Ok, so Nic Cage was arrested over the weekend after a drunken argument with his wife allegedly led to domestic violence charges.
While the charges are bad enough, when CNN first reported the incident, the article ended with something like:
“Cage is known for such films as Raising Arizona and Leaving Las Vegas, for which he won an Academy Award …”
In subsequent updates to the story, the paragraph has disappeared. However, on the Today show site, there’s a similar pair of paragraphs:
Cage … is best known for such films as “Raising Arizona,” “Gone in 60 Seconds” and “National Treasure.”
He has twice been nominated for an Academy Award, winning the Oscar for his portrayal of a down-and-out alcoholic in the 1995 film “Leaving Las Vegas.”
So there it is. The man has starred in some 66-odd films and this is his film legacy. Are these his truly “best-known” films? Which would you put?
Of course, the Oscar role is a gimme, but the power in the statement is the quirky gem Raising Arizona (1987). Its consistent mention underscores a couple of things:
- This 25-year-old film is a great piece of work
- The writers of these articles are a certain age, namely, those who would be old enough to have seen this film when it came out.
What about people who were born after Raising Arizona? What percentage of Internet users 25 and under have even seen this film (which calls into question the quality of the reference)?
If you’re writing an article for those youngsters, which films do you put?
While you think about it, enjoy this morsel of a movie that should be experienced annually, whether you think you need it or not!
I was wondering how long until someone put 2 and 2 together.