Movie Morals that Annoy You

[Binky]

Courtesy of Miami Vice today:

It is okay to be a high-powered drug king-pin as long as you are an attractive woman and >> you sleep with the undercover cop investigating your smuggling organization. When the huge bust goes down, he'll drive you away and help you escape to a life of luxury abroad, because it's not like you did anything bad. Also, this won't appear to have any effect of his career. <<

[Neurochick]

hamatron said:

Didn't Zane's character also smack her around and threaten her before even knowing about the affair? I'm no Dicraprio fan (typo intended), but I remember really not liking Zane's character.

I totally agree about thinking it was awful for her to let her Mom believe she was dead though.

Ug. Titanic.

True, he did slap her. I was more annoyed that Rose made her mom think she was dead. Her mom's issue was that they had a "name" but no money, Zane's character had the money but not the name. Hey, Rose could have married rich guy, poisoned him (no CSI's in those days) and then married Jack. The end.

[nuharoo]

Okay, here's my beef with movies when it comes to relationship dynamics. A pretty, nice, and smart girl comes along. The sloppy ugly, intellectual girl is a perfect saint and can do no wrong. There is a guy with the pretty girl who now realizes all the wonderful qualities of the ugly saintly girl who is now his new interest. The pretty one gets upset and it's really hilarious to watch her get angry.

As for Titanic, I think Zane was a pretty decent fiance. It's not like Jack was very 'rooted' and interested in the lifestyle Rose led, and as for money, well her mother was looking out for Rose's best interests. She wanted a secure and comfortable future for her daughter. Besides, I don't think that Jack would have made a good husband for Rose anyway.

Hey, Rose could have married rich guy, poisoned him (no CSI's in those days) and then married Jack. The end.

Now that is an idea!

Working Girl - it's so sad that you're uneducated and can't get a promotion at work. You know what? Just go ahead and impersonate your boss and steal her boyfriend...that's an appropriate way to get ahead in life. Anyway, who cares about the boss? Women who are educated, career oriented, and high achieving deserve what they get.

Ugh. I remember this movie (hearing about it, I've never seen it) with Tea Leoni and Adam Sandler. Tea is a high powered career woman who has lost her job and is a nervous wreck. So what does hubby do? Rather than support his wife he starts an affair with the good natured maid. Furthermore, with "Working Girl" the Melanie Griffith character sounds like someone with an entitlement complex.

Now as for Sweet Home Alabama, lie to your fiance about your marital status and then after he forgives you and finds out about your real family and loves them and you, run off before the wedding ceremony to be with the guy you were so eager to be rid of.

Mind you, on consideration, I think that romcoms by and large seem to be based almost entirely on people behaving appallingly.

All in the name of 'love' no less.

With Maid in Manhattan and Ever After the females are pretending to be someone on the same level as their romantic interest and are lecturing them about morality and decency and treating people well when they themselves are not doing such a thing. But again, in the end all is forgiven.

[spinsterliz]

One movie that still makes me mad even though I haven't seen it for about nine years is the Jim Carrey flick Liar Liar. Jim Carrey plays a father who constantly lies to his son Max and disappoints him by saying they'll go play baseball or whatnot and then always ends up cancelling because he has better things to do (such as sleeping with his co-worker). Meanwhile, Max's mom starts dating this new guy. The new guy is totally nice and always wanting to hang out with Max-and the movie paints him as being a big jerk who's trying to steal Jim Carrey's thunder! It is just outrageous. What is the message here? That as long as you're the biological parent, you're automatically better than a stepparent, even if you have no interest in your child whatsoever? Wow, great moral, just great.

The worst part is that at one point Carrey blurts out, "I'm a bad father!" because he has to tell the truth. And then he looks all sad and supposedly the audience is all supposed to feel bad for him. WTF? I was like, "Yes, moron, you're a bad father, so get off your ass and do something about it!" Ugh!

