In The Valley Of Ennui
Hollywood came under criticism since 9/11 for ignoring the war on terror, going out of its way to avoid making films that tell stories of American fortitude. With a few exceptions like United 93
Fortunately, Hollywood appears to have lost its bet (via Instapundit):
It doesn't matter how many Oscar winners are in front of or behind the camera — audiences are proving to be conscientious objectors when it comes to this fall's surge of antiwar and anti-Bush films.Both "In the Valley of Elah" and, more recently, "Rendition" drew minuscule crowds upon their release, which doesn't bode well for the ongoing stream of films critical of the Iraq war and the Bush administration's wider war on terror.
"Rendition," which features three Oscar winners in key roles, grossed $4.1 million over the weekend in 2,250 screens for a ninth-place finish. A re-release of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" beat it, and it's 14 years old.
We're not through the Valley of Ennui yet. For an industry that studiously avoided the war for five years, if you'll pardon the pun, Hollywood has given us a glut in 2007. Coming up will be Lions for Lambs, a film that trailers suggest features Tom Cruise and Robert Redford making speeches at each other. Redacted comes out in December, although its Cannes screening has already created controversy over Brian DePalma's heavy-handed treatment. John Cusack will indulge his well-known political views in Grace is Gone next month.
With all of these agenda films, one might think Hollywood could produce some balance. Why not make a movie about Sgt. Paul Smith, who gave his life for his comrades in Baghdad? A film about the heroism of Lt. Michael Murphy might make for a stirring motion picture. Americans might want to see the stories of Medal of Honor recipients. They obviously don't have much interest in sitting through lectures by Hollywood celebrities.
Eventually, even Hollywood has to acknowledge the market forces that drive ticket sales. If moviegoers refuse to watch ham-handed political screeds, investors won't put any more money into them. They will have to either start providing more balance to their offerings or go back to ignoring present-day reality again. I can't wait for another movie where Tom Cruise doesn't battle aliens.
UPDATE: Ace suggests an over-the-horizon redeployment for Hollywood. And the reference to Cruise in the last paragraph is for the movie War of the Worlds, in which we see two hours of Cruise running away from aliens while the American military fights them despite desperate odds. I'm beginning to see that as an analogy for Hollywood in general.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on October 26, 2007 7:41 AM | Comments () | TrackBacks (2)
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