For some reason, I was thinking about Shakespeare in Love today. God, I hated that movie. And everyone else loved it. It was bizarre, being on the other side of that cultural divide...seriously. It really pissed people off/concerned people that I didn't like that movie. It reminded me of the Seinfeld episode in which Elaine let it be known that she loathed The English Patient, and her boss was so appalled he a) forced her to see it again and b) fired her when she still didn't like it. The other movie I loathed and others loved was Bull Durham. How about any of you? Which hits did you hate? Hmmmmm....?
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OMG!!!!! I HATED Bull Durham and I get harrassed about it at least once a year. I HATED the English Patient too and I must say Shakespeare in Love was drivel. I think we must be kindred movie spirits. I will save my other 2 most hated movie tirades and only proffer them upon request for fear of offending anyone and everyone. Be sure however that they are vehement and detailed. Happy Movie watching and Gran Torino is exactly the movie it should be.
-Julie
P.S. The English Patient is a great book...you should give it a whirl.
The one movie of this category that really struck a nerve with me was ET - even though I saw it when I was in my early teens. In fact, in some regards, this movie was a stand out in the magnitude of disappointment I experienced in viewing it. Though I'm sure I'd seen movies of questionable merit prior to that one, I'd always been satisfied because my expectations were not usually out of line with what was delivered. I found Spielberg's twanging of the audience's collective heartstrings to be overtly insulting. The obvious effectiveness of such twanging made the experience all the worse.
This brings me to Schindlers List, a movie I also strongly disliked - but mostly because of the final twenty minutes of the movie. Though most of the movie was a powerfully gripping portrayal of great courage in the face of horrible inhumanity - Spielberg destroyed the movie in the final minutes by his insistance on tying the whole thing up in a pretty little bow. I think the ending wrapped up by showing all the descendents of the surviors that could attribute their lives to Schindler. Though clearly an important tribute to the heroic acts of Mr. Schindler, the movie's ending seemed to strongly suggest that any contemplation of the suffering and cruelty witnessed during the movie was to be promptly set aside in favor of the lessons of courage and decency. Though clearly this was an important film and story - the final act of handholding seemed like a slap in the face.
Mike in Austin
That's so funny. I was pissed off about Bull Durham for DAYS. I mean, Susan Sarandon was supposed to be a role model because she turned the tables on some guys and acted exactly as jerky as they did? Hooray? Ugh. Shakespeare in Love was horrifying except for the one brief part where they actually did a little bit of Romeo and Juliet...otherwise, yuck. I always wondered if people felt they had to like it because of even the association with the name Shakespeare. And I MUST hear your other two most hated now.....You're anonymous here, nothing anyone can do to you!
Hey Mike, I see we have a Spielberg hater here!!! I totally get what you're saying. It's manipulative movie making and I think some directors, and in another realm, writers, get a little too comfortable falling back on the pattern...and it is a little insulting. That's one reason I'm having trouble even wtih the idea of seeing Benjamin Button...even the idea smacks of, hey people will LOVE this. and it's brad pitt! box office gold! fortunately, my friend nancy, who saw it, is going to spare me the agony and review it for me.
p.s. i did read the english patient at one point...though i can't say i remember it too well.
The English Patient is a great book. Of course, I liked the movie, too, so what do I know? I'm gettin' outa here...
On recent movie I hated was "I'm Not Here," the Dylan one. Felt like a clever concept and that's it. After 20 minutes, I found it tedious and tiresome. There, I said it.
ah. paul really wanted to see that because he's a huge dylan fan...i was having a hard time liking the idea of cate blanchett playing dylan...but we missed it, in any case. maybe we'll give it a shot in dvd, but i'm even less enthusiastic now...
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