wastro

I would be interested in reading the whole article, if only to understand their rationale for a few films on that list. That list featured a few of my favorite (Good Will Hunting, Clerks, etc ...) and I'm curious why they made these particular distinctions.

I still think it's too early to consider any movies released in the late 90s 'overrated.'

ROBERTCOP34

I read that whole article there one person view then other guy view so you have a pro and con on each film listed.

PopcornTreeCt

2001: A Space Odyssey --Personally, I think it's overrated
A Beautiful Mind --Eh, not too many people like it anyway
An American in Paris --never saw it
American Beauty --A little overrated, not much though.
Chariots of Fire --never saw it
Chicago --not overrated, very well done film
Clerks --very much overrated, a product of its time
Easy Rider --never saw it
Fantasia --very much overrated, can never stay awake
Field of Dreams --not overrated, great film
Forrest Gump --duh, way overrated
Gone With the Wind --not overrated
Good Will Hunting --way overrated, this film is unwatchable
Jules and Jim --I liked it a whole lot, overrated??
Monster's Ball --not great but no one ever said it was
Moonstruck --never saw it
Mystic River --overrated, seen it once you can never watch it again
Nashville --never saw it
The Red Shoes --never saw it
The Wizard of Oz --not overrated, a great film!

Rockmjd23

I agree with all of those except 2001 and Field of Dreams.

mike45

My thoughts exactly.

Troy Stiffler

Hmp. A Beautiful Mind is the only one I'd include.

I can see why they can criticize Mystic River. The whodunit plot is just so contradictory to the dillemas faced, and the performances. And the whodunit's outcome is a forhead slapper.

Eastwood really stepped it up with Million Dollar Baby.

Lists. Editors without fresh material.

Inverse

Weird list, since so many of the movies on there are ones whose lights have dimmed already. Does anyone describe Moonstruck, Field of Dreams, or Chariots of Fire as all-time best of the best movies, for example? Likewise, Easy Rider might have been overhyped in, say, 1980, but I don't think anyone has thought of it as anything other than a period piece for more than a decade.

Clerks is an odd choice, since it's never been all that popular, didn't win any major awards, and most of the critical response at the time was not, "Kevin Smith is a genius!" but rather, "This is impressive for how little money it cost; perhaps someday Smith will acquire the skills to go pro." Surely Blair Witch Project is a better choice for this slot? At least it caused a ruckus.

It's a bit silly to put Wizard of Oz here. Its critical reputation is largely based on our memories of being five years old, not the movie itself. It's like saying peanut butter sandwiches aren't haute cuisine; maybe it's true but you're not going to change anyone's mind about it.

Sondheim

Without reading the actual article-

Wow... I'll just say I really think this is a waste of any magazine's space. Everyone has critically acclaimed and/or audience loved films that they were disappointed by, but for a small group of journalists to make a list of these films, slap the title "Overrated Films" on it and then place it into a magazine is - dumb. The fact that they call "2001" or "The Wizard of Oz" or "Jules and Jim" "overrated" doesn't make it so. Making a list like this seems to create the idea that there is a "right" and a "wrong" to movie opinions. Does the article emphasize the fact that this is solely the opinion of the writers of the article? Or do they pass it off as the "definitive" list of "overrated classics" you should avoid? I personally love quite a few of those films - is my opinion wrong?

Sorry, I'm sure I'm taking this a bit too seriously. It's just that recently I've started to get really annoyed with the overuse of the word "overrated." Film is an art form, and any given film will create widely varying reactions in people. To most people it's simply a word that expresses the idea that they didn't enjoy a film that a lot of other people did - and there's nothing arrogant about that. To some people though (on other forums, not this one) it's as if simply using the word to describe a movie they didn't like proves how smart, free-thinking, independent, film-loving, handsome, etc. a person they are. They don't need to explain their opinion - using the word, they have instantly proven themselves to be really, really cool people who can thoroughly analyze a film to a point where their opinion is right and everyone else's is wrong.

So I'm not ranting about this specific article as much as ranting about a concept that really annoys me.

