1983
Directed by James L. Brooks
I am afraid I am going to be judged terribly for not shedding a single tear over this film. Even my sister, who didn't even like this movie, admitted to crying over it. Perhaps I am made from stone.
Aurora and her daughter Emma are closely connected, although Aurora is often extremely overbearing and judgmental of Emma's decisions. Both are searching for real love. Emma seeks it with Flap, a philandering college professor, while Aurora falls for her womanizing, retired astronaut neighbor Garrett Breedlove (who wouldn't fall for someone with a name like that?).
There is no denying that this film is well done. The acting is spectacular (Nicholson seems to get better with age) and the characters are not your typical good guy/bad guy archetypes. I just couldn't connect to this film. The dialogue and story lines certainly didn't remind me of any of my female relationships, although I felt like the director was willing me to find the whole thing relatable.
I think a lot of people will dub this a "chick flick" which is a rather insulting and dismissive term. We should at least have a male equivalent for this that is just as snobby. Has anyone coined dick flick?
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis were considered for the main roles.
I just lost a long and (I thought) quite good reply to this. i will try again. it won't be as wise and insightful and well written as the first attempt.
ReplyDeletePlease excuse me, but i wish to pick up on your comment about use of the term 'Chick Flick'
The term 'Chick Flick' is , I mostly agree, a rather lazy term, that unfortunately is far to neat and simplified for it's own good. it trips of the tongue, and keyboard easily and, with the rhyme, sounds 'cool'.
Again, it falls down due to overuse. In the same way 'Film Noir' is highly elastic, Chick Flick can cover a multitude of sins, that certainly exist. As a term that implies a large amount of light, simplified/simplistic fluffy product, aimed at women who think that the world revolves sound shopping and finding a rich good looking guy to provide them with wealth, comfort, shoes and babies, it can be said to work. Such films exist .. and I guess we all know what they are .. I doubt I offend anyone by offering Dirty Dancing, Bridget Jones, Pretty Woman as prime examples. These are extremely succesful films ..
You have a good point that i doubt the term 'Dick Flick' has yet to be used (patent it quick, it could take off). I guess we are talking about .. anything by Sam Peckinpah, something with Van Diesel in, anything with squealing tyres and 'person runs to camera with huge fireball behind'.
You know what I think of that sort of crap. But if you used the tern 'Dick Flick' to describe them , I'd think you had summed them up quite well, not think you were using 'a rather insulting and dismissive term'.
(although you might be intending to!). I mean, you would never use a gender diversive term like ..ohh ..lets say 'Cock Rock' in your musical classifications would you.
Sorry, low, nosty cheapshot that, which I genuinely apologise for, but I do so to make a point.
Lazy generalisation phrases have an occasional use. The insult is not in their very existence, but in their intent to hurt when used with malice.
So I guess what I'm saying is that 'Chick flick' is not more offensive to ALL women than 'Cock Rock' or 'Dick Flick' is to ALL men.
OK, sorry that rambled on a bit. I sometimes get a bit defensive.
The irony is Amanda, you will get more agreement from me that large numbers of my gender ARE total ****** (the number of *s is not worked out to imply any one specific word) than .. you would from many others.
Well, I still think that came across as very insightful even though you lost your first attempt! I agree with basically everything you said. I think hyper feminine films are not given the same amount of respect as hyper masculine films, regardless of quality (i.e. a man can't like a Nicholas Sparks movie without some degree of shame, but a woman is "cool" for liking a film like Mad Max). I am not sure I am articulating myself very well. I would be interested to see what Andrew thinks of this; maybe I will drop him a comment.
DeleteGlad you thought of me Amanda. So sweet.
DeleteI've never found the term to be offensive, personally. For me, it's always just hinted at what the mood would be and I really wouldn't even classify "Terms" as such. Yeah, it's a tearjerker. But when I think of "chick flick" I think: Bridget Jones, anything based on Nicholas Sparks, any film that uses Natalie Cole's "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)" in it's trailer...
I guess the more appropriate terminology would be "film that more girls will like than guys". But I guess since that's a mouthful, someone just said "chick flick".
And yes, copyright the term "dick flick" NOW...
I have never actually seen a Nicholas Sparks movie but I imagine the experience would be traumatizing. Thanks for stopping by! I love what you are doing with horror movies on your blog!
DeleteGlad you like it and thanks for the invite. I really need to get by here more often...
DeleteNice of you to say. The first attempt was better put and less rambling .. You know my keyboard skills are far from good,
ReplyDelete