# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![teleute12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@teleute12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teleute12)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/121 "2003-03-21T00:15:19Z")
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (the movie) - Young girl with an odd name defeats a violin-playing creep, finds love. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (the TV show) - Young girl protects her town, saves the world. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/122 "2003-03-21T03:31:05Z")
Continuing to slog through my Renaissance drama library… _The Duchess of Malfi_: A man has issues with his sister’s husband. _The Shoemaker’s Holiday_: Businessman benefits from the deaths of many. _Edward III_: After being rejected by the woman he loves, the king dons women’s undergarments and takes it out on the French. (Okay, I don’t remember if the Garter story is dramatized in the play, but it was too much fun to pass up.) ---
**Author:** ![Holodeck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Holodeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Holodeck)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/123 "2003-03-21T06:09:21Z")
The Riverworld 10 book saga: Richard Burton (Not the actor) dies, and is reborn over and over on his quest to find the secret of riverworld, after years of struggle he succeeds, only to be written out of the TV adaptadion, replaced by a handsome astronaut. ---
**Author:** ![DeepPurple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@DeepPurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepPurple)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/124 "2003-03-21T06:14:32Z")
Phantasm- a group of teens break into a local funeral home & encounter dwarves and a man who has a flying ball. ---
**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 22, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/125 "2003-03-22T13:45:18Z")
_Things Fall Apart_: A man and his family leave town for awhile. _Silas Marner_: A man adopts a girl. _Native Son_: Bigger Thomas tends a furnace. _Dragonflight_: Lessa is in the right place at the right time. _Dragonquest_: F’nor is in the right place at the right time. _The White Dragon_: Jaxom is in the right place at the right time. _Ender’s Game_: A boy goes away to school. _Harry Potter & the Sorceror’s/Philosopher’s Stone_: A boy goes away to school. _The Odyssey_: Men take a long trip. _Jason and the Argonauts_: Men take a long trip. _The Aeneid_: Men take a long trip. _Macbeth_: Bad things happen. _Titus Andronicus_: Bad things happen. _Othello_: Bad things happen. _Romeo & Juliet_: Bad things happen. _Coriolanus_: Bad things happen. _Oedipus Rex_: Bad things happen. _Oedipus at Colonus_: Bad things happen. _Antigone_: Bad things happen. _Medea:_: Bad things happen. ---
**Author:** ![Leifsmama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a698b9/32.png) [@Leifsmama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leifsmama)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/126 "2003-03-22T16:21:10Z")
**Young Frankenstein** A young doctor comes to grips with his heritage. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/127 "2003-03-22T17:54:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Nemo \* > \*\* > > Toy Story: Two men from different backgrounds become rivals for the love of a younger man. > > \*\* 😃 Brilliant! I love it! (slash lover) ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/128 "2003-03-22T18:38:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rmbnxs \* > \*\* > _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. > > \*\* _Lost In Space_ A space-travelling family discovers there’s no place like home. ---
**Author:** ![RangerDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9e8a1a/32.png) [@RangerDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RangerDude)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/129 "2003-03-22T18:51:37Z")
- Bean \* An employee of a London art museum oversees the moving of “Whistler’s Mother” to a Los Angeles gallery. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/130 "2003-03-22T19:09:01Z")
_The Princess Bride:_ A swordsman seeks to avenge his father’s murder. ---
**Author:** ![RangerDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9e8a1a/32.png) [@RangerDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RangerDude)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/131 "2003-03-22T19:17:42Z")
_A Fish Called Wanda_ A married London barrister has a love affair with a beautiful sexy American woman. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/132 "2003-03-22T20:12:42Z")
_Weird Science_ Two teenaged boys find a new and exciting way to have fun with their computer. ---
**Author:** ![RangerDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9e8a1a/32.png) [@RangerDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RangerDude)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/133 "2003-03-22T21:54:25Z")
_Blazing Saddles_ A small town in the Old West gets a new sheriff. ---
**Author:** ![RangerDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9e8a1a/32.png) [@RangerDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RangerDude)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/134 "2003-03-22T22:01:11Z")
_Speed_ Worst-case scenario of using the public transit system. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/135 "2003-03-22T22:19:05Z")
_Scooby-Doo_ Some teenagers and a large dog visit an island resort. ---
**Author:** ![RangerDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9e8a1a/32.png) [@RangerDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RangerDude)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/136 "2003-03-22T22:25:45Z")
_Pacific Heights_ A man rents an apartment in San Francisco. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/137 "2003-03-22T22:52:03Z")
_Some like it Hot_ two musicians join a band and go on tour ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/138 "2003-03-23T00:04:07Z")
**Se7en** - Typical buddy cop drama, centering around envy, sloth, pride, anger, lust, greed and gluttony. **Legends of the Fall** - Family drama that takes place in Montana. Nice cinematography. **Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon** - Martial arts flick. ---
**Author:** ![FairyDust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@FairyDust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyDust)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/139 "2003-03-23T02:56:55Z")
_Fargo_ A plan to raise money goes awry. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774/140 "2003-03-23T03:26:56Z")
Two real ones from the television listings: _Memento_ - Barmaid and friend help man search for his wife’s killer. _Moulin Rouge!_ - Courtesan falls in love with young writer, but continues to string along a duke for his money. I could hardly do better than that, but I’ll try: _Memento_ - After wife’s death, man gets unusual tattoos. _Moulin Rouge!_ - Toulouse-Lautrec and friends put on a show at the famous nightclub. And a few more: _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ - Retired science teacher unexpectedly encounters former students while investigating his nephew’s disappearance. _Victor/Victoria_ - Struggling soprano finds love with a gangster in 1930s Paris. _Donnie Darko_ - Troubled teen saves the universe with the help of a giant time-travelling rabbit. (I think this movie may be impossible to summarize without missing the point.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-sentence-summaries-that-miss-the-point/161774.md?page=8)