MovieChat Forums > Broadcast News (1987) Discussion > It seems that Hollywood forgot how to ma...

It seems that Hollywood forgot how to make adult comedies like this.


I don't want to sound like a moralist, but why do all contemporayy comedies have to portrait adult characters as big teenagers and show the world as a big playground?


Films like "Broadcast News", "My Cousin Vinny", "Quick Change", Defending your life", "Moonstruck" and "Throw Momma from the train" put their main characters struggling with real world grown up problems. Even though most of them were imatures, they would have to deal with the consequences of their natural refusal to change. Their arrogance would only make things more difficult and in the end, they would learn how to embrace their weakness and step down from their ivory tower, though humbler to learn with the world.


Comedies today? They just show that it's ok to be a teenager through adulthood. As a matter of fact, it will make you more "authentic"! The characters are not the problem, it`s just that the adult world is conspiring against them. They don't wanna work ou study to acquire new skills; they just wanna be visionaires like Steve Jobs, but without putting 1/1000 of the effort required to create something. So they get frustrated and blame the "universe". And the movie embraces this message, like the world owned them something.




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Sad, really.

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Good stuff is out there. Maybe they're independents, maybe they're made on a shoestring but posted on youtube but it'll find you. Remember, when Broadcast News came out, lowbrow teen comedies were made by the dozen. It's easy to remember the few greats and forget the multitude of weak product.

I'm finding a lot of good short subjects on YouTube. Check it out.

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You might as well say, how did Hollywood forget to make adult movies like this?

Limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief: directly proportional to its awesomeness.

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I'm just watched Broadcast News again tonight and wonder the same thing. I'd love to see a sophisticated adult comedy (I liked It's Complicated, as an example) again. After seeing The Danish Girl, my friend and I were talking about what a terrific actor Eddie Redmayne is. I mentioned how I'd like to see him (if they still made films like this) in a Cary Grant-style comedy like Bringing Up Baby, Holiday or Philadelphia Story. Unfortunately, as you say, they just don't make them anymore.

I'm so very tired of comedies - and I use that term lightly - about adults (usually men) still acting like 15-year-olds or the she-thinks-she-hates-him-but-really-loves-him romantic comedies. I'd love charm/grace/humor/character/writing again.

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Great assessment of what seems to be a lost art - casting for adults dealing with adult problems without blowing their problems up into a teenaged response to every issue. LIFE is funny - it's funny, tragic, impossible to predict, and it shouldn't be THAT difficult to convey that message to the big screen ... Hollywood just doesn't want (or the public doesn't demand) to exert the energy into great "life is a comedy" work.

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Because all Hollywood can do these days for the most part is make movies about comic book heroes and vampires.

You also have re-makes and re-boots.

As for comedies-- what was the one about Jennifer Anderson running drugs to Mexico with a fake family? Lot's a laughs there.

AE36

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Yes more smart, clever drama/comedies with interesting grown up characters.

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