list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Sleepless in Seattle on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Sleepless_in_Seattle/31702/default.aspx Title: Sleepless in Seattle
Year: 1993
Director: Nora Ephron
Plot: Sleepless in Seattle, the sophomore directorial effort from Nora Ephron, is a light romantic comedy inspired by the 1957 film An Affair to Remember. Tom Hanks stars as widower and single father Sam. When Sam's son, Jonah (Ross Malinger), calls into a talk radio program looking for a new mother, Sam ends up getting on the phone and laments about his lost love. Thousands of miles away, Annie (Meg Ryan) hears the program and immediately falls in love with Sam, despite the fact that she has never met him and that she is engaged to humdrum Walter (Bill Pullman). Believing they are meant to be together, Annie sets out for Seattle to meet Sam, who, meanwhile, contends with an onslaught of letters from available women equally touched by his phone call. Rosie O'Donnell, Rita Wilson, and Rob Reiner also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 53
Number of Lists: 39
Number of blog posts: 4
Number of discussion threads: 3
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:06:22 GMTSleepless in Seattle1993Nora EphronSleepless in Seattle, the sophomore directorial effort from <a href="/players/P____89040/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Nora Ephron</a>, is a light romantic comedy inspired by the 1957 film <a href=/films/623/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>An Affair to Remember</a>. <a href="/players/P____93341/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tom Hanks</a> stars as widower and single father Sam. When Sam's son, Jonah (Ross Malinger), calls into a talk radio program looking for a new mother, Sam ends up getting on the phone and laments about his lost love. Thousands of miles away, Annie (<a href="/players/P____62388/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Meg Ryan</a>) hears the program and immediately falls in love with Sam, despite the fact that she has never met him and that she is engaged to humdrum Walter (<a href="/players/P____58045/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bill Pullman</a>). Believing they are meant to be together, Annie sets out for Seattle to meet Sam, who, meanwhile, contends with an onslaught of letters from available women equally touched by his phone call. <a href="/players/P____53416/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rosie O'Donnell</a>, <a href="/players/P____76799/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rita Wilson</a>, and <a href="/players/P___107886/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rob Reiner</a> also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide53Tag Target (>10)39433http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t34878gs2h0.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Sleepless_in_Seattle/31702/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/25/37652.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/25/2008 7:01:15 PM
Body: Catherine Hardwicke hit one out of the park for female directors this past weekend, but she had a lot of help. Not only was she working with a pre-sold property, she also had a very manageable budget of $37 million. Quite different from the $2 million she had to work with on Thirteen a few years back. Of course, she had similar budgets on Lords of Dogtown ($25 million) and The Nativity Story ($35 million), and both were box office disappointments. Still, she’s going to keep on being trusted with more money — if Summit is smart they’ll keep her on for at least the first Twilight sequel, which will surely come with a higher price tag — and as long as she continues with genre films, she’s sure to remain a profitable director. Not every talented filmmaker does well with more money. Danny Boyle, for instance, typically bombs with bigger budgets. And a lot of foreign auteurs strike out when handed costly studio-produced genre or franchise pics (Jeunet’s Alien Resurrection is a favorite example). But there’s the occasional filmmaker who, like Steven Soderbergh or Christopher Nolan, can make something worthwhile out of any budget they’re allotted. And then there are the many indie filmmakers who quickly find themselves at home with modestly priced broad comedies, such as the case with Seth Gordon easily transitioning from the Slamdance doc The King of Kong to the star-studded Hollywood holiday pic Four Christmases, out this week. Who will be the next small-scale filmmaker to successfully rise up and prove him or herself worthy of bigger budgets? SpoutBlog has selected five directors we’d like to see given an economic boost, each because he or she would likely deliver something more interesting and popular than the usual Hollywood product. James Marsh (Man on Wire; The King) He recently gave us one of the most entertaining documentaries of all time (Man on Wire), and it’s likely that he could also give us an equally entertaining blockbuster of some kind. His best