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Films that would have a different angle now... eg, Devil Wears Prada.

153 replies

CantFindTheBeat · 19/05/2023 21:35

I've been watching some old skool^ movies with my^ niece this week.

She's 17 and hasn't seen Devil Wears Prada, so that was on our list.

I'd forgotten how much Ann Hathaway's character's boyfriend and friends vilified her for being ambitious in her job and i think I might have felt sorry for her boyfriend when i first watched it 20(?) years ago.

I don't think the storyline would be the same now^, and this time round, I definitely was more in the 'tell him to jog on' camp.

We also watched Pretty Woman, which was even older. Funnily enough, i thought it stood the test of time much better even though 'man hires prostitute and falls in love' would be totally cringy. Julia Roberts
Character was still 100% her own woman, despite the difference in wealth.

Any other movies we should add to our list? Any previous corkers that need to get in the bin?^

OP posts:
Inadvertentlyspring · 19/05/2023 23:03

Appalonia · 19/05/2023 22:52

I wonder how young women react to Bridget Jones' Diary now? Has it stood the test of time? She drinks, smokes, is obsessed with her weight and, it could be argued, was sexually harassed by her boss?

This and a couple of other Marian Keyes books were eye opening recent rereads.

Still so so so funny though, especially bridget jones which is a work of genius. Basically reading them now is the equivalent of reading the jilly Cooper name books (Harriet etc) in the late nineties.

tailinthejam · 19/05/2023 23:26

Ceebeegee · 19/05/2023 22:11

In a way, Grease. Watching now , I get mad at Sandy for changing herself to get a man.

Yes, but it wasn't just her - Danny tries to change himself too.

Enko · 19/05/2023 23:27

Films for the list perhaps You've got mail? Hasnt dated well IMO due to how much technology has changed.

Four weddings and a funeral? I never get why Charles goes back to Henrietta and why does he end up with Andie? Because he is cute?

Driving Miss Daisy

Not so much a old one but Hidden Figures is amazing to watch.

Lapland123 · 19/05/2023 23:41

My teenage daughter and I have loved watching all the Briget Jones movies and she has recommended them to her mates! Great viewing back in December!

Davros · 19/05/2023 23:44

You've Got Mail is a remake of In The Good Old Summertime (Judy Garland) which was a remake of The Shop Around the Corner (James Stewart), one of my favourite films

Rummikub · 19/05/2023 23:45

Add Erin Brockovitch
hidden figures

Im on the side of the parents in ferris bueller and dirty dancing these days. Switched allegiances when my dc became teens.

bbc are currently showing weird science!

AngryBirdsNoMore · 19/05/2023 23:46

The Pitch Perfect series. Not even that old but a lot of the jokes have aged VERY badly.

behaveasbefitsthesituationwillyas · 19/05/2023 23:48

Fuck me, the TDWPrada is 17 years old!! Feels like it was just 5 years ago to me. I'm shocked.

Rummikub · 19/05/2023 23:50

Add The colour purple. But I couldn’t watch it again. One of those films that stayed with me. 1985!

Hoolihan · 19/05/2023 23:52

Agree with The Breakfast Club, watched it with my 11yo recently and was quite horrified. It's a bit rapey!

We also recently rewatched The Lost Boys and loved it, so fun and relatively unproblematic!

ImSidneyFuckingPrescott · 19/05/2023 23:55

Not a film but I watched Buffy with my eldest a while back...some of the characters, xander especially, are awful.

Not even getting in to, Angel stalking and grooming buffy from her being about 14/15.

Xiaoxiong · 19/05/2023 23:58

Ace Ventura Pet Detective has NOT aged well. For a film aimed at kids it's wall to wall sex references and also has a long sequence which is over the top homophobic where he thinks he's kissed a man in a dress and burns his clothes, pours bleach down his throat, screaming in the shower etc.

