Everything old is new again: Polaroid cameras, scrunchies, and vinyl. They all define a different decade, and all three of them can be found in the bedroom of any trend-following-teenage-girl. We craved the future for so long, yet now our nostalgia is forcing us to take a step back. Whether it is our nostalgia or even capitalist ideals, movies are being remade and presenting themselves as a new classic for generations to come.
Mary Poppins is an umbrella-riding nanny who insists “a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down (in a rhythmic tone, of course).” Julie Andrews’ innocent smile and youthful pixie-cut make the movie memorable, along with the grainy, unrealistic 60s animations. The 2018 spin on the timeless tale introduced Emily Blunt as a Mary Poppin-esque figure and continued to implement our ever-growing CGI technology for colorful animations.
What’s the point of a classic if it’s going to be remade? A plethora of movies that have been touched by Hollywood greed. The never-ending “Star Wars,” “A Star is Born” (for the third time), and don’t forget “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” where Johnny Depp plays a cynical and creepy candy man.
The argument for these movies, being such classics, is that they need to be remade for younger generations. Senior Charlie Jacobs says this is crucial “for society to look back, re-adapt, and change.”
Jacobs’ pro-remake stance claims that “[remaking movies] allows the audience to view the story through a different lens,” must I say no pun intended.
On the other hand, in the midst of this movie remake hysteria, more prevalent than ever because of the Disney empire’s cumulative greed for a significant cash-flow, fewer and fewer people believe classic movies should be left untouched.
“Many of the remakes nowadays are re-imaginings of classic movies,” says senior Dante Christie. “They take the same overall story and the big plot points from the original movies but change some of the intermediary parts to fit the current social norm.” Remakes are over the top.
While future and current filmmakers may add CGI animations or outrageous story additions to movie remakes, the unforgettable actors, actresses, and authentic aesthetics of the most cherished nostalgic movies will remain classic– despite the re-make craze of Hollywood.