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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:
Spudlet · 20/05/2023 11:01

The Devil Wears Prada always makes me want to scream ‘nooooooo, don’t go back to hiiiiiim’ at the end. She has quit her job to find her proper path, but then she goes back to that whingebag! Leave him, FFS, and find someone who actually has your back girl 🧐

Lillygolightly · 20/05/2023 11:19

The Devil Wears Prada is 2 fold, Andi calls them the clackers, looks down on them and sees them as vapid, fashion is shallow etc etc. In return they look down on her for her lack of fashion sense/knowledge, see her a clunky and outside their inner circle. Through the film you see each of their perceptions change Andi begins to see the work and dedication that goes into the fashion she previously looked down upon, Miranda and Emily begin to accept Andi but this is in part because Andi had changed herself to fit in their world but also because she actually ended up doing a decent job as an assistant and a sort of mutual respect grows.

I love that Miranda respects Andi even more for walking away. I love the underhanded praise from Miranda in the job reference when she calls Andi her biggest disappointment as it’s so true to character.

I dislike Nate and the friends but I actually think it’s true to life, that friends are happy to enjoy the spoils of your successes when it suits and benefits them, but who then moan it when that same success take you away from them, or comes with challenges that that they disagree with and withdraw support.

ultimately Andi realises for herself she’s gone a little to far down the rabbit hole and pulls herself out but I HATE that she that apologetic meet up with Nate before her interview where he tells her that he’s only gone and got himself a new more impressive job, that in my opinion he probably only went and looked for because he realised her career was going well and felt he was getting left behind, whereas in the preceding period he had been happy to sulk and mope about making her feel guilty for pursuing her career. He’s an asshole!!!

WhyDoesItAlways · 20/05/2023 11:23

CurlewKate · 20/05/2023 10:17

Has anyone mentioned The Boat that Rocked? That's awful!!

If that's the pirate radio film then it's set in the 60's so even when it was released it would have been questionable against the current days standards. Surely if a movie is based in a gone by era they shouldn't have to make it PC to match up with modern day optics?

AnnaMagnani · 20/05/2023 11:25

The Boat That Rocked was universally acknowledged as awful when it came out.

WhyDoesItAlways · 20/05/2023 11:26

ThatAbsoluteFkr · 20/05/2023 08:57

Mrs Doubtfire, absolutely.

Abusive ex husbands manipulates ex wife through au pair vetting by pretending to be bad candidates then dresses as an elderly woman to interfere in her new live life and be around kids when she wanted time away from him.

Yes, I watched this with DS6 last night and it's definitely not as wholesome as I remember it! There were also a few sleazy sex references that passed me by as a child.

DS did comment on Peirce Brosnan's old car which would have probably been a top of the range mercedes back in the day Grin

Fiddie · 20/05/2023 12:43

I watched Grease with my 17 yo DS. I popped to get a drink and when I got back asked what I'd missed.

He said Danny has just sexually assaulted Sandy at the drive in and she's got out of the car.

That movie hasn't aged well

Xrays · 20/05/2023 12:51

Fiddie · 20/05/2023 12:43

I watched Grease with my 17 yo DS. I popped to get a drink and when I got back asked what I'd missed.

He said Danny has just sexually assaulted Sandy at the drive in and she's got out of the car.

That movie hasn't aged well

Well done for your Ds for clocking it for what it was 😁

whatsthpoint · 20/05/2023 13:12

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!

What do you mean? That film was representative of what was happening at the time in which it was set. Can't understand why you've mentioned it.

Rubyupbeat · 20/05/2023 13:13

@rummikub Why hasn't Color Purple aged well? It's how things used to be, sadly. Thst and 'Beloved' are 2 of my most emotional films to watch.

Rummikub · 20/05/2023 13:15

@Rubyupbeat
i had it as one to watch.
I couldn’t watch it again as I found it too emotional. The scene where the sisters are separated.

SadOrWickedFairy · 20/05/2023 13:17

DorritLittle · 19/05/2023 22:26

I watched Devil Wears Prada again recently and I didn’t get that from it. I thought her friends thought it weird that she became so obsessed with pleasing someone and a job involving fashion. She ditched the job herself at the end to be true to who she was.

Although the friends were more than happy to take the freebies Anne Hathaway's character received as part of her job off her hands weren't they, very hypocritical of them.

SadOrWickedFairy · 20/05/2023 13:20

magicstar1 · 20/05/2023 10:55

I don’t get the problem with Grease at all. Sandy decided at the end to have a makeover….she doesn’t smoke as someone said up thread, she just holds it for a minute. Danny had gone off and totally changed. He spent ages trying to find a sport and lettered in track. He was wearing a cardigan, and changed far more than she did.

