If you’re like me, you don’t like all movies. There are many that fail to connect with me, many that aren’t anything more than entertainment, many that defy their own logic structures. But a select group of films do “make the cut” for me and end up being true works of art. I watch them many times not to just be entertained, but to see the things they display.
You have to sit through some bad films if you don’t want to miss out on the good (or read sites like this one at least). You’d have to sit through “The Duchess” to find “The Young Victoria”, or “Garden State” to find “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”.
I once heard a writer/director say that what he loves about creating a story is that you are bringing some order out of chaos. This world is confusing, the truth is so elusive, humans often realize that they’re lost and unsure of what life is about, and living is seldom painless. I agree with him on his main point, that what I love about a good story, TV show, movie is form, a beginning, an end, a loss, a love, a redemption, a clear purpose to suffering, etc. So often, it can seem, I don’t know about you but for me, I feel like life is just random and that most of my days are spent just getting by. It’s rare that I feel part of something bigger, surrounded by friends, part of a well told story.
What makes me value certain movies is the way they bring to light certain truths about humanity, the world around us, philosophy, religion, and so much more. Yes, I enjoy some lighthearted comedies from time to time, like “Napoleon Dynamite” or “The Burbs”, but my personal collection is full of movies with more depth and more truth; movies that remind me of something important or help me see something I don’t normally see. Movies such as “Gran Torino” or “Appaloosa”, celebrate things like: overcoming differences, true friendship, devotion and loyalty; such things ought to be highly esteemed in a world where so often, negative things are celebrated.
So if you’re a movie fan, seek out the good in entertainment, but also seek the good in life.