Films You Would Break Up Over
Filed under: Fandom
You're a Cinematical reader, so naturally you're very passionate about films. You probably live, breathe, and eat movies, and your life has undoubtedly been altered in some way by them. But would you break up with someone over it?
No, this isn't coming from personal experience -- but "I could never love someone who didn't love that movie!" is the snarky sort of comment I've made a lot, and one that I'm convinced is true. There's exceptions, of course -- I could love someone who didn't enjoy Crank as I did, or who had no time for Gladiator. Life would be boring if we didn't allow for personal opinions and tastes, after all. I also would forgive a guy who didn't want to watch Pride and Prejudice or any other corseted chick flick ... a girl has to have some downtime, and Hugh Jackman or Mr. Darcy are best appreciated solo.
But there are films that I couldn't overlook. Lord of the Rings is probably #1 on that list ... and while I can make exceptions for criticisms of The Return of the King (I make them myself, and often -- I'm a Tolkien nerd), there's no room in my heart for anyone who would dismiss the trilogy utterly. The same goes for The Fountain. Then there's the obvious ones, like L.A. Confidential or Sergio Leone ... and not just because of my undying affection for hardboiled heroes (although that is a pretty big part of it), but because I couldn't fathom talking to someone who didn't "get" films that 99% of the world has. That sounds snobbish, and I hate cinema snobbery, but I see these kinds of standards not as some kind of artistic extremism, but because the films I love do represent me for better or worse. If someone doesn't love "my" movies, well, how can that ever work?
I'll turn this topic over to you now. I'm dying to know if anyone has ever broken-up over a movie, or whether a flippant, first date comment about The Godfather made you avoid that person like the plague. Or maybe you just want to share your list of the movies you couldn't excuse someone hating or loving.
No, this isn't coming from personal experience -- but "I could never love someone who didn't love that movie!" is the snarky sort of comment I've made a lot, and one that I'm convinced is true. There's exceptions, of course -- I could love someone who didn't enjoy Crank as I did, or who had no time for Gladiator. Life would be boring if we didn't allow for personal opinions and tastes, after all. I also would forgive a guy who didn't want to watch Pride and Prejudice or any other corseted chick flick ... a girl has to have some downtime, and Hugh Jackman or Mr. Darcy are best appreciated solo.
But there are films that I couldn't overlook. Lord of the Rings is probably #1 on that list ... and while I can make exceptions for criticisms of The Return of the King (I make them myself, and often -- I'm a Tolkien nerd), there's no room in my heart for anyone who would dismiss the trilogy utterly. The same goes for The Fountain. Then there's the obvious ones, like L.A. Confidential or Sergio Leone ... and not just because of my undying affection for hardboiled heroes (although that is a pretty big part of it), but because I couldn't fathom talking to someone who didn't "get" films that 99% of the world has. That sounds snobbish, and I hate cinema snobbery, but I see these kinds of standards not as some kind of artistic extremism, but because the films I love do represent me for better or worse. If someone doesn't love "my" movies, well, how can that ever work?
I'll turn this topic over to you now. I'm dying to know if anyone has ever broken-up over a movie, or whether a flippant, first date comment about The Godfather made you avoid that person like the plague. Or maybe you just want to share your list of the movies you couldn't excuse someone hating or loving.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
5-22-2009 @ 11:59AM
Ron Mwangaguhunga said...
Not liking "Hannah and her Sisters" would be an automatic dealbreaker for me.
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5-23-2009 @ 2:53AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
On our first date my wife mentioned loving Saving Private Ryan. To this day friends and family marvel that I didn't drop her at that moment.
5-22-2009 @ 12:04PM
Rebekah said...
I know this is crazy, but I would have serious problems with someone who didn't love/appreciate Big Trouble in Little China. It's totally a part of who I am. I was raised on it and when thunderstorms roll in all I want to do is sit back and watch Jack Burton kick ass.
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5-22-2009 @ 4:10PM
thegoldfishpool said...
I wore out soooo many copies of that on VHS before the DVD came out, Which I got 2 just in case ; )
5-22-2009 @ 12:11PM
Eric said...
I have been trying to get my girl friend to watch Lord of the rings as well. She saids they look stupid, but i know as soon as she watches them she will love them. The other day i was watching the making of stuff and she thought it looked interesting. Plus she was amazed at all the "Hot Guys". so maybe she will watch them all one day. anyone got any ideas to turn her on to this.
