The Great Debaters

[utvolpj]

I could've written and directed that movie. Not to knock it too much I'm just saying it wasn't THAT good.

I always laugh when I see comments like this. Very similar to the "I could've made that pass" or "I could've hit that shot" during UT game threads.

If you can then go do it and make a truckload of money.

 

[RockyTop572]

I always laugh when I see comments like this. Very similar to the "I could've made that pass" or "I could've hit that shot" during UT game threads.

If you can then go do it and make a truckload of money.

I mean I'm working on it haha. But I'm actually not one of "those guys" that you described although my statement probably made me sound like one. And also I admitted it was an exaggeration I'm just saying it's not some story that hasn't been told many times already just with different variables.

 

[RockyTop572]

I'm sorry, but some of you nerdy screenwriters or whatever tend to over analyze a movie to get what you want out of it. I feel if you watch a movie for entertainment you are a lot more happier with the outcomes. Entertainment is not meant to be broken down piece by piece, it's just meant to be enjoyed.

I generally judge movies in two ways and then combine the two "scores" so to speak into one statement about the movie. I usually try to judge it based on purely entertainment as you suggest, and I also like to view movies somewhat as "art" (for a lack of a better word).

If you want to view it purely as entertainment that's fine but you seem to falsely be assuming that a lot of writers/directors are just trying to create entertainment. Hollywood literally has two separate branches so to speak: one of mindless entertainment movies with a big name or two, and one of well written movies that attempt to make people think or take on film as an art form from a different perspective. A lot of these scripts are not written just to entertain people. Writers often use movies to get a message out there.

That said The Great Debaters is not one of the mindless movies that I mentioned, but it also isn't any artistic or philosophical gem. Thus my criticism saying that there is nothing necessarily wrong with the movie, it's just nothing I'd go rave about and deem a "must see".

Does that make sense? I'm not trying to put down your ideas, just explain where I'm coming from.