# Movies that made a big pop culture splash but are now disporportionately forgotten **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2014, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755 "2014-11-16T08:07:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/21 "2014-11-16T14:49:49Z")
> [@kellner](#): > > _Avatar_ was the biggest thing ever for a while, but for a movie with that kind of box office it seems to have gone downhill really fast. Well, the sequels are in production. Their success (or lack thereof) will be a big indicator of the premise’s staying power. As a thought experiment, I reviewed a list of Oscar winners and nominees for Best Picture going back to 1960 (arbitrary benchmark), to see if there were any cases where one of the nominees had more cultural staying power than the winner. I’m not trying to assess if I think the nominated film was better than the winner, just if it would be more broadly familiar to a modern audience: 1963: Winner: _Tom Jones_. Culturally outshone by _Cleopatra_, though I think largely because of the tabloidish antics of its stars. 1967: Winner: _In the Heat of the Night_. Culturally rivalled by _Bonnie and Clyde_ and _The Graduate_. 1970: Winner: _Patton_. Culturally outshone by _M_A_S_H\*, though I’m sure entirely on the strength of the TV series. 1977: Winner: _Annie Hall_. Culturally outshone by _Star Wars_. 1980: Winner: _Ordinary People_. Culturally outshone by _Raging Bull_. 1981: Winner: _Chariots of Fire_. Outshone by _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. 1982: Winner: _Gandhi_. Outshone at the time by _E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial_, but I propose _E.T._ as being a classic example of a film with a massive following in its day but which largely culturally disappeared afterward. 1992: Winner: _Unforgiven_. Edged, I think, by _A Few Good Men_, though mostly on the performance of Jack Nicholson. At the very least, “You can’t handle the truth!” is still familiar, but I can’t think of a single quote from _Unforgiven_. 1994: Winner: _Forrest Gump_. Rivalled by _Pulp Fiction_, possibly by _The Shawshank Redemption_. 1996: Winner: _The English Patient_. Outshone by _Fargo_. _Jerry Maguire_ made quite the splash in its day, but aside from “Show me the money!”, I don’t think it had much cultural staying power. 1998: Winner: _Shakespeare in Love_. Outshone by _Saving Private Ryan_, not least for the idea that _SPR_ has become a defacto standard by which the realism of epic war movies is often compared. I’ll stop there, since the movies are getting too recent to judge cultural staying power. I figure 15 years is minimum. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/22 "2014-11-16T14:58:21Z")
In & Out ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/23 "2014-11-16T15:07:03Z")
**Pretty Woman** seemed to have a decent cultural footprint for a few years after it came out, but has faded since. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/24 "2014-11-16T15:16:23Z")
Tootsie Kramer vs. Kramer Top Gun The China Syndrome Flashdance Sophie’s Choice ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/25 "2014-11-16T15:17:00Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > I do not think that this thread is supposed to be about movies that absolutely, positively rock. 🙂 Are those two movies still considered great by all that many people though? ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/26 "2014-11-16T15:19:39Z")
**Bryan Ekers** , I think that’s a good analysis! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/27 "2014-11-16T15:23:27Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > When I saw the thread title I thought of Splash before I even finished reading it (because I saw the word splash). > Checking out wiki, it did almost 70 million at the box office and you’d probably have trouble finding people over 20 or 25 that have seen it, heard of it or even know who Daryl Hannah is. Except for all the girls names Madison celebrating their 30th birthdays. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/28 "2014-11-16T15:26:54Z")
**Grease** was the top-grossing movie of 1978, beating out **Superman** and **Animal House** (not to mention **Every Which Way But Loose** ). I guess people still sing “Summer Lovin’” in karaoke bars, so it’s not totally forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/29 "2014-11-16T15:30:06Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > How about _Natural Born Killers_? It was shocking and had an edgy style. It was going to change the way movies were made. Whatever splash it made was overshadowed by _Pulp Fiction_ which was released a couple of months later and actually had that impact. Helped along by the fact that Tarantino, who wrote both but directed only the latter, more or less disowns the former. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/30 "2014-11-16T15:42:49Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Are those two movies still considered great by all that many people though? I don’t think either of those two movie (_Magnolia_ and _Eyes Wide Shut_) had major cultural impact at the time. They were art house films that got a lot of love from the critics and recognition during awards season but they weren’t popular favorites. _Magnolia_ was only seen by people inclined to check out quirky art house films + people who make a point of seeing the major award nominees after the nominations have been announced. _Eyes Wide Shut_ got a bit more of an audience because of the huge stars in the lead roles, but people who tended to favor “popcorn movies” felt like they were duped into seeing this film and they _hated_ it. Both movies still hold up amongst film buffs, film historians, and critics but they never had a wide audience to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/31 "2014-11-16T15:47:22Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Talking of Winona Ryder … how about _Heathers_. Not that it wasn’t a good movie (it was) - but does anyone still remember it much? I agree with **Freudian Slit** - still culturally relevant. It just had