In short, the word overrated is very overrated.

animalmystic

2001: A Space Odyssey
A Beautiful Mind-agree
An American in Paris-haven't seen
American Beauty-agree but Mena Suvari is
Chariots of Fire-agree
Chicago-agree
Clerks-ehhh on the fence
Easy Rider-on the fence
Fantasia-agree
Field of Dreams-agree
Forrest Gump-disagree
Gone With the Wind-disagree
Good Will Hunting-disagree
Jules and Jim-haven't seen
Monster's Ball-agree
Moonstruck-highly agree
Mystic River-agree
Nashville-havan't seen
The Red Shoes-haven't seen
The Wizard of Oz- on the fence

Yep thats about right
















Mena

Iron_Giant

What is overrated? Overrated is in the eye of the beholder:

I love:

A Beautiful Mind
Chariots of Fire - Great movie, music and morals!
Chicago - Music and no morals!
Field of Dreams - Cried like a baby in the movie theater after it was done! Love my Dad.
Forrest Gump - GREAT MOVIE, very original!
Gone With the Wind - Having this on the list almost makes the list null and void.
Good Will Hunting - Saw it once, to much @%&!#
The Wizard of Oz - Having this on the list almost makes the list null and void.

Elldubtoo

Where's Star Wars?

ivelostr2

I've seen lots of "classic movies" that I consider overrated, but none of them are on this list:

2001: A Space Odyssey - I don't agree, but I can see why this one might be on the list. I hear a lot lof younger kids (im 27, I mean like 17-18 year old kids) talk about his where I work, and I always warn them that it is a slow, methodical movie that isn't satisfying in a normal way, but it is worth watching.
A Beautiful Mind - I don't thirk its overrated because noone ever talks about it.
An American in Paris - never seen it
American Beauty - One of my top 10, I know many hate it, but I definitly don't think it is overrated.
Chariots of Fire - never seen it
Chicago - A little overrated in my opinion. I think this was different enough to catch everyones attention, but not different enough to put people off like Moulin Rouge was (which I love). I think that created a buzz and the film road on it. Its not abad movie, but it was overrated i think.
Clerks - I love this movie, and I love Smith, but I can see why people consider this overrated. People awatch his newer stuff, when he has more money, time, and experience, and then someone says "you have to watch Clerks, it great." My girlfriend and I have been in this fix, Our first date was Chasing Amy, so Smith is fondly thought of with us. After a few years, we finally watched Clerks, and after hearing me talk about it, she was very dissappointed.
Easy Rider - Its on my shelf to wathc, but i haven't watched it yet.
Fantasia - I actually agree with this one, but in its original context, this was an amazing movie. I think Bambi would be a better example of classic Disney that is no longer what it used to be though, I hadn't seen that movie in 20 years, and when I watched it recently i was watching the clock hoping it was over soon.
Field of Dreams - I'm not a big Coastner fan, but this is one of his best moives. This is not overrated IMO.
Forrest Gump - Absolutely not, I read so much hating on this movie in this forum, you would think Michael Bay directed it.
Gone With the Wind - How is it even possible that this movie is on this list. The first half of this movie may be one of the greatest movies ever. The second halk loses steam after the railroad scene, but seriously how can someone put this on the list, and how could so many people here have agreed with it, it blows my mind.
Good Will Hunting - I personally love this movie, but i understand if you were anti-Affleck, which was possible during the time he got big, but he is at his best here. Not overrated IMO.
Jules and Jim - never seen it.
Monster's Ball - Here's one I thought was crap, I thoguht Halle Berry was crap in it, so I agree that this one sticks, and it is overrated.
Moonstruck - never seen it.
Mystic River - I liked this one too, but I agree with the popcorn tree, once you 've seen it, you can never watch it agan. I'm not sure if it's overrated or not, maybe in a few years.
Nashville - never seen it.
The Red Shoes - never seen it.
The Wizard of Oz - Why is this here, is it because its not fun? nope. Is it because it doesn't look good? nope. Is it because the acting is horrible? nope. Of all the movies on this list, this is the one that can't be overrated. It offends noone, it has noone in it that people hate. Its not long, drawn out, slow, why is it here" I don't understand how people could have agreed with it being overrated. Im assuming that...
"The Wizard of Oz"

100% correct...totally overrated.

