Add realism by dialing back on attractive actors, give them bad teeth and hair, and have them not so eloquently well spoken.

Submitted by BlessThisDay t3_11d07y2 in movies

I’m sure this subject has been discussed before in different ways, but please indulge me. I feel like the fact actors tend to be higher than average attractiveness takes away from realism. Especially in action movies. And the fact that people have great teeth and hair (a killer body) in post apocalyptic settings kills the vibe. It is so easy to address this. Why don’t they? Do movie makers really think people prefer eye candy over a more humanizing cast of characters. The story would be more heroic if they were more relatable. Any movies you feel address this well? Or even really badly?

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no1name t1_ja66c10 wrote

You are talking about British movies then.

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FandomMenace t1_ja6gzui wrote

Came here to say this. British TV and movies always seem to use the best actors and give zero shits what they look like.

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja66sly wrote

Am I? Or am I just talking about independent filmmaking not the Hollywood movie business.

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ScientificAnarchist t1_ja60lpj wrote

People generally don’t want realism movies are fantasy escapes

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja63qi7 wrote

Not to me. Escapism doesn’t always mean into a fantasy. Entertainment isn’t always feel good look good.

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ScientificAnarchist t1_ja64do2 wrote

Except it widely is that’s why that’s what gets made and is what’s popular sure there’s other types of film but it’s incredibly niche and not really widely liked

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja65523 wrote

I’d argue people eat what they’re served. I see tv shows that have significant cultural impact that pushes this envelope. Why not movies?

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ScientificAnarchist t1_ja65efo wrote

Because they’ve developed that formula as what’s widely popular over decades it didn’t just come out of thin air

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja66h5z wrote

Like the recipe for chicken McNuggets or presidential candidates. Don’t mess with the formula. Rom coms, super heros, furiously fast cars, and sci fi nerds who save the day… with a side of fries

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ScientificAnarchist t1_ja674dp wrote

I’m not arguing with you that it can’t get stale or boring and that it wouldn’t be nice to see some realism but there is a reason movies developed a formula

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja6a8mm wrote

I agree. However, I feel a new paradigm is in play, and the formula isn’t as standard as implied. Just comparing movies over the decades along with technological advances (accessible computer f/x, low cost high quality video equipment), cyclical cultural evolution, and access (movie theater prices, video rental, pirating, streaming) is chipping away at the stranglehold the financially risk averse have on the commoditization art. Marvel and big tent pole movies are narrowing the options for casual consumers. The original question dared to ask if we are watching movies or really long commercials for toothpaste and hair products?

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Salty_Letterhead t1_ja60vex wrote

>Do movie makers really think people prefer eye candy over a more humanizing cast of characters.

Yes. And, for better or worse, that really is what most people prefer. Average looking people just don't attract viewers in the same numbers that attractive people do and less viewers equates to less profit.

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Unleashtheducks t1_ja61wa9 wrote

Being in movies makes people attractive. There are loads of attractive people who couldn’t get a job in movies to save their life.

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Salty_Letterhead t1_ja62g0v wrote

I was referring to actors, I thought that was obvious.

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Unleashtheducks t1_ja62woo wrote

Yeah man. I’m an actor and every day the most good looking people you have ever seen audition for roles and can’t get shit. You think beauty is some objective fact that everyone agrees on but it’s not. It’s a product that’s sold to you and you buy it because you want it believe in it.

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Salty_Letterhead t1_ja63aqb wrote

Yeah, there are objectively beautiful people, as you've just admitted to. They also need some degree of acting talent to get decent roles.

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WhereIsThatElephant t1_ja64zpe wrote

you forgot bad breath and being terrible in bed

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja65tzd wrote

I’m not sure how bad breath would be visualized… but yes bad in bed would be more refreshing, possibly adding to the dramatic tension that having sex with the person you’re escaping aliens with already presents.

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uncultured_swine2099 t1_ja6du7q wrote

In Where the Crawdads Sing, the main character who lives out in the marsh is treated by the townsfolk like this freak that shouldnt be trusted, but she looks like this very attractive young woman who seems like she just stepped out of a salon everyday.

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Veszerin t1_ja617oh wrote

There's a ton of research in a variety of fields demonstrating that things we say we want aren't actually things we want.

The fact is that the percent of people that want worse teeth or hair for characters in movies is negligible

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Unleashtheducks t1_ja61pg9 wrote

And research also shows trailers that show the whole movie make more money than those that don’t but people complain about it anyway

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja64is8 wrote

Fascinating. Sounds like you have some really interesting background with your research. I’d love if you can share it. It does fascinate me. And thank you for providing the data points around this topic. Helps to bring realism to the discussion.

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SunfireGaren t1_ja66qc5 wrote

Revealed preference is the concept you're looking for

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revealed_preference

> Therefore, revealed preference is a way to infer the preferences of individuals given the observed choices. It contrasts with attempts to directly measure preferences or utility, for example through stated preferences.

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charleyismyhero t1_ja62z0m wrote

Yeah I’m actually over realism in movies at this point.

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7loUge t1_ja69pbu wrote

>The story would be more heroic if they were more relatable

Why? Would Greek mythology figures be more heroic if they had big beer bellies and burped? Gods, idols, heroes--they are all larger than life. So are movies for the most part.

It's not that way by accident. Realism is great, but how many of the all-time grossing movies are realistic?

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ToxicAdamm t1_ja7jcay wrote

In the end, most people go to a movie theater for escapism. So, Hollywood is always going to lean towards appealing to the masses.

So, that's why for the majority of film history, movies have been beautiful people, in beautiful settings saying perfectly-crafted dialog.

The 70's was a real break from this. Some of my favorite movies are from this era because of this. Early Spielberg was really great at doing it. He would ground his movies in realism upfront. People were sweaty, houses were unkempt, hair was a little messy. That way, when the fantastical part of the story kicks in (Jaws, Close Encounters, ET) you are bought in and along for the ride. But even he got away from it and his later fantasy films (Hook, War of the Worlds, A.I.) have that glossy sheen on them all the way through.

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PotterAndPitties t1_ja61yxw wrote

None of this matters nearly as much as quality story-telling and filmmaking. While casting should reflect the characters, story is what matters.

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BlessThisDay OP t1_ja635u2 wrote

I guess my underlying point is casting is part of quality filmmaking and quality filmmaking is paying attention to detail to better tell a story (or not detract at minimum). Otherwise read the book.

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grapemetodeath t1_ja7kv19 wrote

The trailer just dropped for Bert Kreischer's movie. Unattractive, bad teeth and hair, nothing eloquent about him. Everything you asked for!

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jamesneysmith t1_ja7v39q wrote

People enjoy the glossy fake realism of Hollywood. Obviously there is a place for more genuinely realistic movies but those won't typically attract the mainstream attention. Its a facade and we not only accept it but enjoy it. Give us perfect tooth Tom cruise riding a horse in 1873 and people will eat it up. There's nothing wrong with that. The more gritty realism is usually saved for the artier movies which are enjoyable in their own right

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Federal-Ad-1102 t1_ja7x2jf wrote

The thing is men (that’s me) like looking at attractive actresses. Though I’m not 100% sure I think the opposite is also true for women.

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Puffmamy t1_ja9tw6k wrote

The opposite is true. If I wanted to watch average men in unimpressive situations, I’d just look out my window.

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PerfectAdvertising30 t1_jada1th wrote

>Do movie makers really think people prefer eye candy over a more humanizing cast of characters?

Yes

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