Steven Spielberg’s comfort blanket remake of Harvey is a sign of the end. It’s the movie where a once innovative and ambitious film-maker, the best guy holding a camera during a 18 year golden era which ended with Schlinder’s List, has ran out of steam and ambition to take a risk and is entering those latter day directing years that most creative talents in this industry eventually hit. The years when they simply stop caring.
The years when even the bad movies they make (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) are just shockingly lazy efforts, not bad because they were major failures by a an auteur who just got the puzzled mixed up (A.I.), just bad, bad, bad movies.
Bad, because there was no effort. I think the term is “hack job”.
Spielberg stopped caring the moment he chose to remake James Stewart, instead of stepping up to the plate and making Lincoln, a project at this point he is frightened of.
Will today’s news even be on Spielberg’s radar? Is he so distanced now from the figure of Lincoln - that he won’t care?
It’s been reported that Mr. Sundance Robert Redford intends to direct The Conspirator, a low budget Indie film focusing on Mary Surratt, alleged conspirator of Abraham Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth which should film before the end of the year. James McAvoy is the studio’s first choice for a major role, probably that of her son and co-conspirator John Surratt.
Mr. Spielberg… if your not going to make Tony Kushner’s (Munich) biopic of Lincoln into a motion picture, then stand aside. Let someone else make this with Liam Neeson, whilst you play around with invisible rabbits.
7 Comments
“Munich” is his last solid picture.
I don’t see the reason why you attack this way to Spielberg..
I don’t think that somebody could describe Munich with the word “bad”. Minority Report too. Catch me if you can too. I also liked War of the Worlds or AI… I don’t think his golden era ended with Schidler’s list, Saving Private Ryan anyone????
I don’t like the idea of directing Harvey, I haven’t seen the original movie but the story doesn’t appeal that much to me. But with a movie already in postproduction (TINTIN) and a variety of projects that are not 100% ready for shooting (Lincoln, Interstellar, Halo, 39 clues and other) I think he is not even clode to the years that he doesn’t care…
I’ve got to call you out on this one. Yes, Crystal Skull was an abomination (and I’ll never completely forgive Spielberg or Harrison for it, I don’t think) and War of the Worlds had some lousy writing behind it, but Munich was one of Spielberg’s most powerful films, Catch Me if You Can is a hell of a great movie, Minority Report, despite its flaws, was quite an original sci-fi pic, and come on, Saving Private Ryan? Not the greatest war movie of all time like some hail, but its some inspired filmmaking regardless.
yea, “harvey” is a pretty lame choice for Spielberg to approach. He should definitely be making Lincoln and other stuff.
movie doesnt need to be made because: 1) remakes suck and spielberg doesnt do them, 2) james stewart cannot be imitated or surpassed, as well as the movie, its just too perfect, 3) harvey is not spielberg’s type of movie! christ
Hey I loved Munich! It was one of my favourites of 2005!
I also adore Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can.
All I said was the Spielberg “golden era” where EVERYTHING he touched (barring possibly the second Indy Jones movie) was A*** material for an 18 year stretch.
He has made that kind of solid work after Schlinder’s List but not every time he picks up the camera, like it was in the old days. That’s what a golden era is (Hitchcock had a golden era too where every film was a masterpiece).
Read the post again. The only two movies I mentioned were A.I. and Indy IV that I hated.
Jonathan…
There ain’t no way Spielberg is going to make Interstellar or direct Halo. He is too scared of both projects.
It’s one thing to attach yourself to a project, it’s quite another to actually say “Let’s Go” and commit to it.
I honestly think Spielberg has stopped caring. There was nothing about Indiana Jones IV that showcased a director who cared about his legacy or living up to what an Indiana Jones movie is supposed to stand for.
He was on auto pilot for that whole picture. And remaking Harvey! Come on man, it’s not the Spielberg we remember. He would never have even contemplated that for a second 15 years ago. He is not the same man.
Lincoln is 100% ready to shoot. Has been for five years. If he was going to make it… he would have by now. If it is truly a life long ambition to film Lincoln, then why hasn’t he?
I understood the golden era bit Matt. I just wanted to point out how awesome MUNICH was. MUNICH was a big come back after the bad bad WAR OF THE WORLDS. But I agree, he is a different man. INDY4 was the biggest train wreck ever! On a positive note.
I recently saw AMISTAD again and loved it.
Is it just me, or is this Spielberg film underrated.