Comment of the day: A personal connection makes it last
Categories: Comment of the day
Nothing like a little smattering of nostalgia to soften up the critics, and J.J. Abrams lays it on thick in Super 8, his pitch-perfect paean to Steven Spielberg and growing up in the late '70s and early '80s. But sentiment doesn't have to be a weak critical reaction, as Tim Davids notes in his ongoing debate with Badass Digest critic Devin Faraci, and it's maybe even a valid one. In that regard, reader Phil Wrede chimes in with some thoughtful commentary on what brings a work of art closer to home.
If anything, the ridiculous (random?) personal connections we make with art are what make them last for us. I love 'To Kill A Mockingbird' because Atticus Finch reminds me of my dad first, and because it's an amazing movie second (and a distant second, at that). 'Dick Tracy' because my mom took me to see it a half a dozen times when it came out and I was small. Sure, my DVD collection contains plenty of important, well-made, significant films (as well as ones I think are awesome), but when I want to feel like I'm back at home with my parents, there are only two movies I reach for. Movies like this serve an important role, and while that might not necessarily make them significant or even decent, it does make them valuable.
We're right there with you, Phil. Next time somebody makes us explain our love for Flashdance, we're going with that.
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