Happy-end mania

[Aphex_Twin]

Are happy endings a symptom of this growing "instant gratification" trend?

How would say, a Hollywood rendition of 1984 look if in the end they defeat Big Brother, end the permanent war and transform the world into a democracy utopia?

 

[Perfection]

Originally posted by Aphex_Twin
How would say, a Hollywood rendition of 1984 look if in the end they defeat Big Brother, end the permanent war and transform the world into a democracy utopia?

Oh God!

I must slay you for even mentioning that!

Here's what I HATE to see in endings:
One where at the very end of the movie, and the main character is in serious **** and can't do anything about it, then someone who he had a fight with or tried to build a relationship with, or who abandonded comes back and fixes everything. That's too goddamn cliche

 

[Dann]

Unfortunately a happy ending, no matter how forced and inconceivable, IS the usual formula for movies and TV shows.

It's already so bad that I can guess the storyline and plots already even before seeing them.

However, the producers and directors are in this industry to make money, and thus will pander to popular "sappy" tastes and mentalities more, rather than please a few critics like us.

 

[Achinz]

Psychologically it's escapism from the nastier, sadder, more painful aspects of modern living. The movies in providing an escape from these depressing realities need to focus on the happy, positive side of life. Of course it can become a drug and and an end in itself and merely serves to postpone the inevitable reality check.

OTOH in art film, one is confronted with these realities and is compelled to face the deeper questions of life. Strangely for me it seems to make the experience so much more satisfying.

 

[Giotto]

Originally posted by Aphex_Twin
Why is it 90% of Hollywood movies have to have happy endings?

Because happy endings are happy, and most people don't go to a movie to be all sad when it gets over.

 

[Dann]

Originally posted by Achinz
OTOH in art film, one is confronted with these realities and is compelled to face the deeper questions of life. Strangely for me it seems to make the experience so much more satisfying.

Me too. But people like us ARE a minority. And so Hollywood etc. will continue churning out formulaic movies in order to be profitable.

 

[Goober]

Dang, I thought this had to do with "h4ppy". Hehe.

I agree, I wanna see movies with more unhappy (unh4ppy?) endings.

 

[Mrogreturns]

MY number one gripe about movies:

Far too often are treated to a scene (often near the end, but not always) in which the hero is about to be dispatched by a bad-guy. We see a close-up of the baddie's face (with sadistic pleasure much in evidence) when suddenly the baddie looks surprised, then shocked, then falls down dead. This reveals one of the hero's sidekicks (for twas he/he who killed the baddie) standing there in triumph.

How many times do we have to see this? It was even in that suposed masterpiece, ROTK.

 

[The Commander]

Why the hell should people WANT to see a sad ending? All they have to do to get bummed out is turn on the news, when people go to the movies they typically want to see a happy ending, not a dreary sad ending, we deserve some sort escape from the constant bombardment of stuff that sucks. Take it easy on the happy endings.

 

[Dann]

It's not that I hate happy endings or like to see sad endings. I just don't like FORCED and cliche happy endings.

An example would be a current typical comedy where I originally came from. The plot is 100% formulaic with subtle differences per show:
1) The lead characters are of diverse backgrounds who came together accidentally, straining your logic already at the very beginning.
2) They get into all sorts of funny situations and misadventures.
3) About 2/3 into the movie some villains will be worked into the story, no matter how contrived.
4) The female lead characters WILL be kidnapped.
5) The male characters will decide to rescue their girlfriends on their own. They, despite having zero fighting ability, will also manage to defeat an entire army of thugs (armed with submachine guns yet) through blind luck.
6) The police will always arrive only after the dust has settled.
7) Big musical number as ending. Yay! [dance]

I've seen black and white re-runs from the 50s and they follow the exact same storyline! Half a century of the same exact plot ad nauseum. Like, don't the scriptwriters have an iota of creativity?

 

[warmonger]

IMHO, something worse than contrived happy endings is the usual ending for good guy - bad guy films. Despite battling each other for almost two hours with every ancient, modern or future weapon possible, it always ends in a fist fight. Boring!

 

[nonconformist]

Ever seen Pulp Fiction? Now THAT'S the way to finish a film: with the middle.

 

[Hakim]

In movies with happy endings, the lead characters best friend is likely to be killed (to compensate?).

This best friend is often a more sympathetic person, making me wish the lead character was killed instead. Killed in a silly and sudden way.

 

[warmonger]

I agree, Pulp Fiction was an exception - an absolutely brilliant circular movie. but I don't know if it is really a good guy bad guy film. The roles were so ambiguous I didn't know who I was supposed to be cheering for.

 

[Hakim]

Originally posted by nonconformist
Ever seen Pulp Fiction? Now THAT'S the way to finish a film: with the middle.

I like how Travolta's character is removed in that movie.

 

[nonconformist]

But then returns, though not realy (if you get what I mean)

 

[Karl Lenin]

I would like to see a movie which moves towards a forced happy ending and then suddenly the bad guy kills the good guy. Like if Bruce Willis had won in The Jackal.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Originally posted by warmonger
I agree, Pulp Fiction was an exception - an absolutely brilliant circular movie. but I don't know if it is really a good guy bad guy film. The roles were so ambiguous I didn't know who I was supposed to be cheering for.

The Bruce Willis character.

 

[Hakim]

Originally posted by nonconformist
But then returns, though not realy (if you get what I mean)

Not really, that was the last scene with him IIRC.

 

[thestonesfan]

In my book, any movie where Travolta dies leaves me happy, no matter what happens at the end.

Not all popular movies have what I'd call happy endings. Gone With The Wind, Casablanca, Titanic, Spider-Man, Saving Private Ryan, and of course the Night of the Living Dead...

Happy/sad endings don't mean a whole lot to me, in and of themselves. Whatever enhances the story is better.

I like movies with ambiguous endings the best. Like Raiders of the Lost Ark. But in some movies, happy endings are the only way to go. It's great to watch a movie that makes you feel good. No one would claim that "Shawshank Redemption" would have been better if Red shot himself in the end.