Author Topic: 90s US Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election  (Read 26637 times)

pixote

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #20 on: April 13, 2009, 01:13:51 AM »
Shorter version:  Does the movie play into our preexisting stereotypes of student government elections or subvert them?

Any more takes on this?

I guess I'll say that one of the surprises of the film, for me, was how often it gave into cliche rather than reinventing it: the huge overachiever was driven by a stage mom character; the jock was crazy popular and crazy dumb — but his simplicity made him kind of pure and kind-hearted; the outsider girl adopted an anarchic pose; the four-time winner of Teacher of the Year had a really unsatisfying personal life.  All that seemed overly familiar to me, and I was disappointed the film didn't do more to make it fresh (like, to take a positive example, the backstory of the overachiever having slept with a teacher).  A lot of reviews make comparisons to Rushmore (a film that I, like frozenhamster, prefer to Election), but I think it might actually have more in common — too much in common — with another 1999 film, American Beauty.

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¡Keith!

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #21 on: April 13, 2009, 01:18:22 AM »
I'd comment but i wasn't assigned this match-up (also haven't watched the flick in years).  I'm just here to non-satirically repulse people.

jbissell

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #22 on: April 13, 2009, 01:20:17 AM »
A lot of reviews make comparisons to Rushmore (a film that I, like frozenhamster, prefer to Election), but I think it might actually have more in common — too much in common — with another 1999 film, American Beauty.

I can see that comparison (to AB).  Rushmore is obviously the far superior film in just about every way, it's just that some people are dumb.

sdedalus

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #23 on: April 13, 2009, 01:26:21 AM »
I remembered Broderick as being more sympathetic the first time I saw the film.  re-watching it, I was surprised at how unlikeable he really is.  Really, for much of the film, I thought Tracy was the most sympathetic character.

Until she lies to cover up her tearing down the posters.  When Broderick is caught in a similar situation (walking in on his wife and the woman he attempted to sleep with) he doesn't argue to defend himself, he accepts his mistake and leaves.  This makes him slightly more honorable, I guess.  But then he deflects his anger and disappointment onto both the other woman ("Why did you do that?  You ruined my life!") and a kid (by rigging the election).

I'm left with no real protagonist.  I don't know what to do with that.

Oh, and Rushmore is better than either of these films.
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pixote

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #24 on: April 13, 2009, 01:26:54 AM »
Glancing at metacritic, it looks like American Beauty is more likely to be labelled a dark comedy than a satire.  For whatever that's worth.

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¡Keith!

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2009, 01:34:05 AM »
Glancing at metacritic, it looks like American Beauty is more likely to be labelled a dark comedy than a satire.  For whatever that's worth.

pixote

thats cuz no one is sickened by the cool dealer kid who see all the beauty in the world.

mañana

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2009, 01:39:50 AM »
Shorter version:  Does the movie play into our preexisting stereotypes of student government elections or subvert them?

Any more takes on this?

I guess I'll say that one of the surprises of the film, for me, was how often it gave into cliche rather than reinventing it: the huge overachiever was driven by a stage mom character; the jock was crazy popular and crazy dumb — but his simplicity made him kind of pure and kind-hearted; the outsider girl adopted an anarchic pose; the four-time winner of Teacher of the Year had a really unsatisfying personal life.  All that seemed overly familiar to me, and I was disappointed the film didn't do more to make it fresh (like, to take a positive example, the backstory of the overachiever having slept with a teacher).  A lot of reviews make comparisons to Rushmore (a film that I, like frozenhamster, prefer to Election), but I think it might actually have more in common — too much in common — with another 1999 film, American Beauty.

pixote

I haven't seen the film in a long time, and I'm too distracted right now to come up with anything articulate, so I'll just say that I think you're wrong.
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pixote

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #27 on: April 13, 2009, 01:42:14 AM »
I remembered Broderick as being more sympathetic the first time I saw the film.  re-watching it, I was surprised at how unlikeable he really is.  Really, for much of the film, I thought Tracy was the most sympathetic character.

Until she lies to cover up her tearing down the posters.  When Broderick is caught in a similar situation (walking in on his wife and the woman he attempted to sleep with) he doesn't argue to defend himself, he accepts his mistake and leaves.  This makes him slightly more honorable, I guess.  But then he deflects his anger and disappointment onto both the other woman ("Why did you do that?  You ruined my life!") and a kid (by rigging the election).

I'm left with no real protagonist.  I don't know what to do with that.
I didn't remember much from my first viewing of the film, but just from the poster and DVD cover, I went into this viewing expecting Broderick to be the sympathetic David to Flick's unstoppable Goliath.  Not really how it plays out, though.  We don't even really get to see him be an especially good teacher, despite his rep.  In the classroom scenes, nobody but Tracy seems that engaged (ooh! ooh! Mr. Kotter! Mr. Kotter!).  edit: I guess that could be a comment on how Teacher of the Year voting is no different than student government voting.

The strategy of multiple narrators (taken from the novel) seemed to set up the possibility of multiple protagonists, but the film pretty much abandons that after the first act and sticks to McAllister's point of view, I think.  It's kind of funny because I got restless when, twenty-five minutes in, the film was still introducing new narrators; but then, thirty-five minutes in, I got annoyed because we were stuck with Broderick's character.  I probably had the most sympathy for Tammy just because she was the only character whose goal didn't seem empty, but I really could have used more of this kid:



Oh, and Rushmore is better than either of these films.
Going into this matchup, I wasn't sure I agreed with that.  But now I do.

I know about you and the teacher.

pixote
« Last Edit: April 13, 2009, 01:45:54 AM by pixote »
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¡Keith!

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #28 on: April 13, 2009, 01:45:52 AM »
but I really could have used more of this kid:



pixote

you should watch this then:


pixote

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1990s US Bracket, Round 5: Ghost Dog vs. Election
« Reply #29 on: April 13, 2009, 01:46:35 AM »
You had me at Fire.

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