...was a joke, but who knows there were others that agreed with it being overrated. Please someone tell me why this is overrated...


I hate lists that proclaim films as overrated, because they imply that the writers opinion is fact. This list looks like (someone said this before) it was soemthing created without research. I know a bunch of classic and newer films that, if listed, i could say I understood the reason, but i don't agree 100% (like I did with 2001 and Fantasia). Someone brought up Raging Bull, I could see an arguement for that, but I can see an arguement against it too. Some of the films listed I could see no arguement for what-so-ever.
If Wes Anderson's films were on this list would that be ok?
I enjoy them, but I understand that lots of people aren't entertained by watching slow and dry funny.
I'm just rambling at this point...

ivelostr2

Fixed

Dudikoff

What the heck is The Wizard of Oz doing on that list? I also strongly disagree with Forrest Gump's inclusion. It's a very entertainling, likeable, and original film that will be looked back upon fondly. Tom Hanks was amazing!

Big Quasimodo

Seen all the films on the list. Own half of them (Red Shoes, 2001, Jules & Jim, American Beauty, Monster's Ball, Wizard of Oz, Gump, GWTW, Mystic River)

First impression: Monster's Ball and Wizard of Oz don't belong. Can understand/agree with the rest. MB because it's not rated that high, and the acting is remarkable. Wizard of Oz is worthy of all its praise.

P.S. animalmystic Big forehead fan, are ya?

calhoun07

What about Castaway?

And if they made the exact same Wizard of Oz now (assuming it had never been released in 1939 and the version we got now was the first version in a LOONG time) then the Oz fan boys would be crying it wasn't faithful to the books, and be whining about the inclusion of the musical numbers, and nit picking everything to death. The fact that it was released in 1939 and long considered to be a beloved classic doesn't make it escape scrutinty. That inclusion is, in fact, the one I agree with the most on the list.

ivelostr2

You say it deserves scrutiny, ok, scrutinize it.
Do you not like the musical numbers and the fact that it is unfaithful? It sounds to me like that is you're reason why "fan boys" wouldn't like it, not why you don't.
I have no problem with scrutiny, but the trend of recent years has been to take something immensily popular and say "it sucks" or "it is overrated" and then leave it at that. I dont even own WoO on DVD, and the last ime i saw it was in a classroom, but if saying that it is out of place on this list makes me an "Oz fan boy" then i better start printing up t-shirts.
I hate that everything comes down to "you're either with us or against us." No one can defend something without being a fan boy, and noone can hate-on something in shades of gray.
If you don't like it fine, but tell me why.

ivelostr2

The more I look at this, the mor ethat looks like finger with a brown smudge at the tip...

calhoun07

I never said I didn't like it. I just would rather see movies closer to the spirit of the books. And Baum had his own songs from the original play that would be of more interest to me. The movie we got is OK, nothing really against it, but I think they could make a more faithful version.

John Crichton

Where is The Godfather?

dmpre99

agreed... now where is raging bull on that list

movielib

I agree with many on the list but Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and Nashville? Come on!

Another which isn't on the level of those three but is a damn fine film is Chicago.

coli

I agree with on the original list:

A Beautiful Mind
American Beauty
Chicago
Forrest Gump
Good Will Hunting
Monster's Ball

Also:

Gladiator (good movie, but not as great as everyone says

Taxi Driver (I love Scorcese, but this movie I just don't get)

Old School (So many people I know love this movie, I think I'm in the minority about how bad it is)

The Grinch (Again I love Jim Carrey, but this is his worst movie)

Independence Day & Armageddon (I know their not academy movies, but they are everything that is wrong with summer movies: Action, Effects, and no story or no drama)

Jaymole

I'm sorry, but if a film wins the Academy Award for best picture, it definitely makes it a film that has received a lot of praise. Some of these award winners didn't deserve all the praise at the time, thus I find many to be overrated. I see nothing wrong in including them on such lists.

RockStrongo

Personally, I dont think those are overrated.

I think some of us like the "turn your brain off" summer popcorn flicks sometimes. I think it makes the summer more fun.

Leave the heavy dramas for fall.

Now, when those type of movies start getting major academy nominations, Ill agree.