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July 1994

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Subject:
From:
"Mary C. Kalfatovic" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 23 Jul 1994 17:21:20 -0400
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So many things in the plot of FORREST GUMP don't make sense that I won't
list them.  It would take several screens and ruin the movie for those who
haven't yet seen the movie.  My major criticism of the picture is a
general one: an almost complete lack of character development.  This has
been a problem with many recent films.  FORREST GUMP is just typical.
FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL shares GUMP's problem: because we must proceed
with the contrived plot there is no time to get to know the characters who
are in the plot.  We also must fit in our quota of sex and excrement jokes
(Is there a new production code that stipulates there must be a minimum
amount of these in every movie?  I've seen more urinals in the past
couple of years than in my whole life before that).  Actually, though
I did not care for either of the above mentioned films other people in
the theatre were laughing up a storm at both  (though towards the end of
the wearyingly long GUMP the laughs were fewer).  Is it possible that
present day audiences, in general, are bored by character development and
prefer fast paced, shallow, jokey, mildly smutty humor?  It is interesting
to compare GUMP or FOUR WEDDINGS to an earlier movie such as THE
APARTMENT.  Similar to GUMP, THE APARTMENT is a bit too long.  Unlike GUMP,
however, very little happens in the 2 hours plus running time.  The story
revolves around the Lemmon/Maclaine/Macmurray characters, not around
frantic action.   Even the Day/Hudson comedies had stronger character
development than most recent comedies.  Doris and Rock played characters
put into situations.  In GUMP and WEDDINGS and other recent films it is
the other way around.  Situations get characters put into them.
 
Mary Kalfatovic

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