*****No spoilers yet, safe to read until warning below.*****
I hate the makers of this movie, and I will never forgive them. EVER. "50 first dates" as a movie per se was not too bad of a Hollywood romantic drama, sprinkled with a few comedy snippets. As such, I would have rated it 7.5 out of 10; it has plenty of entertainment value, and an adequate amount of originality to its storyline.
The big problem for me came approximately 31 minutes into the movie. Let me say this before I begin with the spoiler: if you have not seen the movie "The sixth sense", directed by M. Night Shyamalan, starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, heed my warning: DO NOT WATCH "50 FIRST DATES" BEFORE YOU WATCH "THE SIXTH SENSE". Why? I'll explain immediately below.
*****Begin spoiler for "50 first dates"*****
31 minutes into this movie, it shows how Lucy (Drew Barrymore) relives her last day before the accident in every detail, while her brother and father set up and clean up after the activities of that day, over and over. One of the activities is to watch a videotape of "The sixth sense". It is a time honored tradition for movie studios to include footage of earlier productions, especially if we are talking about movies that have become classics. In this sense, there is nothing wrong with "50 first dates" showing a few scenes from the opening scenes of "The sixth sense". In fact, showing how Lucy becomes frightened watching TV, while her relatives react in a sad deja-vu manner, is an effective way of depicting how the repetition of this day's activities is taking a toll on them (the relatives).
What follows next however, is totally disgusting, unconscionable and uncalled for: upon finishing their videotape, Lucy blurts out the surprise ending of "The sixth sense", with no warning and no useful effect on the plot of "50 first dates". This is called spoiling another film in the worst possible manner!!! I cannot express in words my disgust at this blatant act of chauvinism, as if the script were saying "You should have seen that movie by now; if not, you're screwed".
I am of the opinion that "The sixth sense" was a far superior movie than "50 first dates". (The number of awards nominated for and won by the former supports my opinion.) I point out as matter of fact that neither film has ANYTHING to do with each other. The question that begs to be answered is then, what business did the writers of "50 first dates" have in revealing the ending of "The sixth sense"? WHAT THE F*** WERE THEY THINKING?!?!
*****Begin spoiler for "The sixth sense"***** It turns out that I bought "The sixth sense" two-DVD set in a nice collector's edition box. As I watched it, I noticed too readily how the character played by Bruce Willis, a child psychologist, never spoke or confronted any person other than the boy played by H. J. Osment. He was never shown to be hired by the boy's mother. He never exchanged a word with his estranged wife. His actions were never shown to have an interactive effect with any other character of the movie. All these subtle details were carefully and meticulously filmed by director Shyamalan, but were intended to be reflected upon only after the viewer reached the final twist of this beautiful movie. For me, it was an agonizing torture to savor the tastelessness of each such detail, knowing all too well the ending that resonated in my head.
So, who in the cast and crew of "50 first dates" is responsible for this atrocity? Drew Barrymore, for speaking the unspeakable? Director Peter Segal, for forcing the words into Ms. Barrymore's mouth? Writer George Wing, for the incontinence and flatulence of his pen? Ms. Nancy Karlin, script supervisor, for neglecting to wipe the droppings of the writer? Whoever was responsible for this atrocity, he or she earned my scorn for eternity.
I hate the makers of this movie, and I will never forgive them. EVER. "50 first dates" as a movie per se was not too bad of a Hollywood romantic drama, sprinkled with a few comedy snippets. As such, I would have rated it 7.5 out of 10; it has plenty of entertainment value, and an adequate amount of originality to its storyline.
The big problem for me came approximately 31 minutes into the movie. Let me say this before I begin with the spoiler: if you have not seen the movie "The sixth sense", directed by M. Night Shyamalan, starring Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment, heed my warning: DO NOT WATCH "50 FIRST DATES" BEFORE YOU WATCH "THE SIXTH SENSE". Why? I'll explain immediately below.
*****Begin spoiler for "50 first dates"*****
31 minutes into this movie, it shows how Lucy (Drew Barrymore) relives her last day before the accident in every detail, while her brother and father set up and clean up after the activities of that day, over and over. One of the activities is to watch a videotape of "The sixth sense". It is a time honored tradition for movie studios to include footage of earlier productions, especially if we are talking about movies that have become classics. In this sense, there is nothing wrong with "50 first dates" showing a few scenes from the opening scenes of "The sixth sense". In fact, showing how Lucy becomes frightened watching TV, while her relatives react in a sad deja-vu manner, is an effective way of depicting how the repetition of this day's activities is taking a toll on them (the relatives).
What follows next however, is totally disgusting, unconscionable and uncalled for: upon finishing their videotape, Lucy blurts out the surprise ending of "The sixth sense", with no warning and no useful effect on the plot of "50 first dates". This is called spoiling another film in the worst possible manner!!! I cannot express in words my disgust at this blatant act of chauvinism, as if the script were saying "You should have seen that movie by now; if not, you're screwed".
I am of the opinion that "The sixth sense" was a far superior movie than "50 first dates". (The number of awards nominated for and won by the former supports my opinion.) I point out as matter of fact that neither film has ANYTHING to do with each other. The question that begs to be answered is then, what business did the writers of "50 first dates" have in revealing the ending of "The sixth sense"? WHAT THE F*** WERE THEY THINKING?!?!
*****Begin spoiler for "The sixth sense"***** It turns out that I bought "The sixth sense" two-DVD set in a nice collector's edition box. As I watched it, I noticed too readily how the character played by Bruce Willis, a child psychologist, never spoke or confronted any person other than the boy played by H. J. Osment. He was never shown to be hired by the boy's mother. He never exchanged a word with his estranged wife. His actions were never shown to have an interactive effect with any other character of the movie. All these subtle details were carefully and meticulously filmed by director Shyamalan, but were intended to be reflected upon only after the viewer reached the final twist of this beautiful movie. For me, it was an agonizing torture to savor the tastelessness of each such detail, knowing all too well the ending that resonated in my head.
So, who in the cast and crew of "50 first dates" is responsible for this atrocity? Drew Barrymore, for speaking the unspeakable? Director Peter Segal, for forcing the words into Ms. Barrymore's mouth? Writer George Wing, for the incontinence and flatulence of his pen? Ms. Nancy Karlin, script supervisor, for neglecting to wipe the droppings of the writer? Whoever was responsible for this atrocity, he or she earned my scorn for eternity.