Monday, August 29, 2011

august MOVIE MEME, day 29: movie that improved on second viewing

Mull over this dilemma:  have you ever watched a movie and felt underwhelmed, cementing that sentiment in your psyche for many years, only to find on second viewing years later that it wasn't nearly as dismal as you had once thought?

Moonstruck (1987, dir. Norman Jewison) - One of the only dangers of becoming a young movie obsessive is treating a grade-schooler to awards-bait movies at a far too young age.  I mean, I didn't understand the hoopla over Streetcar Named Desire for many years; then again, I first watched it at about age 8, so rest assured my opinion on the enduring classic has done a 180.  Here is a recent example, though.  As a youngster obsessed with all things Oscar, I watched Moonstruck once in my quest to become more well-versed in the movies.  At the time, I thought it was a below-average flick with nothing particularly memorable in the performances or the plot.  And then going into my current Oscar project, it was on my list for the 1987 lineup.  A part of me wanted to maintain my earlier sentiment and continue it through the pitstop in the 1980s.  But on a hunch I took another look at it and found it charming, funny, and brilliantly performed, particularly by the film's Oscar-winning star.  Has your youth or your mood ever soured a movie for you, only to find out later you were horribly wrong about it?

2 comments:

TomS said...

This has happened to me a number of times.
Most embarrassing: "Citizen Kane". I fell asleep during my first viewing as a student. Now, of course, it is one of my undisputed favorites, one that I have seen and loved countless times.

More recently, I have come to really like "District 9". At first I was put off by the extreme brutality of it (I still think it could have been better with less gore), but after 2-3 viewings I appreciate its style and vision, and emotion at its core. It's not a great film, but one I like better after seeing it again.

Brandon W. said...

Jack: "But you won the Oscar for Moonstruck."

Cher: "And don't you forget it."