The day of the 82nd annual Oscar ceremonies seems an oddly appropriate time to remember how unimportant film critics can be in certain situations.
Consider “P.S. I Love You,” a film WWTW simply found unbearable. Hilary Swank stars as a young woman who loses her husband (Gerard Butler) to cancer, but before he dies he writes a series of letters to her meant to help alleviate her grieving.
WWTW commentor Liz had a profoundly different reaction to the movie than I did.
Having lost a loved one at 29 and turning 30 without him played out “true” to the emotions on the screen. She hauntingly portrayed those raw grieving emotions. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to rip off your funeral dress in anger. To dial phone numbers so I could hear his voice again. To wake up feeling as if he is in the room – it’s eerie.
To Liz, the film’s flaws melted away as the story touched her own life in a deeply personal fashion.
The same emotional response kicked in after Ma and Pa WWTW added “Everybody’s Fine” to their Netflix queue.
Yes, I help maintain said queue – free of charge!
Film critics savaged “Fine,” the 2009 film following Robert De Niro as a befuddled father of four trying to reunite with his family.
My folks were moved by its story, and then some. They cried, for starters, and Ma WWTW emailed me right after seeing it to share how much she enjoyed it:
“It showed sorrow, aging, separating, lonely and illness. I think dad and I related to how I always spoke with you guys but he was in the background working and the kids loved him and tried to spare him but he took it differently.”
It helps to have grown children living in faraway cities, something this father of a one-year-old just can’t appreciate – yet.
Film critics aren’t supposed to let emotions overrun their reviews. But I confess my thoughts on “Marley & Me” could have been influenced by my personal stake in the story.
“Marley & Me” is based on the true story of the Grogans, a family which adopts one of the worst dogs … ever. But they grow to adore Marley all the same, which makes the film’s final sequences so compelling. Marley’s age forces the family to consider putting him down to prevent considerable suffering.
When I saw “Marley” my wife and I faced a similar issue with our dog, Haley. She came to us via a rescue organization, and despite our best efforts we couldn’t conquer her aggressive impulses.
WWTW doesn’t cry at the movies. Ever.
But I had to squirm and thrash in my seat while watching “Marley & Me” to hold back the tears.
So consider these examples when watching the Oscar telecast tonight. You’ll see terrific movies being honored for all the right reasons. But even unsuccessful films can still touch our hearts.
(Photo: Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank star in “P.S. I Love You,” a film which struck a nerve in one WWTW reader)
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Obviously, it depends upon what your definition of “is” is, Governor Clinton.
Even inarguable b.o. failures like “Gigli” still have their fans. You touch upon the broader point of the difficulty of reviewing film – you may appreciate the technical professionalism – “Avatar” – and criticize the story – “Avatar” – and still the film succeeds – “Avatar”.
The stories DO resonate with some segment of the audience, far more often than not, and that segment, as Ma and Pa WWTW can attest, will review these films with a favorable passion. We are taught that the best stories speak to a truth for all of us, but I add that even stories that many of us dismiss speak to a truth that others recognize and understand – and this ultimately is a credit to the filmmaker, even when the film does not perform well.
D.