gateway would be a big deal crime caper, along the lines of Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series or even the more modestly priced The Bank Job. He pretty much already showed he could shoot a riveting heist film with his re-enactment scenes in Man on Wire. Maybe he can also hold on to the French angle by helming one of those Melville or Dassin films that are always being announced and never actually being made. Marsh’s follow-up to Man on Wire will be a relatively small British crime drama (one-third of Channel 4’s series of David Peace adaptations), but afterward he needs to be heavily wooed by the American studios. Larry Fessenden (Wendigo; The Last Winter) He makes some of the most interesting “horror” films around (people sometimes call them “art horror”), but they’d be even better with a little extra cash to spend on special effects. His last two films kind of lose their heat in their third acts, when the cheaply constructed monsters and ghosts appear. But had The Last Winter cost $5 million instead of $50,000, it might have grossed $33 million domestically rather than $33,000. And its not like Hollywood wouldn’t be into Fessenden’s pro-nature plots. If they can give Roland Emmerich more than a hundred million for The Day After Tomorrow, they can give a guy like Fessenden less than $10 and actually get a smarter, more entertaining genre flick. Shane Carruth (Primer) He gave us one of the biggest mindf*cks in the history of cinema with his 2004 Sundance-winning sci-fi film Primer, but he hasn’t really been heard from since. According to Wikipedia, he’s been planning his follow-up for the past two years and is ready to start on the financing, so here’s an idea: Hollywood should get on that. If this former engineer has spent that long working out the details of his next project, it’s likely to be smarter than most of the speedily scripted science fiction released by the studios. And it’s certainly time for an intelligent blockbuster dealing with time travel or space travel or something else in that vein. Sure, Darren Aronofsky went from math-nerd sci-fi (Pi) to a big-budget disappointment (The Fountain), but now he’s coming back strong with The Wrestler and is set to helm a RoboCop remake next. Carruth could have a similar career without the bomb in the middle if one studio hands him just a fraction of what they gave Aronofsky. Anything’s going to be an increase over Primer’s $7,000 budget. Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation; Mysterious Skin; Smiley Face) His most recent movie, the stoner comedy Smiley Face, should have been given the same size push as The Pineapple Express, which interestingly enough proved that indie darling David Gordon Green could be trusted with bigger budgets. Unfortunately, Araki continues to be a mere cult favorite. But he’s not necessarily a Hal Hartley or John Waters; he can break out if given the chance to. The world is just waiting for him to become the missing link between Judd Apatow and Gus Van Sant. Or is a bisexual filmmaker not the most perfect person to handle the ever-increasing-in-popularity bromantic comedies? Helen Hunt (Then She Found Me) This actress-turned-filmmaker could be the 21st century Nora Ephron if only Hollywood believed that women could want something a little less cheesy than Sleepless in Seattle. Too bad movies like Sex and the City and Twilight are showing us female audiences actually prefer things even cheesier. But even a slight increase on Then She Found Me’s $3.5 million budget could give Hunt the ability to deliver a thoughtful cross between romantic comedy and Hallmark melodrama that might just elevate the tastes of moviegoers, or at least attract more intelligent women to the multiplex. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:01:15 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/25/2008 7:01:15 PMCatherine Hardwicke hit one out of the park for female directors this past weekend, but she had a lot of help. Not only was she working with a pre-sold property, she also had a very manageable budget of $37 million. Quite different from the $2 million she had to work with on Thirteen a few years back. Of course, she had similar budgets on Lords of Dogtown ($25 million) and The Nativity Story ($35 million), and both were box office disappointments. Still, she’s going to keep on being trusted with more money — if Summit is smart they’ll keep her on for at least the first Twilight sequel, which will surely come with a higher price tag — and as long as she continues with genre films, she’s sure to remain a profitable director. Not every talented filmmaker does well with more money. Danny Boyle, for instance, typically bombs with bigger budgets. And a lot of foreign auteurs strike out when handed costly studio-produced genre or franchise pics (Jeunet’s Alien Resurrection is a favorite example). But there’s the occasional filmmaker who, like Steven Soderbergh or Christopher Nolan, can make something worthwhile out of any budget they’re allotted. And then there are the many indie filmmakers who quickly find