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5-22-2009 @ 1:22PM
Mourge said...
my family watches all 3 of the Lord of the Ring movies -- extended, back to back, on the Saturday closest to Christmas. I made my girlfriend come and watch them with me. When she did and loved them, that's when I started getting the ball rolling on getting the engagement ring made :-p
5-22-2009 @ 12:17PM
Jayne said...
I would never date someone who liked the movie Juno. If I was already with someone and THEN found out that they liked Juno, I would lose a lot of respect for them...but it probably wouldn't be a deal-breaker. Probably. ;)
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5-22-2009 @ 12:27PM
cough said...
Instead of crucinfing a person for not liking a certain film, i can't stand when another is trying to "turn me" to their tastes. You can't make me watch that trilogy again, for example. They're good films, i'll give you that, but i find them extremely tedious and boring. To each his own, i guess.
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5-22-2009 @ 12:48PM
Chris Glemaud said...
I wouldn't break up. I'd take it as a challenge to trick the opposition into watching a film of my choosing.
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5-22-2009 @ 12:58PM
andrew said...
too many girls love serendipity.
"that's a deal-breaker, ladies"
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5-22-2009 @ 12:56PM
Colin said...
There is a deep connection I will never be able to make with a person who actively dislikes The Big Lebowski.
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5-22-2009 @ 4:41PM
napier' news said...
I agree gotta love The Big Lebowski. There are just so many truly classic scenes and lines in that film.
5-22-2009 @ 1:03PM
chinmoku said...
Elisabeth, you're the girl I've been looking for all my life :-)
Your favs are my favs as well, but... I could "love" someone who doesn't like them, is not obsessed by these movies respectively.
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5-22-2009 @ 1:03PM
roshow said...
Isn't it possible for someone to "get" you and love you so much that even though they may not like those movies (or even hate them) they can still understand and respect why they are important to you?
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5-22-2009 @ 1:26PM
Shadow said...
Mine's weirder. My girlfriend won't watch Army of Darkness because it puts her to sleep. Every time.
She doesn't hate anything about it. She likes Sam Raimi (Hell she likes Darkman more than I do) but she has never once been able to watch Army of Darkness start to finish. Something about it just knocks her out.
We have an arrangement where I only put that fact to use when she's got insomnia. And it still works. I'll take the hit though. She's seen the whole thing, just never all at once. If she hated it I'd have to question some things, but she doesn't.
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5-22-2009 @ 2:00PM
Robin said...
I have the same problem with Braveheart. I cannot make it through the movie without falling asleep.
5-22-2009 @ 1:32PM
Kevin said...
I'm definitely with you on the Lord of the Rings thing. Also a straight up deal breaker would be someone's take on animated films, for instance if they think that they just meant for kids. You have to have a hollow tin icebox of a chest to not love Finding Nemo!
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5-22-2009 @ 2:01PM
Robert Grant said...
You couldn't pay my Wife to watch LOTR again or any one of 100 movies I own extended/directors cut/special editions of, and we've been happily married for almost 21 years.
I've been helping run SCI-FI-LONDON for 8 years and she's never once been.
Dunno what that says about anything except that it's the space between us that makes us who we are. Also, I go to the movies with my son (he's 19) a lot!
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5-22-2009 @ 2:00PM
Brian said...
Now, mind you... I'm engaged to a person who, thankfully, doesn't have this issue...
But it would be a deal-breaker if the person I was with dismissed any genre of cinema. Now, my fiance isn't a big fan of scary movies because it genuinely bothers him. It's not that he thinks they're bad films... just doesn't enjoy being scared like that. That's understandable ('cause I sort of feel the same way). But for someone, as Kevin expressed above, to not watch a movie because it's a little depressing or there's a little violence or language or... it's f-ing animated. That's a deal-breaker.
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5-22-2009 @ 2:12PM
Jay said...
Wow, you chose two of my favorite movies: the LoTR Trilogy (counts as one), and LA Confidential. The Fountain is high on my list as well, but I wouldn't fret if she didn't like it (its such a guy flick).
If a woman 1.) does not like TRON, and 2.) I cannot convince her how amazing a movie it really is, can go suck on a dirty sock.
What else?
Oh yeah, if she doesn't see the utter brilliance behind "Tokyo Drift" -- well I'll have to let her pass on that, too. Although I stand behind my love of that movie. I don't like cars or care about drifting, but that was such a good coming-of-age movie set in an exotic land. I loved it.
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