Do You Like Films Or Movies?
Recently, I was at a coffee shop waiting to meet a woman. This wasn’t really a date. It was a first meeting to determine if a date was in the plans. As she walked in the bustling coffee house, I immediately noticed that she was very cute (I prefer cute over gorgeous...cute withstands the test of time). Also, there was a certain confidence in the way she walked through the doors. I liked it!
After the awkward introductions, I went to order our drinks and we grabbed a table. Sitting at a table that barely has the surface area of most barstools creates an intimacy to any conversation. So, after some small talk, I blasted her with a tough, but essential, question. My “go-to” question has nothing to do with politics, religion, family history, employment, sex, etc. No. I said this was an essential question.
So, I looked directly into her eyes and fired away. “Do you like movies or films?” “I love them!!," she replied with a huge smile on her face.
I continued, “In your opinion, what is the best film you’ve seen in the past six months?”
“Oh! That’s easy! 'Ride Along'! I love Kevin Hart, he’s soooo funny!,” she replied immediately.
“No...wait, that’s a movie, not a film,” was the reply I darted back to her.
She gave me a puzzled and kind of irritated look: “What’s the difference?”
I honestly don’t remember much after that. I kinda just checked out. She sure was cute, though ...
If I’m gonna date someone, I want to know that they know the difference between a movie and a film. Right now, some of you are reading this and wondering, “So, what is the difference? ... Is there a difference?” You’re damn right there’s a difference!
A movie is typically mindless entertainment. Rarely do movies require too much thought or focus to follow the plot (see "Ride Along"). A movie is often very over the top and lacks cohesiveness. As a matter of fact, “Over The Top," starring Sylvester Stallone, is a great example of a movie (a bad movie, but a movie nonetheless).
A film, on the other hand, gives you something. It has something to say. It weaves a story that often leaves a mark on you. Often, there are impressive performances and excellent scripts, etc. “Dallas Buyers Club” is an excellent example of a film.
Some directors only make films while others only make movies. For example, Wes Anderson has never made a movie in his career. He’s a filmmaker. Michael Bay, on the other hand, he makes movies!
There are directors that can make both. Ron Howard comes to mind. He directed films like “Cinderella Man," "Apollo 13" and “A Beautiful Mind." But, he also made “The Dilemma” with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. Oh, that is a movie!
Now, I’m not saying that movies are bad. Not at all! There are some great movies out there. The Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy, “Die Hard," “Planes, Trains and Automobiles" and “Midnight Run” all come to mind.
But there are some incredible films, too! “No Country For Old Men," “Goodfellas," “Argo" and “An Unfinished Life," just to name a few.
Someone once asked me if a movie can also be a film. I thought that was a great question and I gave it a lot of thought. I came up with two: “Sin City” and “The Big Lebowski," the former probably because it's so unique and stylized, and the latter because he's The Dude, man!
So here’s a quiz. See if you can correctly identify whether the following selections are movies or films:
Saving Private Ryan
Rocky
The Usual Suspects
Rocky V
Answers:
Film
Film
Movie
Film
Film
Movie (see how tricky sequels can be?)
So, now you know the difference between a film and a movie. Please do me a favor and get the word out on the street! If you tell all your friends and they tell their friends, I may actually meet someone one day who can answer the question, “So, what is your favorite film?” Maybe she will even be cute!