PopcornTreeCt

This is a decision that writers do that annoy the hell out of me. When in a movie that takes place in the past, a character will predict the future. Example: In Windtalkers, when the guy from Truman Show is going on about how someday America and Japanese could be hanging out and being friends again. In the ESPN movie "3", when the woman is talking about how Nascar ratings could eventually beat out MLB ratings.

What bothers me the most is that the writers are just doing it to make the audience go "ah that's right, creepy" when in reality people don't make bold predictions in random conversation. There are many more examples of this and it pisses me off everytime.

Rockmjd23

In Pearl Harbor, when Josh Hartnett's character said "I think World War II just started" At that point, WW1 was just "the great war" and there's no way someone would have called it that in the beginning of the attack on pearl harbor.

NatrlBornThrllr

Sure they do, you just don't notice them. Some poor schmuck in the year 2055 will make a film set in 2000, and will toss in the line, "Who knows, maybe someday home video will make movie theaters obsolete." Then PopcornTreeCt Jr. will make a post on www².dvdtalk.com saying, "as if anybody in the year 2000 was making sweeping predictions about the effects home video would have on theatrical chains."

-JP

Groucho

They used to do this all the time on "The Wild Wild West" (tv show) to the point of absurdity.

FaustBos

My favorite example of this is in Titanic when Rose (Kate Winslet) says while strolling on deck.... "there don't appear to be enough life boats for all the passangers"... or some such dreadful writing as that.

I remember putting my head down in shame and wondering how this movie could have happened. I kept myself afloat during the film by remember how wonderful a night to remember was.

Jim

Doughboy

In the future, all restaurants will be Taco Bell.

Giantrobo

Obi Wan = You'll be the death of me

jaeufraser

Umm...that's not a future prediction. A little bit of logic and math and surely one could figure that one out pretty easily.

FaustBos

yeah, but rather unlikely that someone would have pointed it out, but I see your point. I was thinking strictly in terms of forshadowing, not long term predictions. Perhaps its not a good example. Still,,, a real stinker of a line.

Jim

William Fuld

The better example from Titanic is the Picasso exchange between Cal and Rose.

Brent L

I don't mind little toss away lines like that in some films. As stated before, it happens in real life just the same, you just don't really know it because you don't remember what was said, or you wont be around when it comes to pass.

I don't want it all of the time, like you do see in some films, but a single line or two doesn't bother me.

sherm42

In addition, she was taking a tour of the ship with the architect. It seems that would be just one of several questions about the seaworthiness of Titanic.

The Cow

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1999...

Jackskeleton

Usually those throw away lines aren't enough to make me forget if a film is good or not.

Fincher Fan

I think you forget the rest of the world (or at least France, Great Britain/Australia, and Canada) was already fighting Germany while the US was sitting it out.

Rockmjd23

And none of them were calling it WWII in 1941

Fincher Fan

Maybe not, but it's a fair enough comment for the character to make under the circumstances. Come to think of it, it's Pearl fucking Harbor. I probably put more thought into character motivation in my first sentence then the writers did in the entire screenplay.

Rockmjd23

I think it added to the general absurdity of the entire movie. It's like an English soldier in 1337 saying "I think the Hundred Years War just started"

Fincher Fan

That would be pretty funny, though!

PopcornTreeCt

Don't be silly. In true dramatic fashion, the camera would pan up to a closeup of our hero, his face gone cold, he utters the words, not long to be forgotten: "I think this war will last a 100 years"

Rockmjd23

He would be wrong then, since it lasted 116 years

FRwL

"I think this war will last a little over 100 years"

FRwL

Or the 30 Years' War in 1618 "This war looks like it will last 30 years."

Rockmjd23

Andrew Jackson during The Battle of New Orleans:
"Well, it looks like we're gonna win the War of 1812."
Second in command:
"Umm, its 1814, and the war is already over."

PopcornTreeCt

Yeah, I can't wait for that 9/11 Ollie Stone flick. I'm sure there will be numerous bold predictions in that film.

"Are you saying that if terrorists hijacked passenger jets that were filled with fuel, and crashed them into these buildings, they could come down?"