Right, but as you put it - "It also takes measures"... I felt like the movie cast off anything *but* simplemindedness as the key to happiness, which I completely disagree with.
- Jim Matthew Small wrote: >I would have to say that there are plenty of people less intelligent than I >who are more successful, at least in business. Do you not think this is >possible? If it isn't, what does that say about me? That I'm definitely >less intelligent than my boss? Intelligence certainly does not equal >success. Success takes much more than being able to figure out the value of >PHI or doing calculus, or figuring out how things work or liking culture and >arts more than everybody else. It also takes measures of courage, faith, >and luck, qualities that Gump had in abundance. > >Now, this is not an intelligent conversation. > >- Matt Small > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Kevin Graeme" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 11:13 AM >Subject: Re: Bad choice of movies this weekend > > > > >>Yeah! >> >>I didn't like the movie either. But in addition to what you mention, I did >>come away with the "Dumb is Good" message. It presents as a hero a person >>who's an idiot, yet this idiot succeeds where intellegent people fail. >> >> >Some > > >>people have tried to explain it as a "God has a plan" or a "Zen" type >>message, but that's bunk. That argument is just a promotion of stupidity >>shrouded in an enticing package that leads to the people crafting the >>fictional message subjugating the people who believe it. >> >></rant> >> >>-Kevin >> >>----- Original Message ----- >>From: "Jim Campbell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 9:57 AM >>Subject: Re: Bad choice of movies this weekend >> >> >> >> >>>I think the most unforgivable aspect of the movie is the contempt with >>>which it treats its audience. There's nothing wrong with a simple plots >>>or characters - films like "Babe" or "The Straight Story" are wonderful, >>>with rich stories crafted around what are essentially one-sentence >>>synopses. >>> >>>"Gump", however, by trying to recreate itself as some sort of touchstone >>>for all of recent history (as opposed to Groom's novel, which was >>>genuinely funny - sort of like an alternate-universe "World According to >>>Garp"), comes across as a sort of emperor with no clothes. Its epic >>>feel and length beg for serious consideration, but the reactionary, >>>stupid and moralistic steamrolling of what are truly dynamic and complex >>>social events into digestible bits of nostalgic confections is >>> >>> >>infuriating. >> >> >>>The movie's message isn't "Dumb is Good", it's "You're too stupid to >>>figure this out on your own, so we'll make it easy for you." >>> >>>What's even stranger is the principles behind the movie - Tom Hanks, >>>Robert Zemeckis, Gary Sinise - are extraordinarily talented, yet managed >>>to not only make this movie with a straight face, but convince the AMPAS >>>that it was somehow more deserving of the Best Picture Oscar than either >>>"Pulp Fiction" or "Shawshank Redemption", which is just amazing. >>> >>>- Jim >>> >>>Raymond Camden wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>>>I find it interesting you call Forrest Gump anti-intellectual, as I've >>>>heard others say that as well. I often wondered why though. The main >>>>character isn't intelligent, isn't even average, but I never saw the >>>>film as saying 'dumb is good'. >>>> >>>>-rc >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>>-----Original Message----- >>>>>From: Jim Campbell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>>Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 3:30 PM >>>>>To: CF-Community >>>>>Subject: Re: Bad choice of movies this weekend >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>Actually, there is no film that I despise more than "Forrest >>>>>Gump", and >>>>>I'm not even sure exactly why I hate it so much. Maybe >>>>>because it feels >>>>>disingenuous and anti-intellectual, and it's not in the same >>>>>league as >>>>>groaning at incredibly bad MST3K-fare movies like "Space >>>>>Mutiny" or "The >>>>>Head That Wouldn't Die" - this is an active hatred along the lines of >>>>>Roger Ebert's opinion of "North", my favorite review of his >>>>>of all time: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1994/07/931635.html >>>> >>>>- Jim >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=t:5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm?link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com
