Social Commentary

[Stewball]

I'm sensitive to political or philosophical commentary in the movies, and wonder if I'm beginning to notice an odd trend--examples of which I can't remember specifically except for this latest one, Beautiful Creatures. What seems to be happening is they throw in snippets of social commentary, as few as one from either side. It's like throwing a bone to the members of the audience who care about that stuff, but goes unremarked by the rest, thus letting them have their cake and eat it too.

In BC, there are a few instances of religious satire, but on the other hand it has some witches talking up God. At one point one of them says that Nancy Reagan was the only mortal who they really feared (words to that effect). It's major point was the attitude that most people were too stupid or too afraid to really live--but hey, who can argue with that. "Trend" might be overstating it, but I've noticed like instances before. Just wish I could remember what they were. **wanders off, drool dribbling down chin**

[prowler]

yeah i've also noticed this duplicitous nature, where a movie will feed both sides of a certain issue. i was struck by it in Seven Psychopaths - way to please the shoot'em up fans as well as the zen peace buffs, all under the cover of meta

[Stewball]

Yeah, very ambivalent there, or is it bibivalent? I remembered it in The Details (still a great movie) with the Prius with an Obama bumper sticker, but the bureaucratic runaround about the racoons and the construction; was it God or the universe that dropped the piano; not to mention the kidney and the arrow.

Might should'a titled this "Playing Both Sides Against the Middle".