That’s one of my favourite movies. I’ll still put Jurassic Park just slightly ahead of it, though. Both benefited from Spielberg’s directorial genius.
There were several slightly different versions of it, most notably the original theatrical version and then an extended cut with scenes inside the alien ship. Frankly I prefer the original – some things are better left to the imagination. But truly a great example of what cinema at its best is all about.
I like it, but there are people who just don’t like Bill Murray; and Bill Murray is very Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.
I haven’t seen it, and that convinces me not to see it. I have no personal animosity against Bill Murray, I just don’t enjoy him as an actor. Lost in Translation is another movie where Bill Murray is very Bill Murray. Critically acclaimed, but I can barely watch it.
I’m aware he’s won quite a few awards, but it’s a mystery to me how he rose from Saturday Night Live to somehow becoming a major movie star.
My problem with that movie is more that nothing really happens.
I can get behind this selection. Green Book is a fine film. The two men learn that they have to set aside their differences and prejudices to work together if they are going to get their jobs done. The characters are allowed to develop, and that they do—Tony Lip learns from Dr. Shirley, and Dr. Shirley learns from Tony Lip. I especially liked the final note before the end credits that said the two men remained great friends for the rest of their lives.
And I agree about Don Shirley’s music. I’ve looked some of it up since seeing the film. Migosh, what a talent. Glad that the film introduced it to people who otherwise did not know it (like me).
ETA: I think that if we are all to agree on a good film, then this is the sort of film we should be looking at. Understated, a good story, engaging characters. There will always be those who don’t like certain genres like sci-fi or fantasy or action/adventure, and those who dislike a lot of CGI, and those who hate musicals or comedies. But then there’s this film, and it doesn’t fit into anything except the broad category of drama. It seems to work to fit the OP’s parameters, IMHO.
I’m not a Bill Murray fan either, but Groundhog Day is good (not great). With vetoes coming fast and furious we must take what we can get!
I was quite surprised my kids liked Green Book. They are Thai-American; one hasn’t yet visited USA. Perhaps the look – whether valid or not – at American culture intrigued them.
I’ll offer a different theory.
It’s well established (and don’t you dare nitpick such a self-apparent point) that in the evolutionary long term, we’re all going to be crabs. Read the wiki article about carcinisation for details.
Similarly, in the board long-term, every thread with any question about movies will end up being just a long list of movies that people love, or like, or that just pop into their heads.
I remember that some Black Americans didn’t like Green Book (perhaps because it beat Black Panther and BlacKkKlansman for the Best Picture award) but it did introduce me to the idea of the book itself; a travel guide for Black people in an age when travel could be dangerous.
It wasn’t just Black people. Here’s an article from (gasp) a white lady who didn’t like it.
Well, I haven’t seen it, so I have no standing to veto it. But any movie whose first adjective is “sentimental” starts out with 2.9 strikes in my book. I very rarely see sentimental (as a primary characteristic of a story) done in a way I consider good. It’s too, too, too easy to overdo it or wallow into cringe territory or end up with something that feels terribly contrived.
But again, I haven’t seen this one, so I can’t in good conscience officially veto it.
Let me quote myself from ten years ago:
You should watch Don Hertzfeldt’s recent film Me. There’s no coherent dialogue at all; it’s all visual plus excerpts of classical music (the use of Joan Sutherland singing “I Dreamt I Dwelled In Marbled Halls” is sublime). Not only is it difficult to describe what the film is about (other than, in a very abstract way, Hertzfeldt himself), I think it has achieved “If you could explain it you wouldn’t have to watch it” status). But then I’m a big DH fan - YMMV.
I’m pretty sure Me wouldn’t come close to being on this list, although his It’s Such A Beautiful Day film from 2012 has a perfect 100% score on RT from 33 reviews.
I may have to. It sounds…interesting.
He Bill Murrays another character nearly to death in What About Bob?
Whereas he turns in a surprisingly un-Murrayish performance as a possibly wife-beaten husband in Moonrise Kingdom.
12 better musicals produced in … how many years? That tells me that Singin’ in the Rain is pretty damned good! Let’s not let “perfect” get in the way of “good”!
I wonder if part of it is “connection”. If you are connected to the story, the anticipation of what will happen next keeps you riveted to your seat; if you don’t care, then there is no anticipation. I think of it like watching baseball. If you care about the team, then each pitch is possible triumph or disaster; if you don’t, then it’s a long 45 seconds before the next thing actually may (and probably won’t) happen.
You’re missing out, honestly. Groundhog Day is brilliant.
but in the baseball game, I already cared about the team before the game started. That’s why I’m watching. I feel like a good movie would make me feel connected; I”m certainly not feeling that before the movie has started.
Maybe we need a companion thread “Is there any movie we all would agree is bad (if not terrible)”?
I think the answer is no, I mean, even Plan 9 has a 3.9 IMDB rating! Somebody likes it.