themselves at home with modestly priced broad comedies, such as the case with Seth Gordon easily transitioning from the Slamdance doc The King of Kong to the star-studded Hollywood holiday pic Four Christmases, out this week. Who will be the next small-scale filmmaker to successfully rise up and prove him or herself worthy of bigger budgets? SpoutBlog has selected five directors we’d like to see given an economic boost, each because he or she would likely deliver something more interesting and popular than the usual Hollywood product. James Marsh (Man on Wire; The King) He recently gave us one of the most entertaining documentaries of all time (Man on Wire), and it’s likely that he could also give us an equally entertaining blockbuster of some kind. His best gateway would be a big deal crime caper, along the lines of Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series or even the more modestly priced The Bank Job. He pretty much already showed he could shoot a riveting heist film with his re-enactment scenes in Man on Wire. Maybe he can also hold on to the French angle by helming one of those Melville or Dassin films that are always being announced and never actually being made. Marsh’s follow-up to Man on Wire will be a relatively small British crime drama (one-third of Channel 4’s series of David Peace adaptations), but afterward he needs to be heavily wooed by the American studios. Larry Fessenden (Wendigo; The Last Winter) He makes some of the most interesting “horror” films around (people sometimes call them “art horror”), but they’d be even better with a little extra cash to spend on special effects. His last two films kind of lose their heat in their third acts, when the cheaply constructed monsters and ghosts appear. But had The Last Winter cost $5 million instead of $50,000, it might have grossed $33 million domestically rather than $33,000. And its not like Hollywood wouldn’t be into Fessenden’s pro-nature plots. If they can give Roland Emmerich more than a hundred million for The Day After Tomorrow, they can give a guy like Fessenden less than $10 and actually get a smarter, more entertaining genre flick. Shane Carruth (Primer) He gave us one of the biggest mindf*cks in the history of cinema with his 2004 Sundance-winning sci-fi film Primer, but he hasn’t really been heard from since. According to Wikipedia, he’s been planning his follow-up for the past two years and is ready to start on the financing, so here’s an idea: Hollywood should get on that. If this former engineer has spent that long working out the details of his next project, it’s likely to be smarter than most of the speedily scripted science fiction released by the studios. And it’s certainly time for an intelligent blockbuster dealing with time travel or space travel or something else in that vein. Sure, Darren Aronofsky went from math-nerd sci-fi (Pi) to a big-budget disappointment (The Fountain), but now he’s coming back strong with The Wrestler and is set to helm a RoboCop remake next. Carruth could have a similar career without the bomb in the middle if one studio hands him just a fraction of what they gave Aronofsky. Anything’s going to be an increase over Primer’s $7,000 budget. Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation; Mysterious Skin; Smiley Face) His most recent movie, the stoner comedy Smiley Face, should have been given the same size push as The Pineapple Express, which interestingly enough proved that indie darling David Gordon Green could be trusted with bigger budgets. Unfortunately, Araki continues to be a mere cult favorite. But he’s not necessarily a Hal Hartley or John Waters; he can break out if given the chance to. The world is just waiting for him to become the missing link between Judd Apatow and Gus Van Sant. Or is a bisexual filmmaker not the most perfect person to handle the ever-increasing-in-popularity bromantic comedies? Helen Hunt (Then She Found Me) This actress-turned-filmmaker could be the 21st century Nora Ephron if only Hollywood believed that women could want something a little less cheesy than Sleepless in Seattle. Too bad movies like Sex and the City and Twilight are showing us female audiences actually prefer things even cheesier. But even a slight increase on Then She Found Me’s $3.5 million budget could give Hunt the ability to deliver a thoughtful cross between romantic comedy and Hallmark melodrama that might just elevate the tastes of moviegoers, or at least attract more intelligent women to the multiplex. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_November_3_The_Movies_in_the/625/36929/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/4/2008 3:24:13 AM
Body: Meg Ryan is in quite a few: Sleepless in Seattle is based almost entirely off a plot line from An Affair to Remember which is referenced throughout the film. When Harry Met Sally . . . has that great split screen scene when they are lying in bed and watching Casablanca and debating the ending. You've Got Mail references the film it is a remake of (The Shop Around the Corner) as well as the other Hanks/Ryan flicks.
