Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
The acting and technical elements are good enough to be cheered, but the film itself is so bad it makes them seem wasted.
In plain terms
The acting and film stock are better than the movie.
What can you take from it?
Good components cannot save a bad whole.

Where it applies

  • film reviews
  • criticism

Putting it to work

  • ensure story supports craft
  • balance technical and narrative

Questions to consider

  • Can good acting save a bad film?
  • What matters most in movies?

Another view

It relies on hyperbole.

More from Roger Ebert

  1. Parents: If you encounter teenagers who say they liked this movie, do not let them date your children.

    Permalink to quote #31
  2. I remember when hard-core first became commonplace, and there were discussions about what it would be like if a serious director ever made a porn movie. The an…

    Permalink to quote #33
  3. The movie stars six teenage characters who have been marketed on TV and in toy stores. They have names, but no discernible personalities. None of them ever say…

    Permalink to quote #30

Related quotes

  1. James Caan told me at the end of filming 'Elf' that he had been waiting through the whole film for me to be funny - and I never was.

    Will FerrellWill Ferrell quote #72
  2. He made the characters a lot more three-dimensional. It's still a 'B' movie and it's still kinda campy. Now it's these really well-developed characters, really…

    John LeguizamoJohn Leguizamo quote #9
  3. In a statement Dobson announced he supported 'Mel Gibson and his film, The Passion of the Christ, saying Gibson's anti-Semitic remarks had nothing to do with '…

    James DobsonJames Dobson quote #10