I think a lot of it was the buildup to it - I'd been told by EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THE PLANET for years that it was THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER IN THE WORLD and would CHANGE MY LIFE AND MAKE ME LAUGH AND CRY AND DO MY TAXES AND LAUNDRY AND CURE WORLD HUNGER, and...it was a romantic comedy about baseball? Really?
River: You gave up everything you had. Simon: [Chinese] Everything I have is right here.
'Safe'
Buffista Movies 6: lies and videotape
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Jessica - Aug 27, 2008 4:11:08 am PDT #7896 of 10000
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
amych - Aug 27, 2008 4:15:02 am PDT #7897 of 10000
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
It was supposed to do my taxes? I was cheated!
(Nah, seriously -- I lurve it to a great and goofy degree, but nobody else has to. And I get the weirdness of the huge buildup for something you find... meh.)
Barb - Aug 27, 2008 4:18:30 am PDT #7898 of 10000
“Not dead yet!”
and...it was a romantic comedy about baseball? Really?
You know, I think the thing about it, is the people who saw it when it first came out, in the theatres, it was so mind-bogglingly different from what had been coming out at that time. It was a sports movie, but it was a smart sports movie. But it wasn't a Big! Dramatic! Message! sports movie, it was just a fun, comedic sports movie that didn't rely on the pratfalls for the laughs, but on the dialogue and situations. Plus bonus! Romance movie as well.
The writer, Ron Shelton, definitely knew where he was coming from with the baseball and did a fine job with the romance, even though it was completely predictable.
Then thing I find most fascinating about it, from the romance side of things, is I think had a woman written that same screenplay or even a novel, with that plot, it would've gotten shot down in a New York minute because the heroine spends the majority of the film boinking (or wanting to boink) a character other than the hero, which is a huge no-no in the romance world. (Trust me, I KNOW this). But because it was written by a guy, it was "Awww... look, romance!"
Frustrating, but at least he did a fairly good job with it.
Theodosia - Aug 27, 2008 4:19:15 am PDT #7899 of 10000
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"
I suspect that Bull Durham's strength is that you can watch it with pink or blue glasses on, and get a roughly equal amount of enjoyment out of it.
Ailleann - Aug 27, 2008 4:22:18 am PDT #7900 of 10000
vanguard of the socialist Hollywood liberal homosexualist agenda
I think a lot of it was the buildup to it - I'd been told by EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THE PLANET for years that it was THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER IN THE WORLD and would CHANGE MY LIFE AND MAKE ME LAUGH AND CRY AND DO MY TAXES AND LAUNDRY AND CURE WORLD HUNGER, and...it was a romantic comedy about baseball? Really?
Minus the romantic comedy about baseball part, this is exactly how I feel about Fight Club.
Jessica - Aug 27, 2008 4:28:04 am PDT #7901 of 10000
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
Minus the romantic comedy about baseball part, this is exactly how I feel about Fight Club.
Hee - and Fight Club is one of my favorite movies of all time. (It's a romantic comedy about fighting.)
Frankenbuddha - Aug 27, 2008 5:17:53 am PDT #7902 of 10000
"We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town...Beep! Beep!" - David Bowie, "Fashion"
It's a romantic comedy about fighting.
Heh. It's funny 'cause it's true.
What made Bull Durham for me were the character details (the discussion on the mound where person after person goes out to join the conversation, for instance). At the time I seriously couldn't care less about baseball (my brother and his wife have gotten me to appreciate watching a game recently, even if it's something I'd never do on my own).
P.M. Marc - Aug 27, 2008 5:30:02 am PDT #7903 of 10000
So come, my friends, be not afraid/We are so lightly here/It is in love that we are made; In love we disappear
Sports comedies with romance are usually bulletproof for me, but BD isn't. I watched it shortly after it came out, and it left me cold.
Meanwhile? I'm still considering purchasing Tin Cup. So I know it's not the Costner. Maybe it's the baseball?
Don't ask me. It's my brain, and I don't get it.
(It's also possible that the sports part didn't have enough oomph? Again, maybe it's the baseball. Maybe I'll watch it again and like it. Who knows. But the fact is, I wasn't kidding about Tin Cup. That one? I love.)
Strega - Aug 27, 2008 5:58:15 am PDT #7904 of 10000
Loved Bull Durham. And I don't give a shit about baseball, so the fact that much of the comedy is making fun of baseball (affectionately, but still) is kind of a selling point.
We did see it when it came out, but I don't know if it was all that unusual at the time. The studios had some quirkier releases coming out then. In the summer of 1988 we got Big, Bull Durham, A Fish Called Wanda, and Midnight Run. Die Hard and Roger Rabbit were also released then, but I'd put them in a different category. All in all, it was a pretty good summer.
amych - Aug 27, 2008 6:00:56 am PDT #7905 of 10000
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?
All in all, it was a pretty good summer.
Man, I miss smart comedy. With few exceptions, it seems like the only available flavors right now are either romantic comedies (ecch) or dumb-guy-kick-in-the-nuts comedies (ewww).