]]>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:24:13 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme11/4/2008 3:24:13 AMMeg Ryan is in quite a few: Sleepless in Seattle is based almost entirely off a plot line from An Affair to Remember which is referenced throughout the film. When Harry Met Sally . . . has that great split screen scene when they are lying in bed and watching Casablanca and debating the ending. You've Got Mail references the film it is a remake of (The Shop Around the Corner) as well as the other Hanks/Ryan flicks. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Romantic_Films/190/35892/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: filmgal81
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 10/4/2008 7:33:10 AM
Body: Ah, Sense & Sensibility has always been one of my personal favorites as well. I've heard the argument against chivalry before, and i think that just because the lines between chivalry and chauvinism were blurred at times doesn't mean that theer wasn't a distinction. As you said, you can be chivalrous without being patronizing. There was a politeness, a gentlemanliness then, that is sorely lacking today, in many ways. No, this does not mean women are looking/waiting to be rescued, we can cut the heads off our own dragons, but i think it nice to know that a guy would try. [quote user="rjsprague"] In order of preference: 1. Emma 2. Sense and Sensibility 3. Sleepless in Seattle 4. Pride and Prejudice 5. Memoirs of a Geisha As you can see I'm a sucker for period films, and chivalry. While feminists say that chivalry is just veiled chauvinism I personally think it was significantly more noble, an attempt to honor and respect the opposite sex. I put sleepless in there (and was considering You have mail) because it's a very classic romantic film that I enjoy thoroughly, but is certainly American. [/quote]
]]>Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:33:10 GMTfilmgal81Top 510/4/2008 7:33:10 AMAh, Sense &amp; Sensibility has always been one of my personal favorites as well. I've heard the argument against chivalry before, and i think that just because the lines between chivalry and chauvinism were blurred at times doesn't mean that theer wasn't a distinction. As you said, you can be chivalrous without being patronizing. There was a politeness, a gentlemanliness then, that is sorely lacking today, in many ways. No, this does not mean women are looking/waiting to be rescued, we can cut the heads off our own dragons, but i think it nice to know that a guy would try. [quote user="rjsprague"] In order of preference: 1. Emma 2. Sense and Sensibility 3. Sleepless in Seattle 4. Pride and Prejudice 5. Memoirs of a Geisha As you can see I'm a sucker for period films, and chivalry. While feminists say that chivalry is just veiled chauvinism I personally think it was significantly more noble, an attempt to honor and respect the opposite sex. I put sleepless in there (and was considering You have mail) because it's a very classic romantic film that I enjoy thoroughly, but is certainly American. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Romantic_Films/190/35872/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: rjsprague
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 10/3/2008 4:50:56 PM
Body: In order of preference: 1. Emma 2. Sense and Sensibility 3. Sleepless in Seattle 4. Pride and Prejudice 5. Memoirs of a Geisha As you can see I'm a sucker for period films, and chivalry. While feminists say that chivalry is just veiled chauvinism I personally think it was significantly more noble, an attempt to honor and respect the opposite sex. I put sleepless in there (and was considering You have mail) because it's a very classic romantic film that I enjoy thoroughly, but is certainly American. Lastly, memoirs of a geisha probably isn't considered a romantic film, but I felt that it depicted an aspect of traditional Japanese life where, traditionally, romance didn't exist, but romantic elements are certainly there. I also recently learned that until the Japanese came into contact with the West they didn't have a word for romance. They write the word romansu in katakana because it is a borrowed word, which essentially means that they lacked the concept most likely because marriages were arranged (and romance wasn't a factor in that arrangement). I really enjoyed this film, despite it being about Japanese life (pre and post WWII and the bombing) and using a predominantly Chinese cast! Zhang Zhiyi (pronounced jong jurii or something close to that) is definitely chinese!