I agree with you - both characters changed to be what they thought the other one wanted.

InchHighPrivateI · 20/05/2023 13:51

Danny also tries to change earlier when he tries out for the sports team.

DorritLittle · 20/05/2023 14:16

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 20/05/2023 09:45

I love Bridget Jones. It’s stood the test of time. I think it isn’t that different from today.

Wish l could meet Colin Firth in a Christmas jumper is all l can say♥️

Same!

Radiatorvalves · 20/05/2023 14:26

Most of the early James Bonds are questionable. Well, downright misogynistic. But a product of their times. The female characters in the recent films are much improved.

GatoradeMeBitch · 20/05/2023 14:27

The Breakfast Club. Girl ends up falling in love with abusive twat as far as I recall

I like the fact that with every decade the horror over Alison's makeover grows. I saw an appalled tweet from a first time watcher just the other day.

SunnyEgg · 20/05/2023 14:29

The friends and boyfriend are annoying in TDWP

KimberleyClark · 20/05/2023 14:34

PurpleParrotfish · 20/05/2023 08:15

It’s very clear in the original book of Bridget Jones’s Diary that her being on a constant diet is part of the satire, about social pressure. There’s a conversation she says she ought to eat under 1000 calories a day or something. Her friend says “Don’t you need more than that just to stay alive?” and she realises that she’s come to think that we only consume any food at all because we’re weak-willed.

Also she gets down to her ‘target weight’ at one point and all her friends ask if she’s ill.

It doesn’t sound funny when I write it down like that, but it’s still a really funny book!

It’s ironic when you think that Renee Zellwegger gained a lot of weight to play the role of a person who wasn’t actually overweight.

mauveiscurious · 20/05/2023 14:35

Trading places - have you seen that recently - it would never be made today

Rummikub · 20/05/2023 15:54

I watched the end of that last night. Shocking! I’m amazed they still showed it.

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 20/05/2023 17:07

Fiddie · 20/05/2023 12:43

I watched Grease with my 17 yo DS. I popped to get a drink and when I got back asked what I'd missed.

He said Danny has just sexually assaulted Sandy at the drive in and she's got out of the car.

That movie hasn't aged well

😂

Yup well done your Ds for seeing that for what it was.

petermaddog · 20/05/2023 17:21

flashdance
the male dancer was doing the breakdancing /the real dance er was marine jahan

Unicorn2022 · 20/05/2023 17:32

Weird Science!

At the time it was considered a fantastic film and everyone fancied Kelly LeBrock but she basically shagged two 15(?) year old boys in the film, among other dubious things.

Iyiyiiii · 20/05/2023 17:44

Unicorn2022 · 20/05/2023 17:32

Weird Science!

At the time it was considered a fantastic film and everyone fancied Kelly LeBrock but she basically shagged two 15(?) year old boys in the film, among other dubious things.

I don't remember that it was "considered a fantastic film" ?

WowIlikereallyhateyou · 20/05/2023 17:53

Lillygolightly · 20/05/2023 11:19

The Devil Wears Prada is 2 fold, Andi calls them the clackers, looks down on them and sees them as vapid, fashion is shallow etc etc. In return they look down on her for her lack of fashion sense/knowledge, see her a clunky and outside their inner circle. Through the film you see each of their perceptions change Andi begins to see the work and dedication that goes into the fashion she previously looked down upon, Miranda and Emily begin to accept Andi but this is in part because Andi had changed herself to fit in their world but also because she actually ended up doing a decent job as an assistant and a sort of mutual respect grows.

I love that Miranda respects Andi even more for walking away. I love the underhanded praise from Miranda in the job reference when she calls Andi her biggest disappointment as it’s so true to character.

I dislike Nate and the friends but I actually think it’s true to life, that friends are happy to enjoy the spoils of your successes when it suits and benefits them, but who then moan it when that same success take you away from them, or comes with challenges that that they disagree with and withdraw support.

ultimately Andi realises for herself she’s gone a little to far down the rabbit hole and pulls herself out but I HATE that she that apologetic meet up with Nate before her interview where he tells her that he’s only gone and got himself a new more impressive job, that in my opinion he probably only went and looked for because he realised her career was going well and felt he was getting left behind, whereas in the preceding period he had been happy to sulk and mope about making her feel guilty for pursuing her career. He’s an asshole!!!

Exactly as i see it.