The remake The Stepfather with Dylan Walsh (of Nip/Tuck fame) hit theatres in 2009. Even though the plot would have had potential for an adult-oriented movie (especially if you consider the original), the theatrical version of the movie was rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, mature thematic material and brief sensuality). After a mediocre gross of 29 million dollars, the movie already brought in more than the production costs, thus the producers could be quite relaxed when they released the movie for home theatres. Both the DVD and the Blu-ray include an Unrated Director's Cut which shows that quite a few scenes had to be cut out to get the profitable PG-13 rating. Even though all the cuts include violent content, the unrated version of the thriller still isn't a bloodbath. Fortunately enough, Amber Heards bikini-scenes were already uncut in the PG-13 version.

To get the theatrical version seemed to be impossible, even the US-videostore franchise Redbox - who are well-known for reducing their stock to MPAA-rated movies - only have the unrated version. Same goes for the VOD version from Amazon.com. Finally we were able to find a source for the theatrical version: the iTunes-Store has it.


Comparison between the theatrical version and the unrated version (both released by Sony Pictures).

17 differences:
9 scenes with alternative footage
8 cuts due to censorship

The unrated version is 48.4 seconds longer than the theatrical version.

Alternative Footage
0:03:31: When the camera pans to the dead boy on the table, his eyes are open in the unrated version; not so in the theatrical version.
The theatrical version is 1.2 sec. longer.

Theatrical Version	Unrated

0:03:53: Only the unrated version shows a close up shot of the second dead boy who is lying next to the christmas tree with his eyes wide open. Cut to the dead mother with 2 bloody wounds in her back. The camera pans to blood-besmeared knives and a pair of scissors which apparently are the murder weapons. Cut to David washing up a cup. The camera pans to the other kitchen sink where you see additional blood-besmeared kitchen utensils.
In the theatrical version, you in return see David going to the front door a little earlier.
14.24 sec.

Alternative Footage
0:04:32: When the camera pans to the daughter's corpse (bird's eye perspective), the pool of blood she's lying in is distinctly bigger. Additionally, the theatrical version misses out on a close up shot of her face.
8.24 sec.

Theatrical Version	Unrated

Alternative Footage
0:31:42: When Mrs. Cutter falls down the stairs, the end of her "accident" is different in both versions. While the theatrical version cuts to David when she reaches the end of the stairs, the unrated version shows a close up shot of her hitting the ground with the back of her head. She breathes heavily.
The theatrical version is 1.8 sec. longer.

Theatrical Version	Unrated

Alternative Footage
0:31:50: The unrated version shows a shot of heavily injured Mrs. Cutter lying on the floor. The theatrical version instead shows David and the cat a little longer.
The theatrical version is 2.2 Sec. longer

Theatrical Version	Unrated

Alternative Footage
0:32:52: In the unrated version, there's a close up shot of Mrs. Cutter's face. You can see that she's scared and shocked. The theatrical version shows David a little longer at first, coming down the stairs with the cat on his arms; then follows a long shot of Mrs. Cutter at the end of the stairs.
The theatrical version is 1.28 sec. longer.

Alternative Footage
0:31:58: When David puts his hands on Mrs. Cutter's nose and mouth to choke her to death, this is shown in 2 different versions. The theatrical version shows everything from a distance when he puts his hands on her face. During the choking, the theatrical version mostly shows him looking at the camera. The unrated version cuts back and forth from him and Mrs. Cutter's face.
The unrated version is 6.48 sec. longer.

Theatrical Version	Unrated

0:47:25: Only the unrated version shows a shot of Jay on the floor, bound with duct tape.
3.88 sec.

0:47:36: When David wants to choke Jay, the latter fights back some more.
3.76 sec.

Alternative Footage
0:47:44: When David switches Jay's mobile phone off, the unrated version shows a shot of Jay's blood-besmeared head in between. In the theatrical version, you constantly see the side view shot.
No difference in time.

Theatrical Version	Unrated

0:48:03: David and Jay fight a little longer.
2.4 sec.

Alternative Footage
0:48:12: Again, David tries to get Jay under control. The theatrical version instead shows some more harmless footage of David's face.
The unrated version is 2.28 sec. longer.

0:48:39: When Jay is finally choked to death, the shot of him is shown a little longer in the unrated version.
0.52 sec.

1:22:08: David pushes Jackie under water a little longer.
2.44 sec.

1:22:14: Again, the unrated version is longer.
2.52 sec.

1:22:18: You see Jackie screaming under water.
3 sec.

Alternative Footage
1:22:24: Jackie's death struggle under water is longer. The theatrical version only shows her face when it's already almost motionless.
The unrated version is 5.12 sec. longer.

Theatrical Version	Unrated