]]>Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:50:56 GMTrjspragueTop 510/3/2008 4:50:56 PMIn order of preference: 1. Emma 2. Sense and Sensibility 3. Sleepless in Seattle 4. Pride and Prejudice 5. Memoirs of a Geisha As you can see I'm a sucker for period films, and chivalry. While feminists say that chivalry is just veiled chauvinism I personally think it was significantly more noble, an attempt to honor and respect the opposite sex. I put sleepless in there (and was considering You have mail) because it's a very classic romantic film that I enjoy thoroughly, but is certainly American. Lastly, memoirs of a geisha probably isn't considered a romantic film, but I felt that it depicted an aspect of traditional Japanese life where, traditionally, romance didn't exist, but romantic elements are certainly there. I also recently learned that until the Japanese came into contact with the West they didn't have a word for romance. They write the word romansu in katakana because it is a borrowed word, which essentially means that they lacked the concept most likely because marriages were arranged (and romance wasn't a factor in that arrangement). I really enjoyed this film, despite it being about Japanese life (pre and post WWII and the bombing) and using a predominantly Chinese cast! Zhang Zhiyi (pronounced jong jurii or something close to that) is definitely chinese! http://www.spout.com/blogs/shaunhuston/archive/2008/6/18/31391.aspx Post By: ShaunHuston
Post To: ShaunHuston filmblog
Post Date: 6/18/2008 9:01:56 PM
Body: For me, the romantic comedy Top 10 is the most solid compilation of the group. Not only is the rom com a clearly established American film genre, but the individual selections are all eminently reasonable and defensible. This is not to suggest that I wouldn't make alternate suggestions, because I would, but I understand the reasoning behind each of the ten films on the AFI's list. And I don't have any strong contrarian or idiosyncratic preferences that would lead me to tilt at a windmill like arguing against the selection of, say, City Lights (1931) as number one, or its inclusion on the list altogether. The one film on this list that I do question is Sleepless in Seattle (1993). There isn't anything outstandingly wrong with the film, but it isn't especially remarkable, either. It doesn't represent a particularly clever or innovative take on the genre. It doesn't push any boundaries. It doesn't mark any point in the development of the form (indeed, I would argue that it is fairly typical of the post-Harry and Sally rom com, including being less enjoyable than its progenitor). And Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan do not have any special chemistry together (maybe one reason why they spend most of the movie apart). Replacing Sleepless in Seattle is fairly easy; the one gaping hole in the AFI's list is the absence of anything by Preston Sturges. But what to pick? Just about any of his films would be a better choice than the more contemporary film, but, for me, it's a tough call between: Sullivan's Travels (1941), The Lady Eve (1941), and The Palm Beach Story (1942). I probably lean in the direction of Sullivan's, largely because of how sharply written the first meeting between Sullivan (Joel McCrea) and The Girl (Veronica Lake) is; all I'll say here is that Nora Ephron wishes she could write dialogue like the snappy back-and-forth in this scene. On the other hand, there are moments of clear genius in The Lady Eve, from both Barbara Stanwyck and Sturges. However, the film does have one central flaw, and it's an important one from a genre perspective: the lead characters are not evenly matched. At no point does Henry Fonda's Charles Pike have a chance against Stanwyck's Jean Harrington, and practically each time I watch the film I want her to take her revenge without taking him back; he's that much of a drip. While I would replace Sleepless in Seattle with Sullivan's Travels, I would not list it at the bottom. In deference to people who know silent film better than I, I'd put it at number two. I could make an argument for either of the other two Sturges movies, but, as I indicated in the opening, the existing selections are reasonable enough that I don't feel compelled to argue for taking off, even, a film like Moonstruck (1987), the appearance of which I found to be surprisingly charming. Link to introduction. Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs
]]>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:01:56 GMTShaunHustonShaunHuston filmblog6/18/2008 9:01:56 PMFor me, the romantic comedy Top 10 is the most solid compilation of the group. Not only is the rom com a clearly established American film genre, but the individual selections are all eminently reasonable and defensible. This is not to suggest that I wouldn't make alternate suggestions, because I would, but I understand the reasoning behind each of the ten films on the AFI's list. And I don't have any strong contrarian or idiosyncratic preferences that would lead me to tilt at a windmill like arguing against the selection of, say, City Lights (1931) as number one, or its inclusion on the list altogether. The one film on this list that I do question is Sleepless in Seattle (1993). There isn't anything outstandingly wrong with the film, but it isn't especially remarkable, either. It doesn't represent a particularly clever or innovative take on the genre. It doesn't push any boundaries. It doesn't mark any point in the development of the