Poppy-Fields Movie Couch Of Fame: Jaws
We’re going to need a bigger couch.
I’ve actually never seen Jaws all the way through; in fact, I’ve probably only seen ten or fifteen minutes of it total. But Reader Kristin thinks it’s a PFM. Take it away, Kristin!
Still not convinced? Jody makes the case:
- lengthy? 124-130 minutes depending on edition.
- familiar/frequent? Big check here. (You kiddin’? Almost 40 years since it was released and you can still find it on somewhere at least once a week.)
- classic/award-winner? For good or ill, Bruce the shark’s exploits in Amity INVENTED the “summer blockbuster.” Film won 3 of the 4 Oscars it was nominated for. TIMELESS soundtrack.
- “Greetings, Professor Falken” (big payoff/long-shot victory a la WarGames)? I’ll let Roy Scheider’s delighted laugh answer this for me.
- “Wanna have a catch?” (Pavlovian tear-jerk; anything with dads opens the ducts for this guy)? Falls a bit short of the typical nominee, but hear me out. Oddly enough, the scene where they encounter the fish for the first time at sea always mists me up a bit — even though this thing is their “prey,” they’re still completely awed by it. Factor in the triumphant theme Williams uses and it becomes very “HUZZAH CREATION!!!…even when it wants to eat you.”
- quote-fest? You’re gonna need a bigger boat (to fit ’em all). Quint’s Indianapolis speech can ALWAYS raise goosebumps, and the soundtrack has become shorthand in itself.
- caper-ish or -adjacent camaraderie? Not a caper, but there’s definitely some male bonding going on aboard ye olde Orca.
- “forget you, melon farmer” (you own it, but will still watch bowdlerized TV verzh) Not a lot of language anyway, since it’s only PG as is. Whether Scheider trails off at “sonuva” or completes the epithet, I’m as good as sucked in until…well, until Quint’s sucked down.
Thanks, Kristin!
Maybe I’m not paying attention, but I actually don’t remember seeing this in the cable guide except during horror-movie marathons around Halloween. And it’s a classic; it’s a watershed film (so to speak); but can a movie that, in the end, is gotcha horror qualify as a PFM?
In the end, what makes for a PFM is subjective and individual; I have a few that I won’t bother nominating because I’m positive nobody will agree, even if they’ve seen the films in question. Is Jaws one of those? Or is Kristin right about its poppyish qualities? Discuss.
Kristin, you’ve won a shirt; thanks for submitting!
Update 10/28/14: Sold! [chomp]
The Poppy-Fields Movie Couch Of Fame is here. To nominate your own PFM, email bunting at tomatonation dot com with a rundown of the criteria and your argument for why it deserves a cushion. If I use your entry, free loot shall be thine.
Tags: Jaws movies poppy-fields movies Richard Dreyfuss Roy Scheider
Could not agree more. My nomination went a little something like this.
*******
aws is my ultimate poppy-fields movie, to the extent that my reaction when I catch it during channel flipping is “Crap, there goes my afternoon.”
lengthy – I literally no idea how long this movie is. I have never deliberately watched it, and I may have never seen it from beginning to end. I have only ever seen it on commercial television or running in the background at a party. It could be (and commercial television running time supports this) anywhere from 2 to 6 hours long.
familiar/frequent – well, it’s Jaws. I don’t have cable anymore, but I trust it continues to be ubiquitous.
classic/award-winner – Jaws.
“Greetings, Professor Falken” (big payoff/long-shot victory a la WarGames) – frickin’ exploding shark
“Wanna have a catch?” (Pavlovian tear-jerk; anything with dads opens the ducts for this guy) – The main problem with this movie, when I catch it mid-run, is that I have to hang around until Quint tells the story of the USS Indianapolis. The sudden shift in mood from drunk lark to horror story, while not exactly a tear-jerker, gives me goose bumps every. single. time. even though I can quote most of it by heart.
quote-fest – “we’re going to need a bigger boat” is a pretty frequent reference.
I’d add caper-ish or -adjacent camaraderie to my personal list – Show me the way to go home, I’m tired and I want to go to bed.
“forget you, melon farmer” (you own it, but will still watch it chopped up with ads/bunged up with fake curse words) – did I mention that I’ve never actually seen the movie except on TV?
