I find it interesting that most critics hated this film, but all of the people I know who saw it, as well as many of the people on this forum, loved it. Which is an indication that film critics are out of touch with what the general public wants.
I think a lot of critics hated it because the kid dies at the end, and that violates an unwritten rule of film-making: Thou shalt not kill off a child at the end of a Hollywood movie. The critic at "Salon" basically admitted that was one of the reasons he didn't like the film. Well, not to be cold, but boo-hoo. Yeah, it was very sad, and I was upset that the film ended that way, but people die every day, and guess what? Some of them are kids. It's funny that critics will put down a film for being too "Hollywood," but then when it actually veers in another direction, they get irritated.
Another reason the critics hated it is that critics, and journalists in general, are very cynical people who think the world sucks. So when they see a film that tries to be inspirational, a message film that actually might have something to say, they just rip it to shreds, put the word "inspirational" in quotes and say they want to puke. Yes, the film was a bit hokey, but I've seen a lot worse. The critics would rather see "realistic" movies, but realistic movies are so depressing. Just about every so-called realistic film I've seen is just a bunch of people lying to each other, killing each other, having sex with each other's wives...you name it. Why is this considered enjoyable? I went through a phase where I saw a lot of films like that, and some of them were very good, but now I'm sick of them. If I want real, I read the newspapers. I don't think most people go to the movies to see real life; they go to escape real life.
OK, enough about the critics. Overall, while I think the film was somewhat predictable, except for the ending, I also think it's worth seeing for the quality of the acting and for what the movie had to say. I do think it had elements of realism. Don't we all know someone like Eugene? I know I do; they may not be physically scarred but they are emotionally scarred. And even though most of us are not paying it forward, I do believe we are all connected. Maybe I've seen "It's a Wonderful Life" too many times (hey, I bet the critics hate that one too), but I think one person has the potential to affect the lives of so many others. And I can honestly say that the movie caused me to ask myself if there is more I can do to make a difference in the world. If a film causes you to question yourself (or to question anything, for that matter), then it has succeeded.
I think a lot of critics hated it because the kid dies at the end, and that violates an unwritten rule of film-making: Thou shalt not kill off a child at the end of a Hollywood movie. The critic at "Salon" basically admitted that was one of the reasons he didn't like the film. Well, not to be cold, but boo-hoo. Yeah, it was very sad, and I was upset that the film ended that way, but people die every day, and guess what? Some of them are kids. It's funny that critics will put down a film for being too "Hollywood," but then when it actually veers in another direction, they get irritated.
Another reason the critics hated it is that critics, and journalists in general, are very cynical people who think the world sucks. So when they see a film that tries to be inspirational, a message film that actually might have something to say, they just rip it to shreds, put the word "inspirational" in quotes and say they want to puke. Yes, the film was a bit hokey, but I've seen a lot worse. The critics would rather see "realistic" movies, but realistic movies are so depressing. Just about every so-called realistic film I've seen is just a bunch of people lying to each other, killing each other, having sex with each other's wives...you name it. Why is this considered enjoyable? I went through a phase where I saw a lot of films like that, and some of them were very good, but now I'm sick of them. If I want real, I read the newspapers. I don't think most people go to the movies to see real life; they go to escape real life.
OK, enough about the critics. Overall, while I think the film was somewhat predictable, except for the ending, I also think it's worth seeing for the quality of the acting and for what the movie had to say. I do think it had elements of realism. Don't we all know someone like Eugene? I know I do; they may not be physically scarred but they are emotionally scarred. And even though most of us are not paying it forward, I do believe we are all connected. Maybe I've seen "It's a Wonderful Life" too many times (hey, I bet the critics hate that one too), but I think one person has the potential to affect the lives of so many others. And I can honestly say that the movie caused me to ask myself if there is more I can do to make a difference in the world. If a film causes you to question yourself (or to question anything, for that matter), then it has succeeded.