MovieChat Forums > Mitch Albom's For One More Day (2007) Discussion > The Title Isn't Long Enough

The Title Isn't Long Enough

posted 16 years ago by pemolloy
14 replies | jump to latest

It should really be called "ABC Televises Oprah Winfrey Presents Mitch Albom's For One More Day, Sponsored by Target".

Honestly, whenever I see some author's name built into the title of a film, I automatically think of it as someone's ego trip; but this title is ridiculous. Does Winfrey have to have her name on EVERYTHING she touches? After all this time in show biz, is she that insecure?

It's a good thing it's not a theatrical movie; there's no marquee long enough!

[–] marketlink_kid2006 16 years ago

I agree with you. I don't care if Oprah produced this whole thing or directed it or just had the book on her show, I think it takes away from the movie when we have to slap some big name on it like hers. Mitch Albom's name doesnt concern me so much, it is his story but honestly, lets just leave out Oprah's...I'll still watch it with or without her approval.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Yorick_Brown 16 years ago

Lots of films have "Blank Presents..."

It's not an ego trip. It's a marketing thing.

I remember falling
I remember marching
Like a one man army...

-Our Lady Peace

[–] mlee1919 16 years ago

Agreed. It's just not an elegant thing to do

[–] ClawedLeMew 16 years ago

Oprah's name attracts viewers who normally might not watch such a film. So it is a win-win for everyone.

[–] greenerskies47 16 years ago

Haha "Oprah Winfrey Presents: A Sneeze" That had me laughing. I think it's probably just to attract more viewers and as for the author's name, it is his book, and I have heard of problems when a movie is given the same name as a book so it might be a copyright thing. I know there was at least one other movie (I believe it was "Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights") that had to include the author's name because of some sort of problem.

"Irresponsibility isn't a sickness - it's an art." - Remington Steele

[–] vmwrites 16 years ago

As popular as Oprah is, she's become a premier self-marketer. She's in there with Dr. Phil McGraw and Bill O'Reilly. These three people are among the upper echelon of self marketers.

This is a free enterprise economic system, but to put your name BEFORE the name of the author's and the title is crass, I think.

The reason Mitch Albom's name was in there was because he was the screenwriter. This is pretty common, as we've seen with movies of Stephen King's novels. There is The Shining with Jack Nicholson, and Stephen King's The Shining, which was a mini-series in which Stephen King had a personal hand.

But in For One More Day, I think that Oprah should have left her name OUT of the title. After all, it appears more than once in the credits (Harpo Films and as Executive Producer).

vmwrites

[–] Isaac5855 16 years ago

I must agree...the fact that Winfrey felt her name should be part of the title smacks of pure ego and nothing else. I seriouasly doubt if anyone's decision to watch this film or not watch it was based on the fact that Winfrey produced it. I didn't know Winfrey had anyting to do with it until it actually started...her involvment was not mentioned in advertising prior to the broadcast.

[–] xoxomd2 16 years ago

They were on her show last week promoting it, and the author kept saying to Oprah whenever he addressed the film "Your film, Oprah". I get turned off by films when they add a "Presents", and since it's Oprah, it gives me the impression that it's as bad as some "Hallmark film" or "Lifetime film". Didn't Quentin Tarantino do the same thing for Hostel?? Maybe I'm confusing it with another film.

[–] pinmv 16 years ago

My neighbor only watched it because of Oprah - I will loan her the book.

Path. Follow path. Gate. Open gate, through gate, close gate. Last ferry 6.30, so run, run, run.

[–] Isaac5855 16 years ago

In my mind, as a producer, if you feel you have to incorporate your name into the title of the film, it means you don't feel the film is strong enough to stand on its own merit(s).

[–] Isaac5855 16 years ago

I'm surprised that when THE GREAT DEBATERS was released, the title wasn't OPRAH WINFREY PRESENTS THE GREAT DEBATERS.

[–] energizer-2 16 years ago

The fact that it's written by Mitch Albom gives it enough merit. Just from two of his books, he became well-known. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" became so popular that they made that a movie, too, and Mitch himself was the executive producer on that one. I don't see why he couldn't have done that with "One More Day" as well. Maybe it was because 5 People movie didn't do as well as the book. But still, I agree that Oprah should have left her name out of the title...

[–] fantauzzo 15 years ago

I'm kinda embarassed to admit that the Oprah connection led me to rent this movie today. I will not make that mistake again. (Shoulda known~ can't stand her show, either.)
It is also a Hallmark movie, which gave it a 50/50 chance of being worth watching, in my opinion. Make that 25/75, now.
The description on the box sounded good, but if it ever got good, I'll never know, since they took so freaking long to get anywhere that I gave up.