MovieChat Forums > Bringing Up Baby (1938) Discussion > The hatred against this film is pathetic...

The hatred against this film is pathetic.

posted 13 years ago by madbandit20002000
17 replies | jump to latest

It's a sad state of affairs when people think a classic movie is crap, but a typical blockbuster film made today is gets "the best action film ever" label(Transformers 3 was decent, not the best thing since sliced bread).

Maybe I'm getting old (30s), but I liked "Bringing Up Baby" because of its' scatter-brainness humor and genuine humanity. Kate Hepburn's Susan isn't annoying or spoiled, but lack stability and common sense. Grant's David is an intellectual, but doesn't know how to live. Both characters compliment each other and they deserve each other.

[–] jtrichey13 12 years ago

Who are you addressing exactly? Somebody liked Transformers 3?

Downwards is the only way forwards.

[–] novastar_6 12 years ago

I do have to agree, the GREAT movies of the 30s and 40s and 50s are ignored and eventually all but forgotten, and all the crap that's made today is ridiculously praised as if it's a piece of genius work when it's not, and I wouldn't waste my money on it and don't know anybody who would. Ain't an actress alive today who can compete with Katharine Hepburn in her heyday.

[–] Merrida 12 years ago

I completely agree. I loved this movie, and I'm a fan of Grant and Hepburn, together or not. I much prefer the classic movies to most of the CGI special affect movies that come out now. They relied on pure talent back then, and it shows.

______________________________________
Sic vis pacem para bellum.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Jason_Radley 12 years ago

Awesome comedic talents? She had to be coached through the making of this.

[–] StitchedxPoet 12 years ago

I have to highly disagree. I like plenty of classic films from the black and white era and the silent era. But I could barely sit through this. I only did since I was watching this for class. Kathrine Hepburn's character was just the most annoying thing I have ever seen. And also disturbingly creepy, like there was something seriously wrong with her mentally. She reminded me of some kind of serial killer since she kept trying to keep him with her. I understand that some people may like this film. But I just can't get past how much it disturbed me.

[–] deltascorch90 12 years ago

This is a film that in the modern day is merited only on account of love given to the leads in particular, with the content & style being fallen out of disfavor to the modern eye, even one well-trained in the film of this era. The fact is that this film so rigorously exploits the slapstick/screwball variety of comedy to an end which lesser programs of the modern day frequently show, and the parallel becomes inevitable: we have seen people falling down in spastic ways countless times, and seeing it in black & white doesn't at all change the low humor of it all. Laughing at people falling down or acting as idiots is a type of comedy which I delightfully enjoy abstaining from, in favor of smart humor such as that found in The Philadelphia Story -- an infinitely superior film. The audience of this film, the one intended I mean, couldn't be more different than the one for The Philadelphia Story, and all the more striking is the constancy of the leads therefore. I suppose on one note we could observe the range that the actors demonstrated are able to wield as actors; indeed, I have never seen Cary Grant act like this before, and it gave me new perspective into his abilities; there were moments were Katherine Hepburn appeared quite attractive & delicate, which was favorable. In the end, however, I couldn't bring myself to call this a swell or spectacular film. It is a low comedy which doesn't require thought to appreciate. Its farcical screwball plot is better done in It Happened One Night; its leads are better cooperating in The Philadelphia Story; its cheap laughs belong in a modern sitcom. A film to me disappointing.

[–] Errington_92 12 years ago

I'm surprised Bringing Up Baby came across as a failure when it was first released. Its mixture of fast paced comic situations and the chemistry between Grant and Hepburn made it a fantastic viewing experience in my opinion.

"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not".

[–] tgibbs279 12 years ago

A person can dislike ONE movie, and it doesn't mean that person dislikes every movie of that genre or era.
Personally, I love many of the movies of the 1930s and 1940s, and I have virtually no interest in or fondness for most of the mainstream, major-studio movies of today. I barely pay attention to modern Hollywood and the formulaic dreck that passes for entertainment.
That said, I didn't care for 'Bringing Up Baby,' for many of the reasons already stated here. Above all else, I found Katharine Hepburn's character to be annoying and unsympathetic. AND SHE WOULDN'T SHUT UP. If she had anything funny or interesting to say, I could have tolerated it. But she didn't.
The makers of this movie seem to think that it's funny for characters to talk really fast (even if nothing they say is amusing) and to interrupt each other constantly.
And just like a bad sitcom, the storyline requires plot complications and misunderstandings that could and would be resolved easily with a simple sentence or two.
That, at the core, is my problem with this movie. Characters can be unusual or eccentric or odd. That's fine. Strange, unpredictable things can happen. That's fine too. But even if the characters or situations are odd or "screwball," people should still act and react something like real human beings. That doesn't happen here.

I didn't hate it. It's not the worst movie I've ever seen. But I was disappointed, given its reputation.

[–] ppllkk 10 years ago

Errington_92 wrote:

I'm surprised Bringing Up Baby came across as a failure when it was first released

That has been endlessly repeated, but it is only a partial truth. It was very successful in some parts of the country and very unsuccessful in other parts. Then it arrived in New York and the New York Times critic wrote a scathing review saying that he had seen all of this before in vaudeville. It was pulled after one week to make room for Jezebel with Bette Davis, so there was no chance for word-of-mouth to make it a success.I think it's a great film.David-CG's very useful Scripts for Firefox: http://userscripts.org/users/67626

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Honkey_Magoo 11 years ago

Just to start...a.) I have never seen any of the "Transformers" films and would never care for anything like them, b.) I have grown up watching films that dated all the way back to the late 1910s. Just to say simply that I certainly do understand the value and importance of films of many eras (as you do,)and based only on my opinion.

I just gave this film a try and, considering the way I hear many people call it "one of the best comedies of all time" I found it just didn't live up to the hype. I thought it was scattered, manic, badly written and acted. I think Hawks was right also, that there were too many "madcap" types in the thing. There really was an art to the classic screwball comedy and not just crazy for crazy was good enough. Maybe it's just a matter of taste, but I also can't handle character's who seem to have simple motor skill issues, like falling all the damn time and generally being a danger to themselves and others. I know it was all meant to be broad and, in that sense, surreal, not to be taken too seriously, but it felt so relentless and imbalanced. Even the good lines of the movie felt over powered by the nonstop, over the top "IT'S FUNNY! Again, this really could be just a matter of taste, and I would never dare tell a person what humor really is. That's impossible. Just to me, this is hardly it.

"He's the very pineapple of politeness"

[–] doowop14 11 years ago

Thanks for the mature review. Hey, everybody likes different things. This just wasn't one for you. But you made your case with class and dignity without resorting to name calling or being judgmental of others.

[–] neo_noir777777 10 years ago

Do people actually dislike this movie? Good Lord. That makes me scared for the future of humanity.

[–] CursedShadow 8 years ago

Regarding different intended audiences for Bringing Up Baby and The Philadelphia Story: Some how I managed to enjoy both of them immensely. Must be a quirk in my personality.

[–] Akira_Ziggy 8 years ago

I must have the same quirk in my personality too then as I love them both too.

I can understand how some people would not get the humour in this film and therefore not enjoy it. What I don't understand is why so many feel the need to attack it, when so many of us love it so much.