[shrrshrr]

What do you think?

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - but do you automatically gravitate towards a film that has that as its theme?

For me, depends, but I'm probably going to take a second look because it can be a really interesting movie them.

Some of the best examples are:
Kids Genre:
the original Freaky Friday (although the remake wasn't that bad)
Big
Emperor's New Groove

Classics:
A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (again, the original)
North by Northwest

Independent:
Being There

Blacks in white world:
Trading Places or Beverly Hills Cop

Umm...I don't know, I'm tired and having a tough time coming up with examples, but I'm sure you all can help me out.

[ROCKSTAR]

I always have trouble coming up with examples, also. Mean Girls has that set up but since I haven't seen the movie I can't really discuss it.

I'm not always attracted to films like this because they all have the same type of plot and the characters end up going through the same problems, etc. Yet the ones that stand out tend to be really awesome.

One movie I really liked was Foreign Student in which a French guy goes to the South to study. The story is told from his perspective making us feel how he feels at certain times. It has very nice jokes but the thing is that he falls in love with a beautiful black girl after which the whole racial baggage comes into play.

I liked it because I wasn't exactly waiting for it to end the way it did. Also the scenes between the lovers were actually very good and sexy. I mean this isn't an Oscar worthy movie if I'm making it sound that way but I found it rather refreshing.

Also Chocolat tells a nice story of a woman that moves into a deeply Christian town where her free spirit is way out of place. The movie is known as it an Oscar nominated film so I won't go into much detail.

It plays "the fish out of water" set up beautifully.

[shrrshrr]

Hmm...I loved Mean Girls, but I didn't care very much for Chocolat - as you say, it's pretty predictable.

Which brings up a good point - I don't usually care for these films if they're predictable unless the acting is so good I can't ignore it, because you're right - they can be extremely formulaic. But when they take us by surprise they can be so much fun.

Now I need to come up with some examples - I've got a couple tickling the back of my brain but they just won't come forward. :-/

[shrrshrr]

I changed the title in the hopes of drawing more people in...

[galela]

um ... probably dumb question but - what exactly IS a fish out of water movie?

[Dark Half Undine]

Originally Posted by galela um ... probably dumb question but - what exactly IS a fish out of water movie?

It's that movie that put someone in a totally different situation they would ever feel comfortable. Like putting an upper class white snob in a ghetto neighborhood. That's a rather racial example but it is one of those things they do all the time.

[galela]

ahhhh. thank you.

[shrrshrr]

Originally Posted by Dark Half Undine It's that movie that put someone in a totally different situation they would ever feel comfortable. Like putting an upper class white snob in a ghetto neighborhood. That's a rather racial example but it is one of those things they do all the time.

It is, indeed - but yes, it is a common plot. And thanks!

You know, I seriously have this really good film tickling the back of my mind which I just can't recall - a film that does the fish-out-of-water thing, but which doesn't have the stereotypical ending... :-/

[The Daywalker]

Originally Posted by galela um ... probably dumb question but - what exactly IS a fish out of water movie?

I thought it was a tribute to the movie Splash.

[shrrshrr]

[Quarterley]

Now I got an image of Free Willy in my head.