I think the primary reason this movie got such horrid reviews is that it depends on what you're critiquing. Critics may have a point if they're talking about comparing it to the 1950 version in terms of quality of acting. Maybe you'll see a lack of je ne sais quoi. Melanie Griffith is no Judy Holliday. John Goodman is no Broderick Crawford. And Don Johnson is no William Holden. But it was made for the era in which it was filmed and for the audience of that time, and these are actors of the time to which people could relate. And as a child of that era, I saw this version first. And if any of these critics were conscious and lived as a common person in the real world for the last 5 years, I think they'd rapidly change their tune as it relates to the message it sends and how it delivers it. You could even say it was a foreshadowing of the ego that ate America.
Given the state of our country and the world, this is a movie that I think every high school student should be required to watch (and maybe some childlike adults as well). It is simple, down to earth, and oh my god, so relevant. That's what I love about it. It gives me such catharsis to watch it and I've recommended it to a lot of people as a suggestion to step back and look at the big picture, especially given the world in which we're currently living. I think the 1950 version compliments it if you take them in that order.
Given the state of our country and the world, this is a movie that I think every high school student should be required to watch (and maybe some childlike adults as well). It is simple, down to earth, and oh my god, so relevant. That's what I love about it. It gives me such catharsis to watch it and I've recommended it to a lot of people as a suggestion to step back and look at the big picture, especially given the world in which we're currently living. I think the 1950 version compliments it if you take them in that order.