form (indeed, I would argue that it is fairly typical of the post-Harry and Sally rom com, including being less enjoyable than its progenitor). And Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan do not have any special chemistry together (maybe one reason why they spend most of the movie apart). Replacing Sleepless in Seattle is fairly easy; the one gaping hole in the AFI's list is the absence of anything by Preston Sturges. But what to pick? Just about any of his films would be a better choice than the more contemporary film, but, for me, it's a tough call between: Sullivan's Travels (1941), The Lady Eve (1941), and The Palm Beach Story (1942). I probably lean in the direction of Sullivan's, largely because of how sharply written the first meeting between Sullivan (Joel McCrea) and The Girl (Veronica Lake) is; all I'll say here is that Nora Ephron wishes she could write dialogue like the snappy back-and-forth in this scene. On the other hand, there are moments of clear genius in The Lady Eve, from both Barbara Stanwyck and Sturges. However, the film does have one central flaw, and it's an important one from a genre perspective: the lead characters are not evenly matched. At no point does Henry Fonda's Charles Pike have a chance against Stanwyck's Jean Harrington, and practically each time I watch the film I want her to take her revenge without taking him back; he's that much of a drip. While I would replace Sleepless in Seattle with Sullivan's Travels, I would not list it at the bottom. In deference to people who know silent film better than I, I'd put it at number two. I could make an argument for either of the other two Sturges movies, but, as I indicated in the opening, the existing selections are reasonable enough that I don't feel compelled to argue for taking off, even, a film like Moonstruck (1987), the appearance of which I found to be surprisingly charming. Link to introduction. Originally posted on:Short-Circuit Signs http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/2/30349.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/2/2008 5:00:44 PM
Body: Even before Annaliese Griffin at the Vulture blog detailed why Sex and the City is the female equivalent of superhero movies, a genre mostly appealing to men, a female friend of mine noted the same. It’s apparently an obvious parallel, despite the fact that earlier this summer the supposed gender battle between Iron Man and Made of Honor resulted in the awareness that many women are in fact fond of some superheroes. Nevertheless, Griffin’s post made me think of the conversation in Sleepless in Seattle in which real-wife married couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson discover the connection between An Affair to Remember and The Dirty Dozen. Of course, Hanks’ character was probably joking about crying at the end of the latter film, but he still had a point. There are certain equivalents between specifically female film genres and specifically male film genres, as you can see from the following list: Melodrama (female) = War Film (male) - Already touched on with the aforementioned Sleepless in Seattle scene, there is a correspondence between tearjerking melodramas and gutwrenching war films. Maybe it’s because of the similar focus on death and/or other crippling tragedy. Maybe it’s because the female spectator weeps for her ego ideal, who is often the terminally ill or wronged woman character, and the male character weeps for his ego ideal, who is often the hero that lives yet suffers the experience of viewing the demise of his brothers in arms. Dance Film (female) = Martial Arts Film (male) - Much has been written about the connections between dance and martial arts, and it’s an obvious enough equivalence that I don’t need to point to examples. The fact that choreography is a word associated with both should sum it up nicely. Plus, a number of martial artists, such as Jackie Chan, had training in ballet. Just don’t tell any macho guys about all the scholarship written on the homoerotic subtexts of Kung Fu films. Romantic Comedy (female) = Buddy Films (male) - Another parallel that might suggest too much homoerotic subtext. I guess the genre preferences are because women are more interested in finding a mate, while men are more interested in finding a mate (as in Australian for buddy). Just notice how in the 1980s the screwball comedy convention of two people who initially hate each other who eventually fall in love became the structure for male-male buddy cop films. Or just watch His Girl Friday and Wilder’s remake of The Front Page back to back. Musicals (female) = Science Fiction (male) - This one is less obvious and even less valid, but I notice parallels, beginning with the idea that musicals may be associated with opera and a number of science fiction films are called space operas. On top of that, we have the idea of spectacle. For women, it’s the costumes and the set design and the dance numbers. For men, it’s also the costumes (as in alien costumes rather than dresses and such) and special effects. Crime Thrillers (female) = Slasher Films (male) - What may seem too similar to be compared as equivalents, there is a distinct difference that makes one a more female-geared genre and the other a more male-geared genre. Both of them typically feature a female protagonist (at least of late — the thriller genre seemed to become synonymous with Ashley Judd in the ’90s), but thrillers are often centered on her as the main character, while slasher films are more concentrated on the male antagonist (aka the killer or monster). Women are more likely to find enjoyment in the empowerment of the female protagonist in thrillers, while men are more likely to find enjoyment in the sado-masochistic idea of punishing the whore figure while being punished by the virgin figure. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:00:44 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/2/2008 5:00:44 PM Even before Annaliese Griffin at the Vulture blog detailed why Sex and the City is the female equivalent of superhero movies, a genre mostly appealing to men, a female friend of mine noted the same. It’s apparently an obvious parallel, despite the fact that earlier this summer the supposed gender battle between Iron Man and Made of Honor resulted in the awareness that many women are in fact fond of some superheroes. Nevertheless, Griffin’s post made me think of the conversation in Sleepless in Seattle in which real-wife married couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson discover the connection between An Affair to Remember and The Dirty Dozen. Of course, Hanks’ character was probably joking about crying at the end of the latter film, but he still had a point. There are certain equivalents between specifically female film genres and specifically male film genres, as you can see from the following list: Melodrama (female) = War Film (male) - Already touched on with the aforementioned Sleepless in Seattle scene, there is a correspondence between tearjerking melodramas and gutwrenching war films. Maybe it’s because of the similar focus on death and/or other crippling tragedy. Maybe it’s because the female spectator weeps for her ego ideal, who is often the terminally ill or wronged woman character, and the male character weeps for his ego ideal, who is often the hero that lives yet suffers the experience of viewing the demise of his brothers in arms. Dance Film (female) = Martial Arts Film (male) - Much has been written about the connections between dance and martial arts, and it’s an obvious enough equivalence that I don’t need to point to examples. The fact that choreography is a word associated with both should sum it up nicely. Plus, a number of martial artists, such as Jackie Chan, had training in ballet. Just don’t tell any macho guys about all the scholarship written on the homoerotic subtexts of Kung Fu films. Romantic Comedy (female) = Buddy Films (male) - Another parallel that might suggest too much homoerotic subtext. I guess the genre preferences are because women are more interested in finding a mate, while men are more interested in finding a mate (as in Australian for buddy). Just notice how in the 1980s the screwball comedy convention of two people who initially hate each other who eventually fall in love became the structure for male-male buddy cop films. Or just watch His Girl Friday and Wilder’s remake of The Front Page back to back. Musicals (female) = Science Fiction (male) - This one is less obvious and even less valid, but I notice parallels, beginning with the idea that musicals may be associated with opera and a number of science fiction films are called space operas. On top of that, we have the idea of spectacle. For women, it’s the costumes and the set design and the dance numbers. For men, it’s also the costumes (as in alien costumes rather than dresses and such) and special effects. Crime Thrillers (female) = Slasher Films (male) - What may seem too similar to be compared as equivalents, there is a distinct difference that makes one a more female-geared genre and the other a more male-geared genre. Both of them typically feature a female protagonist (at least of late — the thriller genre seemed to become synonymous with Ashley Judd in the ’90s), but thrillers are often centered on her as the main character, while slasher films are more concentrated on the male antagonist (aka the killer or monster). Women are more likely to find enjoyment in the empowerment of the female protagonist in thrillers, while men are more likely to find enjoyment in the sado-masochistic idea of punishing the whore figure while being punished by the virgin figure. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/eagle795/archive/2007/8/26/18809.aspx Post By: eagle795
Post To: eagle795 Blog
Post Date: 8/26/2007 3:11:00 PM
Body: One of my guilty pleasures. The Hanks/Ryan combo is magic…even though they are actually onscreen together very little. Even Rosie O’Donnell is tolerable here.
]]>Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:11:00 GMTeagle795eagle795 Blog8/26/2007 3:11:00 PMOne of my guilty pleasures. The Hanks/Ryan combo is magic&hellip;even though they are actually onscreen together very little. Even Rosie O&rsquo;Donnell is tolerable here. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
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]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:42:37 GMT10852531339Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
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]]>Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:07:06 GMT351826Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/parentchildrelationship/MemberTagFilms.aspxparentchildrelationship
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]]>Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:14:03 GMT171018Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fiancee/MemberTagFilms.aspxfiancee
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