Borneo Post-Sarawak Audiences Love Family Films
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Borneo Post-Sarawak Section: Leisure Ad Value: RM 17,550 9-May-2021 Size : 1,248cm2 PR Value: RM 52,650 Audiences love family films - Hollywood might be catching on Audiences love famly/lJWTJM films - Hollywood 鼠 might be catching。輪 By Ann Hornaday WHEN people first saw David Oyelowo's "The Water Man” at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, some of them evinced surprise that the actor Lonnie Chavis (left) and David Oyelowo appear on the set of *The Water Man,' Oyelowo's chose it as his directorial debut. directorial debut. “They said, 'We're used to you doing “important“ movies,'" be watching with their kids, explains Franklin, whose has proved to be a outsized Oyelowo recalled during a programmers made a special credits include “Miracles from performer, first on Netflix and recent Zoom conversation from effort to program family-friendly Heaven" and "Breakthrough.” now on Disney Plus. Nagenda England. movies, according to TIFF “Hollywood has misinterpreted points to the recent success of “And I understand what they artistic director and co-head the success of the superhero “Concrete Cowboy,“ a teen mean - it5s the work Fve done in Cameron Bailey. movies. I can tell you that the drama starring Idris Elba the historical space and the civil “We had to program thinking audience I make movies for, they that Netflix picked up out of rights space.” about that audience experience/5 want more films that aren5t just Toronto, and "Yes Day," a Granted, Oyelowo5s latest he explained in an email. In a superhero film. They want PG-rated comedy starring project won't be mistaken for addition to “The Water Man,“ stories that they can watch with Jennifer Garner, as more proof “Lincoln,“ in which he had a Bailey pointed to the animated their whole family, that aren't that these stories are filling a small role, or “Selma,“ in which feature "Wolfwalkers,“ which just special effects. The special hole in the marketplace. MOver he portrayed the Rev. Martin went on to be nominated for an effect is love, the special effect time, as there were more Luther King Jr. Oscar, as an example of ”Ulms is kindness, the special effect is ways that entertainment could “The Water Man,“ which was that all ages can enjoy.” coming together to get through satiate an audience (through) written by Emma Needell, is He added: tcWe wanted what we5re going through right television, premium cable and about an 11-year-old boy named families to have an opportunity now.” now streaming, the theatrical Gunner (Lonnie Chavis) who to watch films at home together In addition to Marvel, relevance of... those films embarks on a supernaturally that all age groups would find Oyelowo points to Pixar as tapered off,“ Nagenda said. tinged journey to save the 金 compelling.55 having successfully captured “But that doesn't mean the of his ailing mother, played by Although «The Water Man” multigenerational audiences, audience stopped wanting those Rosario Dawson. had goodwill coming out of much in the same way that films. The theatrical business just Set in the Pacific Northwest, (From left) Lonnie Chavis as Gunner Boone, David Oyelowo Toronto, <swhen it came time Steven Spielberg5s Amblin didn't necessarily support them.” as Amos Boone, and Rosario Dawson as Mary Boone in 'The “The Water Man5> deals with for distributors to understand Entertainment did in the 1980s. Tamara Rothenberg, senior Water Man.1 real-world pain and grief by what to do with that, or harness Industry insiders call these “four- vice president of kids, family way of adventure and fantasy; in that energy and point it toward quadrant“ movies, referring and young adult programming its deft balancing of grown-up ("The Water Man" arrived in is that you have executives who a release, it became a very to their appeal across four at Endeavor Content, believes themes, wholesome sensibility AMC theaters on Friday; Netflix have a misguided notion of just challenging conversation,55 demographic groups: young and that as success stories like ”Yes and handsome production values, will make it available around the how emotionally intelligent teens recalls Chris Slager, senior vice old, male and female. They'll also Day“ accrue, a new golden the PG-rated drama occupies world later this year.) and tweens are.” president of film advisory at often use the terms ”co-viewing” age of family viewing might what has threatened to become an “Some of the reaction from That shortsightedness doesn't Endeavor Content, which sold and “multigenerational,“ be dawning - at least on home extinct species within cinematic the buyers was, 'Oh, this is just apply to Hollywood studios. distribution rights to the film. indicating films that parents and screens. Although audiences ecology: an entertaining