# Your favorite movie in which nothing happens **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379 "2014-02-27T03:00:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/61 "2014-02-28T20:49:40Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > [Waiting for Godot (2001)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276613/). Not to be confused with [Waiting for Godot (2008)](http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1957298713/) which was really boring. I’ve played Godot in a number of local amateur productions. It’s not a very demanding role. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/62 "2014-02-28T22:17:19Z")
> [@Roundabout](#): > > Friday. > > They get high. I’m not kidding when I say this movie freaked me out. The whole movie they have their impending death hanging over them. I felt vaguely sick throughout the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/63 "2014-02-28T23:19:21Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Tell that to the defendant. Fonda got him acquitted. The (almost certainly guilty) defendant. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/64 "2014-02-28T23:36:04Z")
I’ll be the oddball who liked _Lost in Translation_ ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/65 "2014-03-01T00:11:39Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > I’ll be the oddball who liked _Lost in Translation_ I liked _Lost in Translation_. Lots of people did. It made $120 million on a $4 million budget and is rated at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/66 "2014-03-01T00:18:54Z")
[Diner](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083833/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) Great film, that launched some big careers, but not much happens in it. I still watch it pretty regularly. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/67 "2014-03-01T00:51:27Z")
I also liked _Lost in Translation_, and seeing SJ’s butt had nothing to do with it. Mostly. > [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > The (almost certainly guilty) defendant. But beyond a reasonable doubt? Twelve dudes, after much gnashing of teeth, said otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/68 "2014-03-01T01:06:18Z")
I can think of three small black and white movies with 50’s actors which just cry out to be described as “favorite movies where nothing happens”, all written by Paddy Chayefsky. A Catered Affair, with late-career Bette Davis, Ernest Borgnine, and Debbie Reynolds. Daughter getting married, Bette wants her to have a real wedding, Ernest B. wants to use the money to buy his own cab. Marty, also Ernest Borgnine, homely guy wants to find a girlfriend. Middle of the Night, Kim Novak and Martin Balsam, garment center romance. More like extended TV dramas, lower-middle class problems and lots of talking. They are interesting as period pieces, if nothing else, and examples of fine acting styles for the time. I don’t know if I’d consider them favorites, but I like to take a look whenever I’m flipping channels and see that they are on. My favorite is Middle of the Night, Kim Novak is a divorcee romanced by her elderly boss. Much talking, their families object, there is some squabbling and angst, before everyone settles down and she marries her old man. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/69 "2014-03-01T11:09:44Z")
_Picnic at Hanging Rock_. My favorite of this type. No action, relatively little dialogue, but exquisitely atmospheric. It tells a story on atmosphere alone. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379/70 "2014-03-01T17:27:04Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > _Picnic at Hanging Rock_. My favorite of this type. No action, relatively little dialogue, but exquisitely atmospheric. It tells a story on atmosphere alone. My all-time favorite movie! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-movie-in-which-nothing-happens/682379.md?page=3)