MovieChat Forums > Elizabethtown (2005) Discussion > This is the archetype of a "feel good fi...

This is the archetype of a "feel good film"


I only watched this film on the side as it was running while I was sitting on my computer, but it perfectly fits into a trope which I could describe as a "feel good film". The atmosphere is very light-hearted and "feely", but overall sunny and positive, there are no heavy, complicated themes but themes to which everybody can relate to, such as the feelings of mourning, returning to your old home after a long time, the reunion with old friends and contacts from your old hometown, tedious family rituals and the very special feeling of an emerging romantic relation. There's no heavy focus on humour or dramatic events - even if there is drama, there's a very soft introduction to it. It's a typical Sunday afternoon film to watch with your family or partner, I would imagine. Another example of this trope that comes to my mind would be the film Morning Glory. Another film that also fits it PERFECTLY is that one with Ben Stiller and Edward Norton where they play a rabbi and a priest, respectively.

Oh, and what I really enjoyed was the beginning, with Orlando Bloom's character driving home through the highways and roads of the rural Southern United States with what looked like a Mercury Grand Marquis (a rebadged Ford Crown Victoria). You could see a lot of the landscape and habitation and it brought a great "vibe" of how the region feels, the soundtrack was very fitting as well.

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