family a tweener,' " Oyelowo said. Way too often, mainstream, “It ended up being something kids watch together. have splintered into smaller film with nary a spandex unitard “'It's not for kids, it5s not for family-oriented movies that had universal enthusiasm And they are primed to make and smaller niches over the past or Pixar logo in sight. grown-ups.5 And the rationale are overlooked by festival from buyers on an individual a comeback, especially after a couple of decades, she thinks the Oyelowo gets it. "The was, because it was dealing with programmers who are on the level, but none of them were year of families being cooped up rise of streaming platforms “gives Water Man" doesn't delve themes that were grown-up hunt for the edgy new thing. mandated to acquire this kind at home and looking for visual the potential for the kind of fbur- into American history or civil through the eyes of kids, when The term “family“ has come of content?5 (Another Endeavor stories to enjoy together. One quadrant success that has only rights struggles. But to say that it comes to (adult audiences) to mean “for kids,“ which has Content production, aBlue mission of Oyelowo's production been available in theaters.,5 those films are important and they may be put off because the come to signify something trite, Miracle,“ about a real-life group company, Yoruba Saxon It5s worth noting that Amblin (family films) fundamentally protagonists are kids. That's just manipulative and saccharine. of Mexican orphans who win a Productions, is to create “three- is even getting back into the are not - because they don't fundamentally not true.” Critics follow suit, gravitating lucrative fishing tournament, will or four-quadrant film(s) that game: The company has deal with racial injustice or Indeed, “The Water Man” toward awards-season fare and debut on Netflix on May 27.) kids can watch with their parents announced plans to remake two politics or themes that are more harks back to the kind of movie snob-worthy work by boundary In many ways, the decline and their grandparents and of its biggest hits from the 1980s, intellectual -1 would say is a that Oyelowo, 45, grew up with, pushing filmmakers who have of the classic family film is the everyone is getting something “The Goonies" and "Gremlins,“ misunderstanding of a broad and has sought to resurrect in been conditioned to signal artistic result of Hollywood's own self out of it.... We call it 'live-action and will produce an upcoming audience,“ he said. recent years: films such as "E.T. seriousness through graphic cannibalizing business model: Pixar.' " (Yoruba Saxon's films adaptation of Edward Gorey's “The Water Man55 received the Extra-Terrestrial,5, or “Stand violence, transgressive sexuality, Families who once piled into include “A United Kingdom/5 gothic tale “The Doubtful Guesf5 mostly good-to-glowing reviews by Me” or “The Goonies” - all pervasive profanity and bleakly the Ford Falcon to go see ”The about the biracial marriage of written by Kumail Nanjiani and out of Toronto, aided by of which featured young people pessimistic subject matter. Parent Trap" and "That Darn Ruth Williams and King Seretse Emily V. Gordon. Oyelowo5s appearance in the film on adventures that, however Meanwhile, serious-minded Cat“ in theaters - and, later, Khama of Botswana, and “Come Will those be family as Gunner5s strict military father. fanciful, were grounded in such movies that exemplify a more “Bad News Bears” and “Holes” Away,“ a mash-up ofAlice in films? Kids' movies? Or Any other movie with those real-life anxieties as divorce, accessible and aspirational -are now more likely to trek to Wonderland55 and “Peter Pan” in multigenerational co-viewing assets would have the wind at its absent parents, deaths of siblings worldview are unfairly dismissed the multiplex to catch the latest which Oyelowo co-starred with opportunities? Because they span back when it came to acquiring or loss of community. and pigeonholed - never mind Avengers installment, or watch Angelina Jolie.) so many genres and tones, it distribution. “The reason why I missed that such films are much harder “The Mandalorian“ in separate Tendo Nagenda, vice president might be time to retire traditional But Oyelowo and his producers those films was because now, to execute without the crutches rooms on their personal screens. of original film at Netflix, met nomenclature. encountered a number of as a father of four myself, it5s of sensationalism and vulgarity. Producer DeVon Franklin Oyelowo when they worked on “I think the range of what we obstacles on their way to hard to find films that are both Family films have always been has watched the trends with the 2016 Disney movie “Queen now call 'family films' is wide eventually being picked up by entertaining and meaningful a staple at Toronto, especially dismay.