This movie is billed as a Comedy/Drama.
No. This is a Drama. I am utterly sick of ... whomever (Hollywood in general, marketing companies, production studios) ... labeling things as comedies when they are clearly not.
Does this movie has a couple of chuckles? Sure. That doesn't make it a comedy.
Stop mislabeling movies!
I hate IMDB's Signature policy...
Exactly, this is a drama with a few amusing moments, but it's really impossible to understand why someone would honestly call this a comedy-drama.
shareDramedy. When a film such as this, that has very heavy themes and uses dark and dry humor, its generally called a dramedy. Judd Appatow churns them out like crazy lately. This Is Forty and Funny People both fall into the category.
I'm always dragging that horse around...
This was nowhere near the tone of This Is Forty and Funny People. Those were obviously blended dark comedy and drama.
This movie...no. It is a straight drama. Again, a few funny moments do not make a comedy (or dramedy). This was straight up depressing drama.
I hate IMDB's Signature policy...
I agree that this is a drama and hate it when films in this category are so often marketed as otherwise. But I was expecting a serious film so I was not frustrated by that. I don't agree that it was depressing though; I thought it did a good job of staying away from the self-indulgent melodrama and histrionics that pass for a plot in way too many indie films. No one in this film is a truly hideous person and the main character and his children act with a lot of basic human decency through their struggles.
In terms of being tricked, I can think of many examples but the worst recent one for me was Young Adult, which was marketed through the trailer as a comedy-drama and ended up being not funny at all and about a really nasty, ugly person, and totally depressing throughout. I can't even think of a message or redeeming quality that film had except, "Don't be like this person."
It's funny (haha) you mention Young Adult. When I first watched it I loved the main character, and then the second time I saw it recently I still loved it. It's funny because it takes a real person and shows her observation of the straights from her past. I hate people who say if you don't get it blah blah, because they're full of it, I think you have an opinion on her character as being like you said, sad, repugnant etc. I think you may miss the point of her being a truly unusual person surrounded by the chaff, and of the difficulties that brings to ones psyche. So the comedy is in identifying with her characters experience and being able to look back at it and laugh about it. It's a wonderfully joyful and cathartic movie experience I think. Like I smile thinking about that movie. So to me I see the humour and could call it a drama-comedy in a certain light. It's a great bit of cinema, not great like Gone With The Wind (one day I might watch it) or Casablanca or something. It won't ever be that, not many films will, but I found it a deeply personal movie.
---
Scientologists love Narnia, there's plenty of closet space.
I completely agree and I've noticed this is a trend on dvd sleeves to refer to films with just a laugh or two in them as a "comedy", apparently comedies are more popular than domestic dramas and they are trying to get people to buy or rent it who otherwise might not have considered it.
shareapparently comedies are more popular than domestic dramas
@windquake True, Schindler's List had more jokes than this (gallows humor is still humor).
shareHBO has this on HBO comedy all the time. It's not a comedy at all. The trailer is also very misleading. I can see why some people don't like this movie just because it was nothing like they thought it would be. Good movie but terribly mislabeled.
shareThere are a few light and comedic moments but overall the movie is a very somber drama.
================
4) You ever seen Superman $#$# his pants? Case closed.
I don't think I have ever agreed more with a post. Good work
shareHave you seen Swimming with Sharks? Labeled a comedy and not one funny line or thought; maybe a little mean humor. The Hangover was also labeled a comedy and it had no original or good comedy.
shareI totally agree with the OP, The Descendants was NOT a comedy/drama, it was drama (and I thought it was very good) and though it had a few light moments that does not make it a comedy.
As for The Hangover I disagree - I thought the comedy label was correct, and I actually thought it was very original and very very funny! As a matter of interest how would you label The Hangover?
I liked it quite a lot, but no, not a comedy.
shareVery well said. Sometimes I think the distribution studios fill their marketing departments with former mental patients; they seem entirely disconnected from reality.
You are absolutely right. It had it's comedic moments, but not nearly enough to be classified as Comedy/Drama. That does not mean it's not a good movie. Hell, it's a great movie, but the marketing types continually piss the dedicated movie-goer off with misdirection and bull-crap.
Watta ya lookn here for?
I feel like they were going for a little bit of a Little Miss Sunshine type of vibe but failed to capture it. I can't recall much comedy at all...not even subtle stuff.
shareI always thought this was a drama. One look at the blu-ray slipcase told me that much.
share