The “lame, stupid” 2004 movie Roger Ebert told a 14-year-old not to watch: “Do your research”
Should you listen to the critics? I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve strongly disagreed with a movie review, although there’s nothing quite as validating as when you read a bad review of a movie you also think is terrible, yet everyone else seems to love. That’s the thing; we’re not going to agree with everyone, and when it comes down to it, you can only make up your mind on a film by simply watching it and seeing for yourself.
Reading a critic’s review simply gives you a good indicator of whether a movie is going to be worth your time, which is important in a landscape overloaded with new titles coming out every week. When Roger Ebert began his career as a writer in the 1960s, he quickly became one of America’s leading critics, reliable in his honesty and accessibility, with many people seeking out his reviews to decide whether to go and see a movie or not.
But as the internet emerged, criticism started to shift. Why rely on one critic when you can go on internet forums and discuss movies with strangers? Of course, this would pave the way for websites like Letterboxd, which has now become the dominant platform for film lovers to share their thoughts with others, arguably giving a more honest overview of whether a movie is worth your time.
Before Letterboxd, though, people were already starting to get disillusioned with mainstream critics, and in 2004, Ebert chose to pen a letter to a 14-year-old who claimed to be his mother’s go-to for information on new movies, relying on forums and watching movie trailers. “I used to watch Roger Ebert, but now I get most of my information from Byron. I don’t really pay attention to critics anymore,” said Toni Turner, the mother of 14-year-old Byron.
In response, Ebert ensured that if Byron was going to listen to any of his advice, it should be this: don’t watch A Cinderella Story. Now, I can’t help but think that the Hilary Duff movie wasn’t really made with teenage boys, or adult men for that matter, in mind as its target audience, but Ebert insisted that this 14-year-old should do all that he could to make sure his sister and his mother didn’t go and see the movie.
“This is a lame, stupid movie, but Warner Bros is spending a fortune, Byron, to persuade you to see it and recommend it to your mom and Jasmine. So you must be strong and wise, and do your research,” Ebert responded. A Cinderella Story saw the Lizzie McGuire star play a hard-working teenage girl who lives with her evil stepmother and stepsisters following the death of her father. Unbeknownst to her, Sam’s online pen-pal is actually one of the popular boys, Chad Michael Murray’s Austin, and they agree to meet at a masked Halloween dance.
Spinning the classic Cinderella narrative on its head, the movie was a hit with audiences, although Ebert thought it was a massive waste of time. Instead, he suggested that they watch another Cinderella-themed movie. “Urgently counsel your mom and sister to forget about going out to the movies this week, and instead mark the calendar for Aug 24, when Ella Enchanted will be released on video. This is a movie that came out in April and sank without a trace, despite the fact that it was magical, funny, intelligent, romantic, and charming,” he insisted.
A Cinderella Story might have been a little far-fetched and silly, but it’s a pretty classic 2000s teen movie. As he had a habit of being, Ebert was too harsh.
