# What's your most overrated movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272 "2003-12-01T15:42:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/41 "2003-12-01T22:36:48Z")
**Pablito** , not that _Se7en_ was the most thoughtful movie ever, but I did have fun thinking about how well-staged the climactic scene was: Kevin Spacey has killed 5 of the 7 deadly sins, and he needs two more: envy and rage (or whatever rage’s real name is). He comes up with an elegant way to do this: by becoming envy, he forces Brad Pitt to become rage. What he really seems to envy is, in fact, Pitt’s placement as rage: that’s who he wants to be, the self-righteous killer, but he never exactly achieves it, and so he’s slotted into a different sin. And in doing so, he manages to kill two sins with one bullet, without firing the gun himself. The director has a sick mind, but his movies are often wonderfully convoluted; this was no exception. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/42 "2003-12-01T22:47:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RikWriter \* > \*\*My top five overrated movies: > Apocalypse Now > The Thin Red Line > Shakespeare in Love > Gone with the Wind > Bull Durham \*\* Move Bull Durham to top of the list, delete Shakespeare in Love (I even liked Affleck in this) and this list will do me. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/43 "2003-12-01T22:51:59Z")
Gone With the Wind for me. This is supposedly a classic, but all I saw was four hours of a manipulative, stuck-up bitch put herself and her obsession with social class above anything else in the world in importance. Quite frankly, I also didn’t care for Citizen Kane, which most film critics consider the best film of all time. I can appreciate the plot and the characters, but the actual film put me to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/44 "2003-12-01T22:52:03Z")
**E.T.** Although I admit I may have spent more time rolling my eyes at the cloying sugariness than actually watching the screen. Perhaps I missed what made it so great. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/45 "2003-12-01T22:56:53Z")
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, rambling plot, ambiguous characters, ridiculous stunts…I turned it off after 25 minutes because I just never could understand why these people were running up the sides of buildings and sprinting across tree tops. And who the hell were they? I couldn’t figure out who was who. Somebody was mad because somebody else killed somebody and took something and hey, get me a beer will you. And come on, you can’t say Blair Witch was an overated movie. Was it really a movie? I thought it was just some kids with a crappy camera killing time. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/46 "2003-12-01T23:00:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Moulin Rouge… I can’t believe I’m saying this but someone should remake it in a decaffeinated version. [Have I got a movie for you.](http://imdb.com/title/tt0182295/) The top of my list: **Good Will Hunting**. Utterly pointless story, vapic characters mouthing trite vulgarity-ridden dialogue, bad math. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/47 "2003-12-01T23:18:39Z")
_Shrek_ Hey, let’s trash Disney while serving up a plate of glurge far more saccharine than anything ole Walt ever dreamed of! Mean and sappy is not a good combination … . Plus, it’s ugly as hell to look at. The main characters look like they’ve been shanghaied from totally different movies. There is no unity of visual style … except for “generally lame”. Why people swoon over this train wreck is utterly beyond me … A bad, bad movie … . ---
**Author:** ![Lando\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f17d59/32.png) [@Lando\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lando_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/48 "2003-12-02T01:51:35Z")
As a straight teenage male, I find it hard to admit that I even saw _My Big Fat Greek Wedding_. (I can explain! My parents went to see it. My brother and I were to see another movie, but since it was sold out, I had no choice) What a shitty movie! About halfway through I was praying for the sweet embrace of death, but to no avail. Almost a year later, and I am still recovering from the trauma. ---
**Author:** ![Lando\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f17d59/32.png) [@Lando\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lando_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/49 "2003-12-02T01:51:36Z")
As a straight teenage male, I find it hard to admit that I even saw _My Big Fat Greek Wedding_. (I can explain! My parents went to see it. My brother and I were to see another movie, but since it was sold out, I had no choice) What a shitty movie! About halfway through I was praying for the sweet embrace of death, but to no avail. Almost a year later, and I am still recovering from the trauma. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/50 "2003-12-02T01:58:30Z")
I would have to vote for “The Shawshank Redemption.” I really don’t see why the movie is so beloved. It’s okay, but cliched, looks kind of cheap at times, and there’s a lot of missteps. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/51 "2003-12-02T02:30:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Michael Ellis \* > \*\*I mean, would you trust a multi-million dollar budget to someone with the name “Baz”? \*\* [I](http://imdb.com/title/tt0203009/business) [sure](http://imdb.com/title/tt0117509/business) [would](http://imdb.com/title/tt0105488/business). I _love_ Moulin Rouge. He took a helluva risk, and it paid off. I’ll second _Greek Wedding_. It wasn’t horrible, but way over-hyped. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/52 "2003-12-02T02:33:46Z")