a go at a Broadway production, I believe. **Bryan Ekers** - I agree: nice analysis. My quibbles are: - \*\*Jerry Maguire \*\* - still relevant. Show me the money. You had me at Hello. You complete me. Help me…help you. Holds up very well. - **Forrest Gump** vs. **Pulp Fiction** and **Shawshank**? No contest - Forrest has faded and Pulp Fiction and Shawshank have risen. My teenage son and his cohort accept Pulp Fiction as an essential badass classic (Die Hard, too). Shawshank, IIRC, may be shown in my kids’ schools on movie nights. Forrest Gump pandered to Boomers with Tom Hanks, special effects and a bit of narcissism. I don’t believe it is held in as high regard at this point, is it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/32 "2014-11-16T15:55:59Z")
When I think of ‘important’ films that have now been forgotten, the first one that always comes to mind is [_Wag The Dog_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wag_the_Dog) (1997). At the time, the film seemed to take a swipe at Bill Clinton. The situation seemed much more sinister during the George W. Bush years. Remember how the ‘terror alerts’ always seemed to be heightened when Bush was doing poorly in the poles? Not to mention his administration’s feebly linking Iraq to Al Qaeda. _Wag The Dog_ is satire. But the best satire has a kernel of truth. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/33 "2014-11-16T16:19:13Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > _Eyes Wide Shut_ got a bit more of an audience because of the huge stars in the lead roles, Plus (maybe even more so) it was Stanley Kubrick’s last film. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/34 "2014-11-16T16:23:09Z")
> [@campp](#): > > _Big Chill_ was a huge hit with my group. Popped in to post this. Huge splash with the slightly aging '60s crowd; I have refused to rewatch it for years because I suspect (and have been told) it doesn’t hold up. I can think of some really cringe-worthy scenes and plot turns. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/35 "2014-11-16T16:24:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > When I think of ‘important’ films that have now been forgotten, the first one that always comes to mind is [_Wag The Dog_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wag_the_Dog) (1997). Now that you mention it, what _Wag the Dog_ and _The China Syndrome_ have in common is that they had the mixed blessing of coming out at around the same time as comparable real-life events, with the result being that presidential distraction-politics became known as “wagging the dog” and nuclear mishaps (well, until Chernobyl) became know as “China syndromes” but the films themselves were largely forgotten. Similarly, one might associate the name “Silkwood” with “whistle-blower who gets murdered” but how many details from the actual movie _Silkwood_ can one recall, assuming one saw it in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/36 "2014-11-16T16:31:32Z")
> [@mack](#): > > Plus (maybe even more so) it was Stanley Kubrick’s last film. Related, how familiar a touchstone is _A.I. Artificial Intelligence_ these days? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/37 "2014-11-16T16:36:37Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Related, how familiar a touchstone is _A.I. Artificial Intelligence_ these days? I just watched the Nostalgia Critic’s review of it…though he pulls back on his snark of it toward the end, it doesn’t sound as though it’s aged all that well. I do remember people hating on the ending. Now it doesn’t seem like anyone thinks of it at all. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/38 "2014-11-16T16:37:57Z")
I vote for early-90s Kevin Costner - **The Bodyguard** with Whitney Houston, and especially **Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves** , which had massive cross-demographic appeal (even the goons at my school would brag about how many times they saw it) and had that ubiquitous Bryan Adams theme song. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/39 "2014-11-16T16:47:35Z")
Oh, OP, good call on Something About Mary. I was in about middle/high school when it came out (so among the peak audience), and though I didn’t see it, I remember it was huge. But I can’t remember the last time I really heard about it. What about I Know What You Did Last Summer? I know it’s going to be remade, and I remember the original because I was a teen when it came out (and it had huge–at the time–stars). But does anyone really remember it now? It seems a bit overshadowed by the far more clever Scream. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755/40 "2014-11-16T16:56:42Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > When I saw the thread title I thought of Splash before I even finished reading it (because I saw the word splash). > Checking out wiki, it did almost 70 million at the box office and you’d probably have trouble finding people over 20 or 25 that have seen it, heard of it or even know who Daryl Hannah is. I disagree about the declining influence of the movie _Splash_, but agree that its major contribution to popular culture has been largely forgotten to have come from the movie. If that makes sense… Check out the following chart: Popularity of the female name “Madison” by the Social Security Administration: 1879-1984: unranked 1985: 627 1986: 366 1987: 326 1988: 301 1989: 222 1990: 203 1991: 129 1992: 108 1993: 78 1994: 51 1995: 30 1996: 15 1997: 10 1998: 9 1999: 7 2000: 3 2001: 2 2002: 2 2003: 3 2004: 3 2005: 3 2006: 3 2007: 5 2008: 6 2009: 7 2010: 8 2011: 8 2012: 9 2013: 9 The name itself was a joke in the movie - Hannah’s character gave herself the name “Madison” because of “Madison Ave” in NYC. The name itself means “Son of a soldier.” So there’s a lot of girls going around who given a masculine name that itself was used as a joke in the movie _Splash_. That seems significant, though, like I said, most people don’t seem to be aware of this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-made-a-big-pop-culture-splash-but-are-now-disporportionately-forgotten/704755.md?page=3)