[SluttyMary]

How about the the mom who just leads the poor guy on agreeing to marry him, even though she doesn't love him, but because her true love "hasn't asked her". Take initiative yourself, woman! Thinking of Three Men and a Little Lady. Though the guy wasn't exactly a poor guy, but still. And it amuses me to no end when he says: "Shut up, you little shit!!" to "the little lady" because I also hate when all of the adults lives have to revolve around a little brat.

[Deleted]

That reminds me of my favorite scene in the best parent-child movie ever, Kramer vs. Kramer. Billy is acting like a brat and won't eat his dinner and gets ice cream instead. Finally Dustin Hoffman, the dad, drags the kid to his room where Billy has a screaming temper tantrum, "I want my mommy! I hate you!" To which Dustin yells, "I hate you, too, you little shit!"

[Deleted]

Ugh. I remember this movie (hearing about it, I've never seen it) with Tea Leoni and Adam Sandler. Tea is a high powered career woman who has lost her job and is a nervous wreck. So what does hubby do? Rather than support his wife he starts an affair with the good natured maid.

I didn't really like Spanglish at all (it was SO obvious that Tea Leoni was supposed to be hateful that I ended up rooting for her out of perverseness) but the situation was far more complex than what you described. Sandler did try to support his nutcase wife but she was pretty self-obsessed and also having an affair of her own. The relationship with the maid was seen as "true love" (I guess...) but it was approached with a sense of doom - they both knew that what they were doing could be hurtful to their kids.

My problem with that movie (and similar films) is that it portrayed the Sandler character as being capable of doing NO wrong. He cheats on his wife (come to think of it, I am not sure if they actually get down to the physical - but it definitely was emotional cheating) - it is cool because his wife is a bitch and the maid is so nice and pretty and good with his daughter; he devotes tons of time to his career, leaving his daughter in the care of his bitch wife but it is ok because he needs to support his family because the wife lost her job and because he is conflicted about his rising status as a chef. I could go on... Even Tea Leoni's mother sides with Sandler. Ugh.

[Deleted]

poorfrances said:

That reminds me of my favorite scene in the best parent-child movie ever, Kramer vs. Kramer. Billy is acting like a brat and won't eat his dinner and gets ice cream instead. Finally Dustin Hoffman, the dad, drags the kid to his room where Billy has a screaming temper tantrum, "I want my mommy! I hate you!" To which Dustin yells, "I hate you, too, you little shit!"

I heard somewhere that the whole ice cream scene was completely improvised. I think that's why it probably has that realistic feeling to it.

[spider]

I remember this movie (hearing about it, I've never seen it) with Tea Leoni and Adam Sandler. Tea is a high powered career woman who has lost her job and is a nervous wreck. So what does hubby do? Rather than support his wife he starts an affair with the good natured maid.

That movie was more interesting than that. Tea Leonis character was pretty sympathetic, just utterly impossible to live with. The maid wasn't all that good natured either. If Adam Sandler's character had been more realistic I think it would have been really good.

The wife having an affair was a total cop out though.

[Deleted]

poorfrances said:

That reminds me of my favorite scene in the best parent-child movie ever, Kramer vs. Kramer. Billy is acting like a brat and won't eat his dinner and gets ice cream instead. Finally Dustin Hoffman, the dad, drags the kid to his room where Billy has a screaming temper tantrum, "I want my mommy! I hate you!" To which Dustin yells, "I hate you, too, you little shit!"

Omigod people! This is why I live for CPMoG. Other K vs K lovers.

Yeah that scene is gripping. And when the kids yells "I want my mommy", the dad yells back "Well I'm all you've got!" . And it was true.

But after the argument and the kid had tried himself out and cried himself to sleep the dad comes in and finds that the kid has taken a picture of his mom and most probably hiden it under his pillow. Then the dad takes it from him and puts it on his dresser so he will know it's okay and he doesn't have to hide it.

I cry and cry all the way through that movie everytime I watch it. It's all so real. Well I do laugh when Billy walks into daddy's "date" from the last night naked in the corridor and asks her if she likes ice-cream or whatever. That was funny.

Why the hell don't they make movies like that anymore?