_Philadelphia_. ---
**Author:** ![PharmBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/53 "2003-12-02T02:38:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bucky \* > \*\* > “Pulp fiction” is one of the most over-hyped pieces of flabby dreck it has ever been my misfortune to see. On the basis of this he is acclaimed a genius? \*\* I second this one. My wife and I kept looking at each other while watching this and saying “Huh?” Just amazingly stupid. Also really bad films IMO are: Fargo - I knew the ending 20 minutes into it, and I wasn’t charmed by the Midwestern accents. Matrix- Really one of the dumbest films ever made. Chariots of Fire - Remember this turkey? As an added bonus, it had some of the most annoying music ever written. Close encounters of the 3rd kind - Try to keep a straight face throughout this mess. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/54 "2003-12-02T03:19:51Z")
Star Wars Matrix Clerks Something About Mary and… Most Spielberg films (but not Saving Private Ryan or Schindler’s List… not the best films ever, but not really overrated) ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/55 "2003-12-02T03:23:52Z")
_Memento_ comes quickly to mind, more because of the raters than it’s own deficiencies. It’s good, but for some reason (kids? pseudo-film students?) are too quick to name and second it in any discussion of great movies or, inexplicably, obscure movies. I couldn’t help but think of reverse time and anything but a gimmick, and by the end I had pretty much already guessed what the twist was. I can’t be the only one. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/56 "2003-12-02T03:31:25Z")
The Deer Hunter. How in the world did this thing win, what, 7 Oscars? Including one for editing? Editing?!?!? They could’ve chopped off the entire first hour of the movie and a) you wouldn’t have missed much, and b) still be left with a 2+ hour behemoth of a movie. I don’t need to be watching somebody else’s wedding video. ---
**Author:** ![jormundgondir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@jormundgondir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jormundgondir)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/57 "2003-12-02T03:42:01Z")
Forrest Gump The Matrix Juraissic Park Forrest Gump Titanic A Beautiful Mind Dances with Wolves Did I Mention Forrest Gump? Apollo 13 Gladiator ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/58 "2003-12-02T03:48:03Z")
The Matrix, for sure. Also: the Jurassic Park sequels, the new episodes of Star Wars (although I was never a fan to begin with), Titanic, the Terminator movies, among others. I don’t understand why people hate La Vita e Belle. I loved it. I’m not saying it was the greatest movie of all time, but it was very, very good. As for American Beauty, Memento, Magnolia and the like, I wouldn’t say they were groundbreaking, but it’s nice to see some real films come out of hollywood once in a while instead of dreck like Hollow Man, The Matrix, etc. (even if they have been done before). ---
**Author:** ![Iacob\_Matthew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Iacob\_Matthew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iacob_Matthew)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/59 "2003-12-02T04:07:20Z")
Forest Gump Gladiator (Decent, but not award-worthy) 2001: A Space Oddessy Matrix (I liked it, but save the rooftop fight and The Helicopter Crash, there’s nothing spectacular) Terminator II Return of the Jedi Citizen Kane Steven King books-into-movies (They start out stupid, and end with my asking “where the heck did that come from?” Once I settle into a healthy suspension of disbelief, it just backhands me with an act of god) Apocalypse Now (Metropolis got press? I never heard anything about it except that it was a remake of a remake of a … at least five, maybe 8 iterations, back from 1926. I saw the '26 version, too, a beat-you-over-the-head-with-values-and-symbolism Christian, unavoidably luddite film that looked like a high-budget from the late 50’s. If it had color and words were spoken instead of popping up on flashcards, it could have passed for late 90’s. Beautiful, but only slightly less mindless. You can read a lot into it if you like, though.) ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272/60 "2003-12-02T07:07:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Detract from it all you want, but “Shakespeard in Love” is the single best script in the history of film and a truly great movie. It probably doesn’t appeal to fanboys who like explosions, but for people with brains, it’s amazingly good. Heh, it’s funny you say that. One of the smartest men I have ever met (and one of the leading scholars on Shakespeare) thinks it’s the worse film ever made. I won’t go into all of his reasons, but it’s fun to make him rant about it. I’m sorry to see so many mention **Gone With the Wind** , but I’m biased because it’s probably one of my favorite books of all time. The movie isn’t as good as the book, but then, what movie ever is? **The Matrix** is definitely on my list. Jesus Christ people, take a philosophy course. That shit will _really_ blow your mind. :rolleyes: All of the **Star Wars** movies. _yawn_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-most-overrated-movie/216272.md?page=4)