I love this movie and I hate this movie and I have lost hours down its giant, that’s-no-boating-accident maw and I’d be forced to watch it again today if I accidentally flipped past it.
I have never seen this. Because bloody chawmpin’ death and whatnot. Does this mean somehow that I have failed in my American cinematic duty? Should I watch it?
I’m not sure how much bloody chomping you can deal with, but the actual gore in the movie is probably much less than you are thinking, especially in light of what you would see in a modern horror movie and in light of the subject matter. Much more atmospherics. When you see the (mechanical) shark now for the first time, it’s kinda laughable, given modern SFX expectations. But even then, Spielberg knew that the scariest shark was the one lurked under the water, who knows where.
You should definitely watch this movie. It’s full of scenes that will scare the bejesus out of you. The two guys on the dock with the pot roast; the night dive; the kid in the lagoon. I could go on and on. Do yourself a favor, rent the DVD and watch it at night with the lights way down low, like you’re in the theater.
I should give fair warning, though. If you like to swim in the ocean, this movie may change that. I grew up in Northern California swimming at Santa Cruz in the summer, home of the Great White, never gave a thought to what was in the water with me. Then I saw Jaws and I have never been in the ocean since then that I don’t feel a little uneasy. That was 40 years ago. The movie definitely has an impact.
One funny story: I saw this movie at a drive-in theater. Every time the movie got even a little tense, the guy in front of me stepped on his brakes. Someone’s in the water – red lights! Music starts- red lights! Even though the movie was freaking us out, we were laughing hysterically at the same time. Still makes me laugh to think of it.
“Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies, farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain.”
Two things: first, the moment when Roy Scheider zaps up rigid like he’s electrified after he FINALLY looks down at his feed scoop is as much of a classic shit-is-about-get-real movie moment as in Star Wars when Alec Guinness’ face changes right before he portentously growls “That’s no moon. That’s a space station.”
Also: “Show me the way to goooo hoooooooooooooommmmme……
I’m TIRED andIwannagotoBED…..”
I’ve always loved the camaraderie of that scene. Sure, let’s PFM it up, why not.
My sister loved sharks growing up and so this was her favorite movie. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have seen Jaws. There was a time where we could recite the entire movie from memory and I’m betting we could still do most of it (“What’s your name again?” “Chrissie!” “Where are we going?” “Swimming!”).
This would definitely be a PFM for me and my sister!
Also, I always found the scene at the table with Brody and his son pretty touching, though maybe not tear-jerking.
There’s a couple things that are always startling to remember whenever I rewatch it, and why I have absolutely no patience for the “JAWS is responsible for why movies have sucked for the last few decades!” argument. The first is something Heatherkay alluded to, and that’s how late into the movie we actually see the shark for the first time. Of course, those with more than a passing familiarity with the movie know this was by necessity rather than design (because they couldn’t get the damn thing to work right), but the fact is, everything is done by suggestion; camera angles, John Williams’ music, and the actor’s expressions (Roy Scheider’s face when he sees a shark attack for the first time is particularly memorable). Instead of hitting us over the head with special effects, Spielberg relied on actual tension (which he still does; I know there’s not a lot of love for his remake of WAR OF THE WORLDS, but he did the same thing there, using natural elements like the pavement cracking and buildings shaking to let us know shit was going down). The second is, except for the scenes when Spielberg’s turning the screws on us, it’s pretty leisurely placed for a film like this. Then, of course, there’s the fact except for Quint, none of the characters are larger than life; Scheider and Richard Dreyfus are playing everymen, and were able to do so convincingly. Finally, there’s a real element of place, and of class, that you usually don’t find in today’s blockbusters.
Two things: first, the moment when Roy Scheider zaps up rigid like he’s electrified after he FINALLY looks down at his feed scoop is as much of a classic shit-is-about-get-real movie moment as in Star Wars when Alec Guinness’ face changes right before he portentously growls “That’s no moon. That’s a space station.”
THIS right here. The way that head just looms up–“I’m here. I’ve been here the whole time.” It’s just the original, ultimate WTF scene.
The drunken bonding morphing into the story of the Indianapolis is riveting. I can’t not watch it. The visceral realness of the horror, underlined by Quint’s faux-light grin as he tells the story, is amazing. And the music is remarkable not only for the famous theme as for when it’s NOT playing, as in that scene. Just the sound of held breath and the ocean.
