Singer, not the song

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A simple five-word response: the singer, not the song.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 12, 2007 at 2:35 PM

comment #1

Noel Murray says ...

How hard is it for a NY TIMES writer -- even a blogger -- to hit the IMDB and check a movie title? It's NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION. No "Family."

That said, while I agree that it's the singer not the song, I much prefer it when a pop song is treated like a pop song, not like subversive outsider art.

Posted by Noel Murray at January 12, 2007 3:57 PM

comment #2

Me says ...

Yeah, and Sideways was an older Swingers. Shawshank was Escape from Alcatraz with great narration. So what? Hollywood stealing from itself isn't anything new, nor does Oscar really care about originality.

Posted by Me at January 12, 2007 7:14 PM

comment #3

Dr. Smith says ...

Little Miss Sunshine and Vacation have similar plot points. In other No Shit News, two plus two equals four.

Hollywood has always sworn by the Same Thing But Different attitude toward moviemaking.

Posted by Dr. Smith at January 13, 2007 7:46 AM

comment #4

Craig Kennedy says ...

Why does everyone who points out the similarities between the two films act like they're they first ones to notice it? Yeah they have similar plot elements like a Ding Dong and a Sachertorte both contain chocolate and flour. For better or for worse, what LMS does with the same ingredients as Vacation is totally different.

I agree the enthusiasm for LMS is totally over blown. It's pretty much just a mainstream family comedy that has been tarted up as a faux indie and blessed by Sundance...but goddamnit it made me laugh. End of story.

Posted by Craig Kennedy at January 13, 2007 12:24 PM

comment #5