Posted on 12/25/2013 4:53:59 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
Let us now praise average men.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty confronts that age-old question—does a movie get its drama through its plot or its characters? Its answer is to shrug indifferently, try to do both, and do neither.
It's the complete opposite of Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken": two potential movies diverged from a famous short story. Ben Stiller took the one most travelled by. Then he changed his mind and tried to go back and take the other one, but by then it was too late...
Walter's situation changes, but does his character develop? The original short story by James Thurber is about a hen-pecked husband who retreats to a fantasy world as a defense against his own feelings of inadequacy. We've already had two films this season—Inside Llewyn Davis and Enough Said—in which women are brutally verbally abusive in their speech to and about men, so I was glad enough to see that plot point go by the boards.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianitytoday.com ...
Mitty had potential, but this reviewer thinks the storytelling is a bit too jumbled.....
I was kind of ambivalent about this movie based on the trailers. I’ll probably not see it if it is a two-life fantasy piece.
Honestly, there are so many ‘stars’ who at some point in their careers who’ve become famous for, say comedy or other aspect, venture off into roles and stories they feel have to validate themselves as a ‘serious actor’.
There are several luminaries (Sandler, Stiller, Carrey, Williams, Dreyfus, et al) who fit this description, and they have made some of the most god-awful pigs one can imagine. Additionally most of them inevitably turn out to be pure liberal leftists.
Kind of like "Something about Mary", where he went on a date with jizz on his ear, and the girl wiped it off and rubbed it in her hair? Have never like him since that. Who would do that just because it was in the script but a total POS who wanted money more than decency or dignity?
ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa
I understand.
I think Stiller, by and large, is a bit different from the others you mentioned. Granted he is likely a pretty leftist Hollywood type....but he is talented in front and behind the camera....Even though I probably do not agree with him politically, he has been relatively funny and apolitical.
His films can have some excellent social commentary, even if they do so in a crass fashion....I’m thinking of his pointed mockery of the modern notion of beauty; or his “Cable Guy” where the protagonist is someone whose social skills are retarded because his “babysitter” when he was was a child was television.
Good point....but see my comments above.
Regarding post 5: the mockery of beauty was a reference to his film “Zoolander”....
And “Dodgeball” was pretty good...about teamwork, never giving up, etc.
IN retrospect, I think my classing him with the others as to on-record films might be a little harsh. There are certainly a lot of good ones he’s made for sure - a couple or three were real sinkers. I think that’s the influence of his parents, myself, and being somewhat rigorous to making many films that aren’t political trash.
That said, I pretty much stand by the others. These guys are the worst offenders in my book.
Read the book back in the 50s, don’t remember much about it except I liked the book.
I avoid remakes. They almost never live up to the first run (they are one or two exceptions).
And sorry Ben Affleck in the starring role does nothing for me. Give me Danny Kaye any day of the week. The man was pure genius
I would love to find DVDs of the old WKRP in Cincinnati. It's the same basic theme, but funny.
“The Secret Life of Wlater Mitty” starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, will be broadcast on TCM, Thursday night, at 8pm EST.
as was written .... ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa!
I’ve got my ‘dvr/tevo/vcr thingie’ set to record it, how’s about you?
Sean Penn is in it.
I’ll pass.
GOOD shows about the sad state of TV news date back to the ‘60’s and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Family is going to Scorses’s Wolf tomorrow night. Will let you know it if is worth it. Six of us (all adults) are going. Brother and Sister in law, Sister and Brother in law, and my wife and I will be attending tomorrow evening (December 26). I really like Ben Stiller (and my brother went to school with his wife Christine and I did know her being two years older). However, the movie looks BORING!!! I just think that the Wolf of Wall Street will be much more exciting and why we decided on that. The other possibility mentioned was Saving Mr. Banks…the ladies were somewhat interested but the men said, “heck no”. lol.
Lighten up Francis. That movie was hilarious the first time I saw it….saw it again a few times and the humor fades as it ages, but that first time was incredibly off the wall funny.
OK peeps, I just got back from watching “Mitty”. My daughter had bought advanced tickets for my wife and I so we were committed. Some of the Iceland and Greenland shots were fantastic. Some of the music was cool. Other than that, it sucked, to put it delicately. The dialog made me want to look around and ask someone to shoot me. Just insane. Acting was mediocre at best. You could tell Stiller, Penn, and the female lead were just there for the paycheck. You’d have to check your brain at the door in order to think the plot was believable. Everyone in my group felt the same way. Save your money.
Wolf is apparently quite sordid. It was originally rated NC-17, and one person who saw the film at a special screening confronted DiCaprio and Scorsesee (sp?) screaming at them saying they should be ashamed and the movie was disgusting. You’ve been warned.
Just saw it last night.
Cool effects and the scenery was amazing. Loved Stiller in the downhill skateboard scene.
Seemed like a movie about a lot of nothing, but it was pleasant to watch.
Good thing you weren’t texting. Some crazy old guy might have shot you! We live in a world gone mad.
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