# One sentence summaries that miss the point. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2003, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774 "2003-03-16T09:15:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/101 "2003-03-19T03:47:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scuba\_Ben \* > \*\*_Savoyard special!_ > \*\* I like your style. 😉 More Shakespeare – _The Merry Wives of Windsor_: Down-on-his-luck aristocrat attempts to score with suburbanites. _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_: Teenagers swap girlfriends under the influence of mind-altering substances. _Titus Andronicus_: Influential Roman cooks a meal for the mother of his daughter’s rapists. _The Taming of the Shrew_: A man and his wife work out the difficulties in their marriage. _The Winter’s Tale_: A man reunites with his estranged wife after a lengthy separation. _Coriolanus_: General turns to politics to make his mother happy. _Henry IV_ (both parts): A young man comes to terms with inheriting the family business, stops running with the wrong crowd, and makes things up with his father. This is too much fun… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/102 "2003-03-19T04:54:43Z")
_Oh My Goddess_ - Young racing enthusiast has a new teammate – and its a girl! _Aliens_ - Tough marines’ hearts are warmed by the antics of Hadley’s Hope’s littlest citizen. _The Wall_ - Man has trouble coping with success of being a rock star. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/103 "2003-03-19T05:24:08Z")
_Lulu on the Bridge_: Jazzman finds a neat rock _Dead Poets Society_: Boys find an old yearbook, form a club _Labyrinth_: A little brother makes a babysitting experience unpleasant _Little Boy Blue_: Young man dreams of leaving home to play professional baseball, but worries about kid brothers ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/104 "2003-03-19T05:45:43Z")
“Trainspotting”: A man’s business venture with his friends turns out to be quite profitable for him. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/105 "2003-03-19T11:05:06Z")
**Julius Ceaser** - Roman man must deal with backstabbing friend. **Happy Gilmore** - A young man plays golf, meets Bob Barker. **Enter the Draon** - Bruce Lee participates in a Martial Arts Tournament. **The Fast and the Furious** - NOS may not be the best power adder for your car. **Starship Troopers** - A young recruit learns the value of teamwork. ---
**Author:** ![Duncan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@Duncan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duncan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/106 "2003-03-19T11:45:07Z")
**American Beauty:** A man learns to cope with losing his job. **Bladerunner:** A law officer gradually turns bad, and eventually runs off with one of the criminals he’s pursuing. **Mulhollland Drive:** Two ladies try to solve a mystery, and fall in love; but problems with the relationship manifest themselves. **Dracula** : Eastern European gentleman moves to England, and falls in love with young English lady; but her friends and family disapprove of the relationship, and attempt to shatter it. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/107 "2003-03-19T11:55:42Z")
I love the Lolita one. Truely a point most thoroughly missed. WarGames - Liberal activists convince a conservative computer that war is not the answer. The Quest for the Holy Grail - Medeival recreationists run afoul of the police in the English countryside. The Life of Brian - A study of life in Jerusalem during the life of Jesus. The Princess Bride - A man uses a tale of medieval romance to teach his Grandson to appreciate the joy of a good kiss. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/108 "2003-03-19T14:17:09Z")
_The Pianist_. Given lots of time to practice, performer keeps skills sharp. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/109 "2003-03-19T14:27:06Z")
**Caligula** : Young man is unclear on how to rule Empire. **Damien: The Omen II** : Boy finds out information on his family tree. **The Edge** : Two men argue while touring Alaska on foot. **Ghost World** : A young woman checks out her options after high school. **Hannibal** : A famous psychiatrist shows off his culinary skills to FBI agent. **Red Dragon** : A strange man makes some home movies. **O Lucky Man** : A young man travels Great Britain selling coffee. **Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory** : Some kids go to a chocolate factory. ---
**Author:** ![Pixelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@Pixelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixelle)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/110 "2003-03-19T14:48:19Z")
Taxi Driver…an unhappy New Yorker meets interesting characters while working nights. ---
