After decades of watching cable TV, my husband and I were dragged into 21st Century when our local cable company gave up providing its service. They offered advice about apps we could use as a replacement. We had a hard time with the change at first but are now getting pretty proficient at streaming and binge-watching with the best of them!
For many years things were too busy around our house for us to go to many movies in theaters. There was also little time to sit in front of a set, Now I’m recently retired and enjoy exploring all the many options on our Fire TV. It is often difficult to weed out all but the ones that appeal to me and my mate though. The brief summary provided of each selection helps, but I’ve also paid attention to the star ratings.
I enjoy watching “teenage angst” movies from all different generations. However, it is often puzzling why many of them are 4-star. Some are rated even higher, especially in their audience ratings. Surprisingly, those don’t seem much better than others that aren’t as popular. They often have a very simple and have an overused plot. There could be a Romeo and Juliet situation or use of a simple romance novel trope.
For an example, there is Sixteen Candles from the 1980s. It stars the “brat pack” princess, Molly Ringwald. That show in particular has always bothered me. As is true of many older movies, it is not very “politically correct”. There is plenty that is rather offensive -- sexual and racial stereotypes, body shaming and so on. A lot of characters are one-dimensional caricatures instead of seeming to be like real people. However, what really bothered me most is the casual way they all forget Sam’s birthday. Even after it is remembered, they act like it wasn’t big deal.
It IS a big deal. I can relate to that quite well. During my youth there were two occasions where my birthday was forgotten. My dad and brother never did pay attention to the date of my birth. My mother, lost in her own misery, lost track a couple times. In her defense, she did eventually remember and try to make up for it.
It seemed to be even worse for Sam. Not only did her self-centered sister and bratty brother forget, but her own parents and grandparents did too! I can well imagine what a blow to the ego that would be.
Watching a more recent set of movies offered insight into some reasons for the high ratings. I’ve found the “To the Boys I’ve Loved” trilogy of movies to be enjoyable and refreshingly free of most of the less than admirable stereotypes found in older movies. In it, there is a reference to Sixteen Candles. While they are watching that show, the boyfriend asks about the racism. The young sister agrees that there is indeed racism, but still likes the show because it has an attractive the male lead.
Obviously, some shows owe much of their popularity to the hotness factor of the romantic lead actors. Ironically, much of the popularity of the “All the Boys” shows is also due to the looks and smooth moves of the guy who is the boyfriend.
I also find it surprising how few stars have been given to some shows that I like. Somewhere in Time is not a great show, but the one star it shows on our Fire TV menu seems overly harsh. (That might be a mistake of some sort, since the IMDB rating is three and a half stars.)
The plot is a little silly, particularly the time travel paradox. Almost all shows require a suspension of disbelief, but the question of where the pocket watch came from is so annoying. At the beginning of the movie an elderly woman (who turns out to be the Jane Seymour character) gives the watch to Reeve. When Reeve has traveled back in time, he ends up leaving the watch with the young and lovely Jane.
I enjoy the visual feast the movie presents. The cinematography is excellent and creates a magically romantic setting for the main characters as they fall in love. Jane Seymour is beguilingly lovely. I am jealous of how seductive she can look while just undoing a hairpin. Christopher Reeve is so very handsome and devoted.
The music that plays in the background is hauntingly beautiful. It adds another enchanting element to the overall experience.
While I still pay attention to the ratings, if there is something about a movie seems interesting. I’ll often watch the trailer to help with the decision about whether to watch or not. I try not to be swayed by what is denoted as popular by the number of stars shown on a menu. Obviously, it is not always a good indicator.