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osprey_archerI watched Moneyball, because I am apparently incapable of not watching anything that Aaron Sorkin is involved in (except for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Which was terrible. And I was so excited about it! I actually watched some of the episodes on television when they first aired, I was so excited about it! OH THE DISAPPOINTMENT).
Moneyball doesn't reach nearly the OH THE DISAPPOINTMENT levels of Studio 60; the disappointment it offers is entirely lowercase. There are a number of lesser problems I could harp on. The secondary characters are barely developed. Even the main characters seem strangely distant from us (and I thought Billy Bean was singularly unappealing, though this is probably one of my more idiosyncratic opinions). The movie's pacing is unsteady, and its conclusion is unsatisfying, and -
- but basically, the movie has one over-arching flaw, which is: why should I be rooting for Billy Bean? He says he wants to change the game of baseball (preferably in a way that will lead his underdog team to win the World Series)...but his changes all tend to make baseball more boring! (No more stealing bases! Stop bunting! Let the pitcher walk you!) So why should I want him to succeed?
Changing the world, or wanting to change the world, is not in itself admirable. Your proposed changes have to make the world better.
Moneyball doesn't reach nearly the OH THE DISAPPOINTMENT levels of Studio 60; the disappointment it offers is entirely lowercase. There are a number of lesser problems I could harp on. The secondary characters are barely developed. Even the main characters seem strangely distant from us (and I thought Billy Bean was singularly unappealing, though this is probably one of my more idiosyncratic opinions). The movie's pacing is unsteady, and its conclusion is unsatisfying, and -
- but basically, the movie has one over-arching flaw, which is: why should I be rooting for Billy Bean? He says he wants to change the game of baseball (preferably in a way that will lead his underdog team to win the World Series)...but his changes all tend to make baseball more boring! (No more stealing bases! Stop bunting! Let the pitcher walk you!) So why should I want him to succeed?
Changing the world, or wanting to change the world, is not in itself admirable. Your proposed changes have to make the world better.
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Date: 2012-04-07 11:41 pm (UTC)That being said, I LOVED Studio 60. I thought it was brilliant, calling out the TV industry. I think it failed because 30 Rock came out the same time and people would rather have a comedy over a drama.
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Date: 2012-04-10 12:33 am (UTC)I didn't watch Studio 60 to the end. Does it pick up later in the season? I just remember it feeling flabby and not up to West Wing standards.
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Date: 2012-04-11 11:28 pm (UTC)