One of the recurring arguments I have with Graham is that he cannot seem to accept that “I didn’t like it” and “it’s not good” are not the same thing. Whereas I have always been very firm on the idea that certain works, and even certain creators, are worth admiring but simply not something that interests me. Also that it’s okay that I have that reaction to things. Graham, conversely, rejects entire genres as bad because they are not genres that not interest him.
Oh, genres get that reaction a lot. There have been a lot of pieces over the years condemning entire genres for being nothing more than the sum of their tropes. But that’s not what Graham does, precisely; it’s more “I don’t like drama, so I will condemn it all as melodrama and ignore it.” I’m not convinced he knows what the word “melodrama” means. Graham is, to be fair, an extreme case that way. However, I think he illustrates a difference in how people see art that”s worth examining.
The same thing comes to mind whenever we have one of those “what’s the best [whatever]” discussions. I always have to look at whether the question is “best” or “favourite,” because often, those are different questions. The most recent version is Pixar—I’d have to put a lot of thought into what I think is the best Pixar film, balancing quality of animation, quality of story, score, voicework, and a whole bunch of other factors. But if you ask me what my favourite is? No pause. No thought. The Incredibles.
Why? Because it connects to something in me. A lot of things, starting with my love of superhero fiction. It just makes me happy in ways that no other Pixar movie can. That’s fine; that’s where my heart is. But I’m not convinced that The Incredibles is the best Pixar, and in fact I don’t really think it is. (I don’t know; WALL-E, probably?) The two are different considerations. I think this is the sort of thing that comes up when you get discussions of criticism, too. People get mad that their favourite movie doesn’t have the support of the critics, and I think that’s because they don’t look at the fact that there are demonstrable quality issues.
Oh, I can list you some of my own favourite movies that are simply not good. Believe me, I can tell you probably more flaws in The Breakfast Club than people who hate it can. Some of the live action Disney movies I love are objectively terrible. Conversely, Barry Lyndon is a beautifully filmed movie that bored the pants off me. (At least until about an hour and a half in—you know, halfway through—when someone came in and made fun of it with me.) That’s just a fact. I can’t get on its wavelength.
I guess this is one of the fine points of criticism for me. Own your prejudices. No, I don’t write positive reviews of movies I don’t like. However, I do admit that there are things that would probably work for other people. It’s why I can write three pages about what doesn’t work for me in Tarantino films—because I’ve put the thought into why these things that work for other people don’t work for me. Favourite and best aren’t the same. That may not always matter, but it’s certainly worth mentioning.