**Author:** ![Duncan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@Duncan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duncan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/111 "2003-03-19T15:24:18Z")
**The Producers:** A producer in dire financial straits attempts to produce a somewhat controversial musical. **Nightbreed:** A man plagued by mental illness finds a new lease of life when he joins a non-mainstream religious organisation. **Stop, or My Mom Will Shoot:** Stallone stars in his funniest movie to date. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/112 "2003-03-19T18:20:57Z")
**Jumanji** - Two sets of children play a complicated board game. **My Big Fat Greek Wedding** - A Greek woman plans her wedding. **Coyote Ugly** - An aspiring singer gets a job in a bar. **Good Will Hunting** - A young janitor hones his math skills. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/113 "2003-03-19T21:30:10Z")
_Tamburlaine_: A shepherd rises above his humble origins. _Doctor Faustus_: A professor ruins his career by taking up with a new research assistant. _The Canterbury Tales_: A diverse group of people goes on a road trip. _Bartholomew Fair_: People get drunk at a carnival and engage in random hookups. _The Vision of Piers Plowman_: A man zonks out in a field. ---
**Author:** ![Homer\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Homer\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer_J)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/114 "2003-03-19T21:35:05Z")
Goodfellas: Man wishes to become a gangster, does so. Then things go pear shaped. Fellowship of the Ring : Ring discovered and taken towards Mt Doom The Two Towers: Ring remains on course, other have adventures. Return of the King: Who knows? Fight Club: Two men attempt to kill each other, or do they? 24: 1 - Man has tough day at work (due to deadlines) 24: 2 - Man has another tough day, also work related Star Wars episode 1 - Rastafarianesque creature and ‘cute’ boy help save relatively unimportant planet. Star Wars episode 2 - Two Hours of the most unrealistic romance in film history and then 20 minutes of excitiment. Jackass: Harry Potter 1 - Boy finds out strange things happen to him during early years of being a teenager, and then goes to a school. Harry Potter 2 - Being a regular of the school, Boy and friends shrek work responsibilty, undertake daring mission, succeed (hence three more books) ---
**Author:** ![rmbnxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9e5f3/32.png) [@rmbnxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rmbnxs)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/115 "2003-03-20T00:03:12Z")
_2001: A Space Odyssey_ A monkey throws a bone to a space-baby. _I Shot Andy Warhol_ A young woman shoots Andy Warhol. _Wizard of Oz_ A young woman discovers there’s no place like home. _Mommie Dearest_ A young woman discovers there’s no place like home. _Citizen Kane_ A young man discovers there’s no place like home. _The Shining_ All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. _The Gods Must Be Crazy_ A young man recycles a Coke bottle. _Planet of the Apes_ An astronaut returns from a mission to find that things have changed. _Hamlet_ A young man, saddened by the death of his father, spends most of his time doing nothing. _As I Lay Dying_ A man visits his wife’s family on his way to the dentist. _Ulysses_ A day in the life of a young Dubliner. _The Bible_ Hilarity ensues when a young couple decides to raise a family. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/116 "2003-03-20T00:21:02Z")
_Willow_: A small man must return a lost infant. _The Neverending Story_: A boy reads a book. _The Princess Bride_: A prince plans to marry a commoner. _The Dark Crystal_: A shiny stone breaks. _Labyrinth_: David Bowie dances with Muppets. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/117 "2003-03-20T14:36:57Z")
This is a genuine paraphrasing of what a friend said after he saw it for the first time: **Taxi Driver** Man saves young girl from life of prostitution and becomes a hero ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/118 "2003-03-20T14:54:55Z")
**Breakfast at Tiffany’s** Boy meets girl meets Cat! **Jules et Jim** _or_ **Last Tango in Paris** Paris love triangle **Heart of Darkness** British man gets job in Belgian Congo **Jane Eyre** You never know what’s hiding in the attic! ---
**Author:** ![Isaac\_Cashman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a9a28c/32.png) [@Isaac\_Cashman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isaac_Cashman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/119 "2003-03-20T23:32:37Z")
British Couple adopts war orphan. " N Or M " by Agatha Christie. Or for the membership of the loyal order of nitpickers. World War II causes children to mature with amazing rapidity. ---
**Author:** ![Isaac\_Cashman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a9a28c/32.png) [@Isaac\_Cashman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isaac_Cashman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/120 "2003-03-20T23:41:08Z")
“Reflex” by Dick Francis: Aging steeplechase jockey decides on career after he hangs up his tack. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774.md?page=7)