Dean Martin equivalents

You are right, of course - I was just so startled to turn on the television and see someone interviewing Lea Thompson about the "enduring" popularity of the Back to the Future movies. Then again, Thompson herself has always been something of a mystery to me. These moderately attractive, moderately talented people who keep getting work - well, Thompson is not as much of a mystery as, say, the "super stardom" of Sandra Bullock, who to me is the personification of mediocre likeability.

More to the point, if there is one, your post started me thinking about not-great movies that give more pleasure than one would reasonably expect. A relatively recent example, for me, is Music & Lyrics.



That movie made me ridiculously happy the first time I watched it, so much so that I ended up buying a DVD of the movie at Target, and yes, I've watched it a few times since. It's the equivalent of its subject - a great pop song. It makes me happy the way that "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" used to make me happy as a teenager. It's effervescent and cheerful and it's well-played on every level. While the plot is typically predictable, there are enough surprises in the dialogue and performances to elevate it above the current crop of romantic comedies - which are a sadly woeful lot, in general.

I've read many a review about the sad state of the romantic comedy, a genre once perfected by American film makers and now in such decline that even a moderately enjoyable entry can generate excitement. But nothing in recent years can even approach the unparalleled greatness of Bringing Up Baby or My Man Godfrey or the flawed-by-sexism but nevertheless (to me) fabulous-beyond-words The Philadelphia Story.



I remember thinking during the early heyday of Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral, etc)that his movies (and performances) were overpraised because people were so hungry for a great romantic comedy that they'd settle for a decent one.

But it may be time to change the subject to bagels and peanut butter.