One thing I love about the movie that doesn’t get enough attention is the great, realistic relationship of the Brodys, both as husband and wife as a family. Lyz of And You Call Yourself A Scientist!, one of the very best B movie sites on the web, highlights the scene where they take Michael to the hospital, suffering from shock, after the attack on the Fourth. The part where Brody is carrying his other son, with his hand under the kid’s shirt, for skin to skin contact and comfort, and Mrs. Brody keeping up that cheerful front for Michael (“What kind of ice cream would you like? Coffee? Coffee it is!”) while hiding her own terror.
Later, when the three men are heading out to kill the shark, she’s there to say goodbye, and instead of a kiss, it’s a tight, clinging hug. Such perfect intimacy between two people who belong to each other, and may never see each other again. Then, after he’s on board, she starts walking away, and gradually begins to run, fleeing. It’s the last time you see her in the film.
Man, Spielberg used to do such great, terrific, believable families–this and the unhappiness of the family in Close Encounters of the Third Kind are amazingly real. What the hell happened?
A thousand times yes! Jaws is one of my favorites for all the reasons mentioned here: the use of suspense vs. gore; the lived-in feeling of the relationship between the Brodys; Shaw’s mesmerizing recounting of the Indianapolis tale and how the tension of that story is eased by the drunken, rollicking rendition of “Show me the way to go home” which in turn is cut off before things get too happy.
I’ll add that Murry Hamilton does a very nice job with the role of Amity’s mayor, making him first frustrating – but not cartoonish – in his stubbornness and then utterly relatable when he is faced with the horrific proof of how wrong he’s been. I always want to give him a hug when he tells Brody, “My kids were on that beach too.”
Also the way the opening weekend beach sequence is shot – the crowdedness of both sand and ocean; the way the camera moves amongst the swimmers, hovering half in and half out of the water – creates an claustrophobic tension that neatly contrasts the sunny, carefree holiday atmosphere.
It is a well-crafted movie which holds up nicely 40 years later and is fully deserving of its classic status. It’s also a wonderfully fun sit and I’m damned if I don’t get sucked in every time I catch it on TV.
Add me to the list of people who “once you pop you can’t stop” with this one. If it’s on, the rest of the day is my (and usually my husband) watching it, saying every line of dialogue along with it and generally loving it. I honestly think it’s a perfect movie. And this is in addition to the fact that when this first came to video I was about 3 and my dad let me watch it with him. I haven’t been in the ocean since, and I cannot watch, write or talk about sharks with my feet on the floor. It’s a bit of a joke with everyone I know. You just start singing Na-na… and I have to pick my feet up. One of my greatest joys in life was when my dad and I let my nephew watch this for the first time. He was about 13 and as the theme music started in the Shark in the Pond scene I looked over at him and he was picking his feet up off the floor. Then he said “whenever that music plays I know something bad is going to happen!” it was adorable. All in all I say this is the ultimate PFM.
I think we’ve got a winner.
Definitely!!! I love this flick. It’s in my top-25 movies. I don’t think of this movie as a horror film. I have and will continue to champion it as a thriller/buddy dramedy. Long story short: BFF had never seen this flick, since she loves the beach & ocean, and thought it would 1) make her never want to go in the sea again and 2) make her get sick with all the scariness, blood and whatnot, since she can’t stand gore. We finally forced her to watch it, and she was mesmerized. There is a bit of gore, but truthfully not that much. Still, I have to cover my eyes/ears during Quint’s final scene! But man, is this movie funny!
Plus, it’s Spielberg, for cripes sakes! Even this early in his career, it’s Spielberg-ness shines through (in the best way), in moments like the Hooper/Brody bonding over gutting the shark on the dock at night, the comparing scars & listening to whalesong on the Orca, the Brody/son Sean scene at the dinner table (after which Hooper pours himself a gigantic drinking glass full of wine!), the shooting star (look for it), the joyous music as the Orca follows the shark, when Brody is chumming and zips up to attention after seeing the shark for the first time… I could go on. Heck, the mayor’s maritime-themed blazers alone are worth the price of admission!
The three main actors are top notch, the witty banter doesn’t stop zinging, and it really brings back the mid-70’s for me, but in a good way.