# Great(?) movie you just didn't think was great. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 29, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664 "2011-05-29T15:22:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/1 "2011-05-29T15:22:44Z")
Fargo. To hear people talk about it, you would think it is one of the best movies ever made. Frances Mcdormand won a Best Actress Oscar for it but for me it was just OK. Good movie but not earth-shattering. Magnolia. I keep hearing about how its a movie about coincidences. Bullshit! There were no coincidences in the movie. You want coincidences, try _Grand Canyon_. Hell even _Two Days in the Valley_ would be a better example. As a movie, good but not great. What movies do others rave about that are just mediocre for you? ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/2 "2011-05-29T15:30:08Z")
_Big Fish_ and _Adaptation_. Not my cups of tea. StG ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/3 "2011-05-29T16:49:41Z")
At the risk of serious abuse from Movie Fans and Buffs, I will mention _Citizen Kane_ which I saw for the first time as a teenager in the 50’s on one of those “Fabulous Films of the Forties” programs. Yes, it would already have been as old as I was (it came out the year I was born!) and that was way before I had learned (to some degree) to appreciate the film science and technology innovations CK introduced. It was until recent years on every critic’s Top X-Number list at the #1 slot and was used as a basis for film school technical excellence. I have yet to learn all I need to know to think of it as a great movie. It would not make my Top 20, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/4 "2011-05-29T16:55:27Z")
_Casablanca_ has literally put me to sleep every time I’ve tried to watch it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/5 "2011-05-29T16:59:45Z")
**Alien**. As I’ve pointed out many times before, it’s a pure example of an idiot plot – it only works because everyone involved is an idiot and everyone does the stupidest thing possible at any given money. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/6 "2011-05-29T17:01:40Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > _Casablanca_ has literally put me to sleep every time I’ve tried to watch it. Curious if movies like _Maltese Falcon_, _Treasure of the Sierra Madre_, and other movies from the 1930s-1940s have the same effect? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/7 "2011-05-29T17:09:10Z")
I seem to end up hating a lot of “great” movies. I couldn’t relate to the characters in **Fargo** because they were too inept and I couldn’t relate to the characters in **Being John Malkovich** because they were all unlikeable (except for Charlie Sheen as himself! Winning!) **Apocalypse Now** was a bunch of gibberish _and then_ Marlon Brando showed up. **The Graduate** has not aged well. **Mulholland Drive** was a shitty TV show that was canceled before it ever aired so it became a shitty movie instead. **Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon** had a flashback within a flashback! How is that even legal? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/8 "2011-05-29T17:21:20Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Alien**. As I’ve pointed out many times before, it’s a pure example of an idiot plot – it only works because everyone involved is an idiot and everyone does the stupidest thing possible at any given money. Alien was OK, but my wife and I did not get the love for Aliens. And we generally like James Cameron movies, especially Terminator 2. I know those movies aren’t “great”, but another one that is supposed to be is The Hurt Locker. It was OK. Nothing special or great. Three Kings is the ultimate movie about war in the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/9 "2011-05-29T17:22:31Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Curious if movies like _Maltese Falcon_, _Treasure of the Sierra Madre_, and other movies from the 1930s-1940s have the same effect? Not always. As a rule, I’m not much into Hayes era movies, but I can get into some crime dramas and noir and the like. Romances of any era bore me, though. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/10 "2011-05-29T17:36:36Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Not always. As a rule, I’m not much into Hayes era movies, but I can get into some crime dramas and noir and the like. Romances of any era bore me, though. So, would you not like _Philadelphia Story?_ or _His Girl Friday_? Although, to be fair, they were more comedy than romance. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/11 "2011-05-29T17:42:13Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I know those movies aren’t “great”, but another one that is supposed to be is The Hurt Locker. Agree with you about **The Hurt Locker** , but not because I think the movie is weak. The movie is shot in that “moving camera” style that I loathe. **The Hurt Locker** actually made my wife motion sick, and I couldn’t figure out why I had a massive headache until she asked to leave and told me why. The “moving camera” was just too much. I’ve recently seen the movie on cable, and the effect is worse on my TV. I have literally never seen the movie from start to finish. It took me three separate viewings to catch all the parts of the movie. It is a very good movie, and I have no problem with it winning the oscar. But when I watch a movie, I want to enjoy it without feeling like I’m on a small boat in the middle of the north atlantic. My nomination for this thread is **Avatar**. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/12 "2011-05-29T17:46:58Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > So, would you not like _Philadelphia Story?_ or _His Girl Friday_? Although, to be fair, they were more comedy than romance. They would not be my cup of tea. The screwball comedies are too stylized and unnatural for my tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/13 "2011-05-29T17:47:32Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > At the risk of serious abuse from Movie Fans and Buffs, I will mention _Citizen Kane_ which I saw for the first time as a teenager in the 50’s on one of those “Fabulous Films of the Forties” programs. Yes, it would already have been as old as I was (it came out the year I was born!) and that was way before I had learned (to some degree) to appreciate the film science and technology innovations CK introduced. > > It was until recent years on every critic’s Top X-Number list at the #1 slot and was used as a basis for film school technical excellence. > > I have yet to learn all I need to know to think of it as a great movie. It would not make my Top 20, for sure. If you’re interested in learning why it’s so revered and influential, I highly recommend watching the DVD with Roger Ebert’s commentary track. You may still come out of it not liking the film, but it’s an interesting, educational, and fun explanation of why so many people consider the film one of the greatest ever made. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/14 "2011-05-29T17:59:32Z")
I have tried and failed to watch several great movies at various times. I kept trying to watch Brokeback Mountain, for instance, and frankly I’d rather watch paint dry. Now, I normally knit or crochet when watching TV shows or movies, but I kept putting down the needlework and started doing stuff like reorganizing my books. That movie bored me to tears. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/15 "2011-05-29T18:04:49Z")
It’s already been mentioned, but Apocalypse Now. Just a great big mess of a movie that I wouldn’t sit through again if you paid me. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/16 "2011-05-29T18:06:58Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > If you’re interested in learning why it’s so revered and influential, I highly recommend watching the DVD with Roger Ebert’s commentary track. You may still come out of it not liking the film, but it’s an interesting, educational, and fun explanation of why so many people consider the film one of the greatest ever made. Thanks for the lack of abuse. I may just follow your advice and get the DVD. Ebert has taught me many things that have helped me appreciate (if not like) movies that were not quite “my cup of tea.” Even though he has missed the boat on enough movies I consider way better than he did (_Blade Runner_ and _Raising Arizona_ to name two) his insights and special knowledge have led me to trust him at at least the 80% mark. I would also love to hear Ebert’s frame-by-frame analysis of _Pulp Fiction_, which I consider one of the 50 best movies ever. Just to add one more bit of negative bias to the thread’s intent, I find it hard to relate to (and especially like) movies made before I came into the world. As years go on, I add a few to the list of the ones I can tolerate, but for me the “good movies” didn’t really get started until the 1960’s, and there are plenty of them that are just really weak nowadays, not that weakness didn’t just go away after the 60’s!. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/17 "2011-05-29T18:07:44Z")
_Breakfast at Tiffany’s_… just couldn’t sit through it. I find Audrey Hepburn annoying in general anyways. Do I need to dodge any tomatoes now? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/18 "2011-05-29T18:13:55Z")
> [@Dr.Girlfriend](#): > > _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_… just couldn’t sit through it. I find Audrey Hepburn annoying in general anyways. Do I need to dodge any tomatoes now? :eek: My wife may toss one your way, but there’s a little story you might relate to. She loaned our VHS copy to our son-in-law for his evaluation. His critique: “I kept waiting for her to take her clothes off or for them to blow something up!” I love Mancini’s music regardless, BaT is a fave in that respect, but I have seen too many movies he made the music for that even that wouldn’t save. I would give BaT maybe a 6 on the 10 scale. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/19 "2011-05-29T18:17:35Z")
That’s a good idea about watching _Citizen Kane_ with a commentary - I know it’s supposed to be this incredible, game-changing movie, but it bored me, too. To get more modern, I’ll nominate the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ series. We were watching an ad for the fourth one recently, and I said something like, “I just really didn’t enjoy those. I have no intention of going to see the third one,” at which time my husband informed me that this was the fourth one. Well, my point still stands (and I’m not going to see the fourth one, either). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664/20 "2011-05-29T18:36:34Z")
I’ll say it. The Godfather. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-movie-you-just-didnt-think-was-great/583664.md?page=2)