Cinecast Mailbag (8/25)

Seems we've definitely opened the floodgates with our overrated movies discussion...

Hey Adam! Hey Sam!

Love the show. Makes my daily commute less tedious, and I thank you for that.

I'm guessing this one will somehow be left out of the list of overrated flicks, but has there ever been a film as overrated as "Terms of Endearment"?

Here is a film that won best picture, director, actor, actress and adapted screenplay, and yet, it rarely rises above the level of mediocre sitcom. Nicholson rarely goes beyond auto-pilot. MacLaine is only slight outdone by Faye Dunaway in "Mommie Dearest" in terms of hamminess. The direction is pedestrian. The score entirely annoying. And the writing is lackluster and schmaltzy. Brooks' work was much sharper and often more heartfelt in any random episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

The only real highlights in the film lie in the interplay between John Lithgow and Debra Winger, and even that is burdened by some cheap, obvious humor (for example, the New York line).

I remember when the film came out that there were reports of large groups of people leaving the theatre crying. It must have been because they were so happy the movie was over.

Well, keep up the good work. --Stuart Kazanow, Reisterstown, MD

P.S. How could you leave "Revenge of the Nerds" off of the top five list of revenge flicks? The Bride's got nuthin' on Gilbert, Louis and Booger!!

Thanks for the feedback, Stuart. First off, I love "Revenge of the Nerds"! One of my all-time nostalgia movies... not to mention most quotable.

You're right, "Terms of Endearment" won't make either of our Top 5 lists. Not that it doesn't belong there, mind you -- you nailed it; it's completely overrated. (And not surprisingly, perhaps, you will find one James L. Brooks film in my top 5.) But for me, and I think Sam as well, "Terms" is just too easy a target. There are so many undeserving films just like it that won a bunch of Oscars (see below) ... enough, in fact, that you can be sure we'll have our Top 5 Best Picture Blunders come February.

But forget how it was received then, do you know anybody who really loves this film? I don't. I'm having a hard time finishing my top 5, in fact, because I have a whole list of films just like "Terms" that I do believe were overrated, but just aren't "sexy" picks (think of all of the movies Sam, rather ridiculously, listed in his 6-10). Movies that can inspire some hate mail! Will anybody be upset if I call "Driving Miss Daisy" overrated? "Titanic"? "Out of Africa"? "Rainman"?

Let me be clear... we're not going out of our way to piss people off with these lists. But if the picks aren't at least somewhat shocking, then can you really say the movies are "overrated"?

So I agree with you on "Terms," but I'm hoping for an inbox full of vitriol. I think I've got a couple in my top 5 that will do the trick... need one more though. I guess we'll see what I come up with Friday morning.

Best,
Adam