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Forlorne: "that which the commoner can not distinguish as worthy". Yes, to a degree, that would be right. A commoner is someone who is not
cogniscent of art, and who is not well-versed within academic disciplines, isn't he (or she)?
I am sorry, but I come from a town full of commoners. They know next to nothing, outside of the routines of their lives. They never excelled in any class in school (except perhaps the odd practical course, or gym, but hardly there either). It's painful being around them - they talk in cliches. They truly are not enightened, and far from erudite. During the festival, none of the thousands of industry people and artists, are interested in talking with any of them, Why? Because they are common dolts.
On the other hand, if a person from a common, average background has some intelligence and talent, and invest this in pursuing their interests, instead of succumbing to the demands of "being like everyone else", then perhaps they can become somebody. They can strive to fully distinguish between what's manufactured to please (i.e. commercial) and what is genuine product.
I begin to suspect that you are just anti-intellectual, or stubborn 
Do you propose doing away with all arts faculties at universities, and all prestigious, intellectual awards etc, as well?
Really, it isn't about being snobbish or pretensious. This is about realities. Authentic product, whether it can be labelled art or not, challenges the palate of lazy or unenlightened viewers. Commercial product does not. The Help is by no means an example of the former.
We don't need to go down in the trenches, here, and shoot at eachother. I watch commercial films as well, and I can enjoy them. At some level, I enjoyed The Help. What was less enjoyable, was watching and hearing adults laud it as a particularly fine artistic accomplishment, when clearly it wasn't, and clearly they know very little about how movies are made, and what producers navigate by. (A savvy punter would give kudos to the producers, but noone did - they were just common people having shared the experience of being drowned in schmaltz designed to move commoners, and they were not cogniscent of it - how impressive is that??)
And then, I can watch movies laden with authenticity, and where directors clearly have not compromised with producers (who'd want commercial product, but in most of these cases, the movies are independent - for most artists, the only way to make real art - so the ambitions of the producers are the same as those of the directors), and I can feel that it is less of an enjoyable experience at times - but then it grows on you, afterwards. Or it is enjoyable, as it stimulates your finer tuned sentence.
There is lots of commercial product that pleases me. Mostly because it does not pretend to be art. Crazy, Stupid, Love is a recent example. I don't feel any need to get very relative about things though, and to say that all products are of equal value. I'm sorry, but to me that just sounds like a position of intellectual laziness, or an attempt to be overly diplomatic.
The Help is enjoying commercial success. For that very reason, there should be plenty of room for intellectual criticism of it, and such criticism should be welcomed with opened arms, not subdued. Few people bother criticise a particular, commercial product that fails, commercially. It's the big hits that get attention, and that is necessary, in an open and free society - precisely because succesful commercial products within the field of entertainment (and party art) have such cultural impact, and therefore warrant analysis. Or should we all just let ourselves get slightly brainwashed, with each product, and refuse to let anyone put up arguments about it? That's a moot point, of course, as it will never happen - it only happens in closed societies (or what JFK referred to in a famous speech to publishers, as "secret societies", meaning those behind the iron curtain, where all cultural phenomenon are censores, and selection is purely at the discretion of the governmental authorities - precisely because they know how powerful art, media and entertainment can be, in shaping the way people think, and in influencing attitudes, political conscience and so on.. ).
