"I WANT YOU to stop watching crappy movies."
A few days ago I had dinner with some friends and a new acquaintance who is a huge movie fan. We got to talking about movies and her love for horror films (I hate horror films), and then began to talk about our favorite movies/films. When it got to be my turn, I was pretty much laughed at for my taste in movies. My three favorite movies off the top of my head (feel free to laugh as well) are:
- Vanilla Sky
- (500) Days of Summer
- Big
Okay, yeah, I realize I’m not Roger Ebert, but each of these movies is appealing to me for different reasons. The first two are because they’re the best representations of “love” and “romance” from a guy’s perspective. They both tell the story of a guy who truly falls hard for the first time and also learns who he is through the fracturing of his rose-tinted glasses. Though they achieve this in different ways, both films hit it hard and portray intimate relationships the way they really are and not the way that Matthew McConnahoweveryouspellit makes them seem.
Big is just a classic movie with one of the greatest actors of our time: Tom Hanks. Feel free to argue that, too.
Anyway, I listed my three favorite movies to make this point: I don’t watch very many movies because the truth is that most movies just suck pretty badly. Most movies are also just made for pure profit and feed off the ignorance and shallowness of most of the world. Most movies are made using the McDonald’s formula: fast, cheap and unhealthy.
Maybe it’s because I’ve read a few good books in my time, but I’d say that most movies also lack one of the most important storytelling aspects: character development. How do you prove that the conflict in the movie is genuine unless you develop your characters correctly? Most movies are never able to attach me to the character like most books I’ve read have. The problem is that character development in two hours is extremely difficult.
But, it’s in this respect that a good movie truly becomes a good movie. I’m going to use another Tom Hanks example, but think about Cast Away. The movie centers around a guy on an island BY HIMSELF with nothing but a volleyball and the environment for supporting characters. That’s it! But, we still understand the predicament and our hearts still sink when he (spoiler alert) finally gets back home only to have Helen Hunt half-ass their relationship and give up hope. I probably would’ve done the same thing, but seriously, come on, Helen Hunt. The guy returned Apollo 13 back to Earth and also ran all the way across Greenbow, Alabama. Of course he’s going to survive a plane crash and a few years on an island with a volleyball.
The truth is that not every movie can be The Godfather or Wayne’s World or Forrest Gump. Or Turner and Hooch. Or Sleepless in Seattle. Or Saving Private Ryan. Or The Green Mile. Or You’ve Got Mail. Yes, I love You’ve Got Mail.
One last thing: I went and saw a movie this weekend and noticed that the adult price of admission at this particular theater is $9.50. Are you kidding me? $10 for a movie????? Back in my day it was $6.50 to see a movie like Toy Story. Or Toy Story 2. Or Toy Story 3.
