Whatever Happened to the Middlebrow Movie? NewsWire

NewsWire: 4/20/22

• Are we seeing “the end of the movies” and movie stars? In an op-ed, Ross Douthat argues that the big screen has become just another type of content alongside dozens of other forms of entertainment. (The New York Times)
  
• NH: In recent months, we’ve written about the ongoing decline of moviegoing and global box office receipts. (See “(Don’t) Meet Me at the Movies” and “Hollywood is Relying on Star Power.”) Ross Douthat touches on this, too, but here is focusing on the decline of a particular type of movie: the “high-middlebrow” film that both appeals to large adult audiences and wins Oscars.
• The Best Picture recipients of the 1990s and early 2000s are perfect examples: Schindler’s List, Forrest Gump, Shakespeare in Love, A Beautiful Mind. And before that, we had classics like The Sound of Music, Rocky, The Godfather, The Sting, Lawrence of Arabia, Ben-Hur, A Man for All Seasons…and so on. All of these movies received widespread critical acclaim for their artistic and intellectual content and did huge numbers at the box office. In fact, they were often the single highest-grossing film in the year they were released.
• For the past few years, this hasn’t been the case. CODA, this year’s Best Picture winner, was primarily available on Apple TV+ and is estimated to have grossed less than $2M worldwide. That’s less than most widely released movies make in one week. The movie industry appears split between superhero blockbusters and tiny arthouse movies.
• Why has this happened? The sheer range of entertainment options available today is a big reason. When movies are just one option of dozens that are competing for people’s attention, studios prefer to put their money towards surefire hits. Many “non-popcorn” movies now end up on streaming platforms or in limited theatrical release only.
• One might argue that the type of middlebrow adult entertainment that’s missing from theaters has simply migrated to the small screen. But most of the time, these are not comparable when it comes to production values. The grand, immersive moviegoing experience of yesteryear can’t be replicated in our living rooms.
• What’s a middlebrow fan to do? Even before the pandemic, many movie theaters were trying to lure serious-minded moviegoers with luxury recliners and fine dining. Douthat argues the best way for these kinds of movies to survive might be to treat them like the opera or the ballet. Along with more upscale theaters, attendees might receive supplemental material, like programs or guides, or be greeted with related décor or other enhancements that deepen the moviegoing experience. As studios emerge from the pandemic, they may feel as if they’re more able to take artistic risks. But until then, I guess we’ll always have our DVDs of Ben-Hur.