@giteshpandya FRI BO: #Help $3.63M, #Apollo18 $2.84M, #SharkNight $2.8M, Debt $2.61M, Colombiana $2M, Apes $1.85M. Sep 03, 09:01
THELP isn't that impressive. Its holds are good but in a different time of year, it wouldn't have a shot at number 1 Sep 03, 09:11
It couldn't compete with most films released during the heart of summer. {nm} Sep 03, 09:45
funny - it just did. and since when is a multiplier of over 4 - 4.5 (depending on how you calculate) not impressive? Sep 03, 09:54
Oh poor you. Can't handle people that don't agree with you. {nm} Sep 03, 09:57
And August is hardly the heart of summer. More like the end. {nm} Sep 03, 09:58
yeah - wah me. Sep 03, 10:08
Why can't you handle negativity? Have you watched the news lately? There's more of that than positivity, to be sure. {nm} Sep 03, 10:10
oh ok. Sep 03, 10:20
Oh poor you. You can't see that THELP has been impressive and thoroughly whupped your beloved horror movies. {nm} Sep 03, 10:01
Stick to chick flicks then. Leave the fun movies R-rated movies for those that can enjoy them. {nm} Sep 03, 10:03
Hooray for ad hominem attacks! I bow to you and your wisdom. {nm} Sep 03, 10:09
I have no problem with your opinion and feelings on the movie. Heck, if I were to watch it, I might feel the same way. Sep 03, 10:24
Believe it or not, movies are made by people intending to make a living i.e. a profit. By the very Sep 03, 10:24
If anything, fringe movies are more likely to make a profit because they're a lot cheaper than mainstream films. Sep 03, 10:29
Most of the films on this list of the 10 most profitable movies of all time are "fringe" Sep 03, 10:50
And this one Sep 03, 10:52
And their names are..............? {nm} Sep 03, 10:52
More than half your list is definitely fringe. Horror films are always fringe. They define fringe entertainment. {nm} Sep 03, 11:03
and as far as" the heart of summer", August 6th was exactly the middle of summer. THELP was released on the 10th. As Sep 03, 10:32
Sure. I am saying that movies are entertainment. You seem to be claiming there is some objective definition of great art. Sep 03, 11:23
"slick and cunning"=those that make movies that don't appeal to you. "cutting edge & creative"=movies that do Sep 03, 11:06
Why is it "appaling" that some people want to be emotionally moved by their entertainment? {nm} Sep 03, 11:07
Incidentally, more than half of 20= 11 or more. 11 or more of that list, even by your new definition, are not fringe. {nm} Sep 03, 11:17
Alctually you stated "fringe movies" were far more likely to make a profit than mainstream, so what Sep 03, 11:29
Facto {nm} Sep 03, 13:42
whoops..Facto: I do NOT distinguish between entertainment and art, unless you mean something like the Sep 03, 13:46
Facto: so you are saying professors and students of art determine what is art and what is entertainment? Sep 03, 16:07
Forlorne: "that which the commoner can not distinguish as worthy". Yes, to a degree, that would be right. A commoner is someone who is not Sep 03, 17:33
No TV in your house???!?! {nm} Sep 03, 14:35
Harry: We have a TV, but it serves only as a monitor for DVDs or video games, no broadcast TV, cable, satellite etc. Sep 03, 15:59
Re: Facto Sep 03, 13:49
And there will always be fringe horror movies just like there will always be middlebrow crowdpleasers. {nm} Sep 03, 14:12
Fine, but I still don't see what makes The Help so "detrimental". {nm} Sep 03, 15:04
Facto: movies are NOT real life. None of them. Even if they were, they would only be of the real life of Sep 03, 18:06
Sure, or I mean, could be, but it would've never beaten Pirates, or Thor, or TF3, or any other huge blockbuster. {nm} Sep 03, 17:55
I would like someone to explain the rationale that totally ignores older intellegent adults from the multiplex for 3 months? Sep 03, 10:46
"Harry Warden" {nm} Sep 03, 10:51
This is truly absurd. {nm} Sep 03, 12:05
ditto. {nm} Sep 03, 12:11
What is absurd? {nm} Sep 03, 12:53
Calling The Help's performance "not that impressive." {nm} Sep 03, 17:13
What does whether it's #1 or not have to do with whether the movie is a success? Sep 03, 18:31
D'oh... *paragraph* !! ;-p {nm} Sep 03, 19:17
Facto: Re your debate with forlorne: Sep 04, 05:38
Don't worry about the typos etc. I'm not picky, and I could still understand you. {nm} Sep 04, 07:06