The Readers Respond to ‘Moviemakers, Movie Critics and You’ : The Escapism of Today’s Motion Pictures

Regarding Sean Mitchell’s Oct. 21 cover story, “Moviemakers, Movie Critics and You”: With few exceptions--other than “Driving Miss Daisy” and “Rain Man,” perhaps--I have found the best-reviewed films by the top critics were the least crowd-pleasing. Most of us, including the well-educated, go to the movies to escape the dismal grind of our lives.

“Drugstore Cowboy” and “Men Don’t Leave,” two movies mentioned by Mitchell, had literate storylines, excellent acting and stylistic camera technique. These all are qualities I appreciate in films. However, when I exit the theater, I’d prefer not to be preoccupied by thoughts of drugs, divorce and neurosis. It’s an understatement to say I am not eager to read reviews from critics who extol the virtues of depressing and uncommercial “gems.”

Wouldn’t it be enlightening if our moviemakers started producing well-scripted, well-acted and artistically directed crowd-pleasers? Would the Paulene Kaels of the world pan these neo-commercial movies on principle?

RITA NICOSIA, Riverside