MovieChat Forums > Arlington Road (1999) Discussion > Dumb movie for dumb people.

Dumb movie for dumb people.


This movie shows some promise in the beginning (interesting plot) but becomes so ridiculous by the end that you no longer care. Poorly directed and written, if you have short-term memory problems and love surprise endings (regardless of how stupidly the ending is executed), you'll love this movie. If you have half a brain in your head, you'll be annoyed and disappointed by the time the credits role. Also, Jeff Bridges (a fine actor) is totally miscast in this film.

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I have seen Jeff Bridges act the same way he always does in many other films and this one is no exception. This movie was all-around bad!

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It is a great script, but the ham-handed direction really ruins any real suspense.

Perfect example: Bridges arrives to pick up his son at camp, and the two men running the camp have 'EVIL LIGHTING' shining up from their desk. I stopped using that lighting trick in high school. C'mon guys!

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Maybe I was watching a different film, because I thought Bridges, Robbins AND Cusack were all oustanding.

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Wait a minute... who am I here?

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I'm with you. When I first saw this on HBO, I thought it was a riveting movie, kept you on the edge of your seat and the ending was a horrible surprise. Jeff Bridges is great as the panicky unraveling Professor who appears to have let his class and research on anti-government terrorists "get inside his head". Tim Robbins' baby faced cold evil is chilling and Joan Cusack was fantastic as the CREEPY Stepford style wife who shows up out of nowhere more than once. It appears, from this thread, people really like this movie or really don't. I thought it was an ahead of curve pre 9/11 movie.

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Same here. I thought this was a brilliant film. Tense, suspenseful, outstanding acting, great plot. Amazing twist - never saw that coming. I saw this film a long time ago and it has stayed with me ever since.

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Also, Jeff Bridges (a fine actor) is totally miscast in this film.
Funny, of the couple Jeff Bridges movies I've seen, this is the only performance I really liked. But I agree, he's an excellent actor.

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Totally agree...




"You want to investigate my courage? Do you? Find out! Find out!" (Robert Ford)

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Hell yeah.

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I agree. There are one or two suspenseful scenes but the film gets more and more ridiculous as it goes along. The ending actually made me kinda angry.
It seemed as though the director was trying to do his best Hitchcock interpretation but failed miserably.

Judas Priest Cult #2
let the mass begin....
Your wife died from cyanide in the scotch

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who are you calling dumb? *beep* you

Simpsons haters go to HELL!

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Yes! I totally agree with you robi1138-1

This is a terrible movie. Poorly directed! Some of the shots were obnoxiously tame & completely gouache. That shot of the exhaust pipe, the awful shot of the broken walkie talkie. Dear god... Nothing worse than a failed attempt at a stylistic film.

The only thing that kept me watching this was the satisfying thought of the bad-guys' "payback' in the end, but it never happened. There's nothing worse than a bad film trying to prove a point.

I love all of the adult actors, but they weren't right for these roles.




"...the young man would love it too, but he can't afford it."

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lol so you think not liking this movie somehow makes you smart? hey list me some of the movies you consider not "dumb" and I will laugh at you. you simple fool.

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HAHA... I'm anything but simple, & I'm most definitely not a fool, but you most likely are a loser, fat & or ugly. Get a *beep* life. If you react this way over something trivial, I wonder how you react to something big. You'll probably die of a heart attack. I hope you do... :-D

Here you go loser:
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=22271274





"...the young man would love it too, but he can't afford it."

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You really have your adjectives down. :-)

It's not dumb if someone just watched the film for the first time, right?



"...the young man would love it too, but he can't afford it."

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It's ignorant to say someone is dumb for enjoying a film. Who are you to judge others? I've taken many film courses, and there are no bad films.. It's a matter of opinion. It's okay that you don't care for the film, but I on the other hand thoroughly enjoyed it. So, please, keep your derogatory remarks to yourself. There's no need to insult anyone. Have some respect for others and yourself. It is only a movie after all.

www.youtube.com/user/joshdnitsche

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I enjoyed the film, felt it was a slightly missed opportunity in some ways, though. Joan Cusack looked good and was creepy in her role, Jeff Bridges had a mesmerizing case of 90s hair but that's OK because it was the 90s and Tim Robbins was doing his slightly unbalanced thing as he does quite well.

If you enjoyed the film, that's cool. Don't take offense at someone who says that you're stupid for liking it. The belligerent tone undermines the credibility of their critiques anyway.

E-Fan : "I liked this film!"

E-Hater : "Well, you only liked this film because you are stupid. You are stupid and you are gay! You are stupid, gay and ugly and your parents are stupid and ugly and gay and RETARDED! How about I get into my car, turn my radio up really loud and crash through your living room window while you and you and your whole stupid family are watching this film while you're all going 'DERRRRP!' ?"

E-Fan : "Hmmmmm. Your thoughtful and in no way belittling commentary has totally changed my mind. Thank you, kind stranger!"

E-Hater : *beep* you."

/S

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Fantastic expounding of your perspective . . . and isn't it profound how many trolls make threads like these, that are supplanted on obvious logical fallacies?

No one can be shown what the Matrix is, they have to see it for themselves . . .

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Sorry to disagree, but there really IS such a thing as a bad movie: One that makes little sense, stretches credibility beyond the point of being enjoyable, insults its viewers' intelligence. One in which the plot relies heavily on coincidence, happenstance, blind luck and the viewer making stuff up to fill the holes. This is one such movie.

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Sorry to disagree, but there really IS such a thing as a bad movie


That's an opinion, not a fact. Even if you think it's bad, you'll find someone who enjoys it... like this film for instance. How can it be universally bad if I like it and you don't? They void each other out.

Find me a film with no fans and then your point is proven.

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