I am not a movie snob!

Last week, I was sitting around with my family and heard the tail-end of something my older sister was saying about me: “Christine only likes realistic movies, though.” My family is prone to saying my taste in movies is too snooty, so I wasn't so surprised. But, of course, I argued against the claim immediately. There is absolutely nothing remotely realistic about some of my favorite movies. I don’t think the plot of Edward Scissorhands is ripped from the headlines, and ditto for The Princess Bride, The Lord of the Rings, The Life Aquatic, etc., etc., etc.

Since realism is then clearly not a major criterion for my enjoyment of a film, what is? It’s multilayered, really. A few of the most important layers:

Layer 1: Acting – If the acting in a movie is complete crap, I’m likely to check out before I have a chance to be influenced by anything else. This has kept me from enjoying most films starring Jennifer Lopez. In the case of acting, maybe realism is a major point of concern for me. Actors have to be able to react in a way that seems true to the character they are portraying and the fictional universe they inhabit. I don’t care if you’re playing a pencil; if you can’t sell it, count me out.

Layer 2: Uniqueness – Let’s face it, after you’ve spent at least an hour and a half watching a movie, you don’t want to leave the theater (or get up off the couch) feeling like you’ve just wasted your time. I feel like I’ve wasted my time if a movie is so rote and familiar that my time could have been better spent re-watching something similar that I already liked. If watching a movie a single time makes me pissed that I saw it at all, someone isn’t doing their job very well.

Layer 3: Character – If a film has characters that I like and care about, I’ll be fine. Or, if they aren’t likeable, but they’re at least psychologically interesting (like Jonathan Rhys Myers’s character in Match Point), we’re okay.

Those are my main three layers, I’d say. Of course, there are a million reasons why a certain film may pass my standards why another does not. I just wanted to break down some major deal breakers. The important thing, as I head to Target today to pick up two DVDs (Atonement and Enchanted), is to remind that sister of mine that, clearly (since I’m buying Enchanted), realistic films aren’t the only ones that float my boat.