Warning: This piece about spoilers does contain spoilers.
During the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild, the camera was frequently on “Albert Nobbs” stars Glenn Close and Janet McTeer as well as the ensemble cast of “The Help.” Both films have interesting plot twists that advance the plot greatly. When reviewing movies like these, though, how much should a film critic give away online or in print?
Back in 2005, the Los Angeles Times published an interesting piece about the responsibilities of film critics in the context of a hot Oscar ticket called “Million Dollar Baby.” Hilary Swank won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of an up-an-coming female boxer whose career is derailed by a horrifying accident. Her trainer, played by Clint Eastwood, has to make a life-and-death decision in her hospital room, one with severe moral consequences.
At the time, most critics only alluded to those incidents in order to not spoil the movie experience for viewers. In the aforementioned piece, however, writer Tim Rutten argued for bringing that plot twist to the forefront of reviews. Rutten argues that the rules about not giving away the plot don’t hold true in the case of movie like “Million Dollar Baby” and its controversial themes.
The Power of ‘Rosebud’
In one classic daily “Peanuts” comic strip, Lucy talks with her brother Linus, who is watching “Citizen Kane” for the first time. As she walks away, Lucy casually mentions that “Rosebud” was Charles Foster Kane’s beloved sled when he was a child. Linus responds with his trademark “Augh!” in the final panel.
It’s pretty obvious that most movie viewers want to be surprised like Linus, especially after plunking down $10 or $20 for tickets. One colleague told me in all seriousness that in 1997, one reader criticized his review of “Titanic” because he mentioned that the ship sinks.
The same thing happened, to a less absurd degree, with “The Sixth Sense” and the surprise twist ending that had critics buzzing after early screenings. How does a responsible critic mention Bruce Willis’ predicament in the movie without spoiling the whole thing?
Keeping the Secrets Under Wraps
Spoilers raise interesting debates, as was the case with “Hancock,” Will Smith’s superhero adventure that had more working under the surface than just superpowers and mass destruction. Halfway through the film, secrets about Hancock’s true history are revealed which send the story in a different direction.
Seven years ago, Rutten wondered if American film criticism should “take off the training wheels,” but the long-standing rules for spoilers still hold true. The SAG Awards showed clips that did give away details about Janet McTeer’s character in “Albert Nobbs,” but not enough to spoil the enjoyment of the story and performances.
The same goes for “The Help” and the big reveal in the plot. Octavia Spencer’s character is involved in a revenge plot so outrageous that it is a shame to reveal in print what it is. Moments like these and Spencer’s portrayal of her character are why this film is earning a fair share of awards.
When all is said and done, critics still need to safeguard key plot points and twists. Reviews should spark an interest in a film or steer readers away from a real stinker, but never ever spoil the fun.