# What is your idea of the perfect movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705 "2016-03-12T01:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/41 "2016-03-18T19:32:50Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > I’ll add \*Fargo \*to the list. Nothing out of place, even the Mike Yanagita scene is perfect and serves its purpose. What purpose is that? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/42 "2016-03-18T19:58:49Z")
> [@Willcross](#): > > Saving Private Ryan may be the perfect war movie? > [@Gatopescado](#): > > Gotta disagree with you there. Hated that cliché-fest. > > I suggest _The Great Escape_. All-star cast, great “based on a true” story, good guys, Nazis, airplanes, trains and motorcycle chases! Only thing it’s missing is boobies. > > Dedicated to The Fifty, Baby! _Bridge on the River Kwai_ would be my choice for the perfect war movie. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/43 "2016-03-18T20:16:04Z")
For the perfect cheesy assed one liner pun fest of a low brow comedy movie…Airplane is hard to beat. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/44 "2016-03-18T20:46:39Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > What purpose is that? Not my theory, but once Marge Gunderson found out Mike had been lying, that made her realize that Jerry Lundergaard might also have been lying about the Tan Sierra. So she went back to interview him again. This made him bolt and led to the case being solved. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/45 "2016-03-18T23:12:09Z")
I don’t think I’d enjoy a perfect movie. All my favorite things have flaws. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/46 "2016-03-19T00:16:38Z")
Another Bill Murray classic, The Man who Knew too Little. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/47 "2016-03-19T00:34:19Z")
Depending on your definition of perfect, Millers Crossing is damn near perfect. I defy you to find one single line in that movie that does not drive the action forward. Good acting, good directing, fantastic script, superb cinematography! Really, perfect. Another script I’d label perfect: Hombre. But there are many great, near perfect movies listed here. This one however: > [@billfish678](#): > > Throw this out as well. > > 2001 A Space Odysessy. … confuses me. I do not mean to be a jerk or thread shit but can someone please explain why this is considered good, much less perfect? Boring, rambling, pretentious. If you love it, fine. I probably love a lot of films that most here would hate but I wouldn’t call them perfect. Care to elaborate on what makes it perfect? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/48 "2016-03-19T01:10:44Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > . > > But there are many great, near perfect movies listed here. This one however: > … confuses me. I do not mean to be a jerk or thread shit but can someone please explain why this is considered good, much less perfect? > Boring, rambling, pretentious. If you love it, fine. I probably love a lot of films that most here would hate but I wouldn’t call them perfect. > > Care to elaborate on what makes it perfect? You are confusing perfect for GOOD. 2001 is IMO exactly what it is trying to be. Slow, methodical, precise blah blah blah. Now, I suppose one could say “okay, that ending…WTF? was up with THAT”…but again, for the most part the rest of movie nearly perfect for what it was. And on that note, I suspect plenty of other wise near perfect movies kinda fall short ending wise. A perfect comedy from a different era? It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/49 "2016-03-19T02:22:31Z")
Probably “Snakes on a Plane” because it deals **perfectly** with, yes, snakes on a plane. It really nails down the subject. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/50 "2016-05-10T19:41:50Z")
I thought _Hot Fuzz_ was about as close to perfect as a movie gets, and rewatched it to make sure – but I was wrong; it turns out the film could have been slightly better. It turns out to be slightly better if you’ve seen _Broadchurch_. ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/51 "2016-05-10T19:44:18Z")
**The Godfather** , except for Sonny’s phantom punch. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/52 "2016-05-11T14:14:20Z")
What about The Blues Brothers? They threw everything at the wall, and it all worked. And the best music ever. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/53 "2016-05-11T14:46:37Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > Probably “Snakes on a Plane” because it deals **perfectly** with, yes, snakes on a plane. It really nails down the subject. Similarly, “Sharknado”. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/54 "2016-05-12T01:16:50Z")
I thought “As Good as it Gets” was wonderful, and so well done. I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/55 "2016-05-12T13:25:50Z")
\*\*Tootsie \*\*is the first response I thought of. Nothing that could be added or taken away would improve it. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/56 "2016-05-13T07:16:27Z")
A nominee from left field, but I think for me “Battle: LA” comes close. The combat scenes are perfectly chaotic, the moments of melodrama are pure cheese, but by the end you are right where the movie planned to put you emotionally the whole time. Not high art, by any means, yet I can watch it repeatedly. I am prepared to be mocked. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/57 "2016-05-13T09:18:10Z")
A film that doesn’t leave me thinking “boy, if I’d been in charge, I’d have done , [y], and/or [z] differently.” ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/58 "2016-05-13T17:35:30Z")
> [@Periwinkle](#): > > I thought “As Good as it Gets” was wonderful, and so well done. I loved it. I thought it was a great movie. But the ending isn’t the ending. Because despite all Jack Nicholson’s growth, there’s no way he can actually be Helen Hunt’s boyfriend. This relationship can’t work. And the end, where it seems like it can work, is not the end. The movie needs to end with him growing a bit, and with her leaving him, and him being OK with that. Great movie, but not perfect, because it doesn’t show the real ending. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/59 "2016-05-13T17:39:05Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > I thought it was a great movie. > > But the ending isn’t the ending. Because despite all Jack Nicholson’s growth, there’s no way he can actually be Helen Hunt’s boyfriend. This relationship can’t work. Well, that’s as good as it gets. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705/60 "2016-05-13T21:10:34Z")
The perfect movie? I have seven of them. El ángel exterminador Simón del desierto Belle de jour La voie lactée Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie Le fantôme de la liberté Cet obscur objet du désir What makes them absolutely perfect films? Just two words. Luis Buñuel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-idea-of-the-perfect-movie/748705.md?page=4)