fact, I think it would have been a little better because he could have seen the fault in his ways. Plus, it wasn’t like he was a psychopath or anything like that. Put me in the “didn’t deserve to die” camp.
If you’re in the MOOd for more about one of the best action movies of all time and a killer weather movie, we previously covered all kinds of Twister behind-the-scenes facts including how director Jan de Bont brought the film to life and who was in the running to play Dr. Jonas Miller originally.