Such a shame as a lot of the movie is still really funny. But like pp have described I spent a lot of it pausing it to say to the kids how unacceptable it all was these days!!

maltravers · 20/05/2023 00:02

Going a bit further back, I watched Hitchcock’s “Notorious” as I remembered it as a great film. I was aghast when Cary Grant hits Ingrid Bergman in the car (she’s drunk and trying to drive), he might even have knocked her out 😬. It’s true that Dev (Cary Grant) is presented as a not entirely nice man, even though he’s the heartthrob, but it was such a throwaway moment, as though it was a perfectly acceptable choice/response.

Saschka · 20/05/2023 00:05

Indecent Proposal, though honestly that was a skin-crawling movie even back in the day. Who’d guess that pimping your wife out would damage your marriage?

MissFancyDay · 20/05/2023 00:05

Trading places

LaMaG · 20/05/2023 00:11

Watched the Naked Gun trilogy a few years back with 12 year old. Funniest thing ever, he loved them and even had friends over to watch them again. They were so stupid funny to me when i was a teen and if you like that kind of humour it doesn't date. Highly recommended!!

Marchintospring · 20/05/2023 00:20

Xrays · 19/05/2023 22:37

I love Grease, it was my all time favourite as a child but I watched it with Ds aged 10 the other week and I literally cringed at a lot of it. “Did she put up a fight?” - 😳

It was set in the ‘50’s so it was trying to reference teens back then with a 1970’s perspective. 1970’s boy /girl relationships had already moved forward .
The fact in was made in the 70’s is key. Sandy wasn’t changing for Danny really but because she wanted to be a hotter version of herself . Womens Lib was in its heyday. And anyway they had Danny changing for her too .

whynotwhatknot · 20/05/2023 00:44

even though my fave was grease i can see the problems now

but it all seemed relevant at the time-everything too afriad to be against the grain these days

Cheesenpickleontoast · 20/05/2023 06:23

DutchCowgirl · 19/05/2023 22:27

Ghostbusters 1. Abuse of a woman when she is unconscious… terrible ways of communicating with women. Terrible stereotype roles for women…
I watched it with my 2 sons, but I wish I hadn’t. I had to explain throughout all of the movie that you really shouldn’t behave like this in the real world.

I agree. I remembered Ghostbusters fondly from my childhood, mainly due to its catchy soundtrack. I watched it again recently and found it an uncomfortable watch. Particulary the low level sexual harassment of Sigourney Weaver and that young student.

Even Dirty Dancing has undertones of grooming that I can't unsee now I'm aware of it. Despite it being one of my favourite movies for years!

AnnaMagnani · 20/05/2023 06:28

Watched Grease with DH over Christmas as he hadn't seen it. We could barely make it to the end, it was so misogynistic.

In comparison Dirty Dancing, which he also hadn't seen, was a nuanced film about teen romance and social class.

InchHighPrivateI · 20/05/2023 06:31

I agree with you, op. I think the boyfriend is unbearable and the treatment of Miranda in the film is pretty misogynistic.

cigarettesNalcohol · 20/05/2023 06:45

Shallow Hal

Pemba · 20/05/2023 06:49

Blimey OP, The Devil Wears Prada ' is NOT' 'old skool', anyone would think you were talking black and white classics like 'All About Eve' or 'It's a Wonderful Life' You would consider those prehistoric I suppose.

I remember attending the first showing of TDWP in our local cinema with teen DD. We got an intro from the cinema manager and a free copy of the book. Seems just yesterday.

Great film, especially Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestley.

cigarettesNalcohol · 20/05/2023 06:50

Appalonia · 19/05/2023 22:52

I wonder how young women react to Bridget Jones' Diary now? Has it stood the test of time? She drinks, smokes, is obsessed with her weight and, it could be argued, was sexually harassed by her boss?

Yes true but ultimately she ditches the man that treats her badly and wants to break the vicious cycle she's in.

NutellaEllaElla · 20/05/2023 06:54

Appalonia · 19/05/2023 22:52

I wonder how young women react to Bridget Jones' Diary now? Has it stood the test of time? She drinks, smokes, is obsessed with her weight and, it could be argued, was sexually harassed by her boss?

What irritates me, is when I see people on social media ridiculing this film because it obsesses about her being fat. It's so dumb because SHE obsesses about her weight like every other woman did/does. The writers aren't saying she's fat.