All right, I’ll admit it: one of my absolute favorite movies is Kangaroo Jack.
Yes, this Kangaroo Jack, which currently holds an 8% on Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer[1]. I know that critics don’t think it’s a good movie; heck, I don’t think it’s a good movie. For a long time that created a certain sense of unease within me because I felt that, being someone passionate about film, I should only like “better” movies. Films with substance and emotion and power. I’d look at contemporary movie blogs or discussions and see people listing movies like La Vita è Bella or Casablanca as their favorites. I love both of those movies, but I also love Kangaroo Jack.
Films seem to be having a similar problem. I’m not talking about “the Industry”, or independent filmmakers. I’m talking about the battle between art and entertainment that each movie faces. They’re distinct sides that are easy to define for pretty much every moviegoer: If I give you The Godfather and Grown Ups, it’s not hard to sort them. Given that, it would be easy to say that one category of film has more value than the other, but I feel that to do so would be too much of an oversimplification. Yes, I agree that Marlon Brando has more acting chops than Adam Sandler, but to judge movies solely on that basis is to lose part of why films exist in the first place. They are a form of artistic expression, to be sure, but films are also meant to entertain. Is it not called the entertainment industry?
Therein lies my problem: I see The Godfather as a work of art, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t entertained by Grown Ups. I think many people feel the same way; not everyone’s favorite movie is on AFI’s 10Top10. And to be honest, that’s not a bad thing. Why is it wrong to enjoy Pacific Rim just as much, if not more, than Once Upon a Time in America? At the end of the day, if I want to come home, eat dinner, sit down with my family and watch giant robots beat the crap out of giant monsters, I should be able to do so without feeling guilty for not watching a cinematic experience (although I’d argue that Pacific Rim is an incredible cinematic experience; props to ILM). Not all movies can be cinematic; not all movies should be cinematic. And that shouldn’t be embarrassing.
So the next time someone asks you what your favorite movie is, just go ahead and tell them. It shouldn’t be embarrassing to enjoy movies that are entertaining – that’s why we watch them. Movies serve a different purpose for everyone, so don’t worry if you haven’t seen Citizen Kane – Die Hard is a solid choice too!
— Tristan Amond
