--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that when a film does its job, it…" description: "\"I think that when a film does its job, it poses questions rather than gives answers. It should act as a frustrating counselor who, at your bidding for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/aunjanue-ellis-36774_act_i-think-that-when-a-film-does-its-job-it_2462522.jpg" --- # I think that when a film does its job, it poses questions… ![“I think that when a film does its job, it poses questions rather than gives answers. It should act as a frustrating counselor who, at your bidding for advice, says, 'What do you think?' I think that's some of what the culture critic Greg Tate meant by art leaving a 'metaphysical stain.'” quote by Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/aunjanue-ellis-36774_act_i-think-that-when-a-film-does-its-job-it_2462522.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/aunjanue-ellis-36774_act_i-think-that-when-a-film-does-its-job-it_2462522.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fba/aunjanue-ellis-36774_act_i-think-that-when-a-film-does-its-job-it_2462522.jpg) > “I think that when a film does its job, it poses questions rather than gives answers. It should act as a frustrating counselor who, at your bidding for advice, says, 'What do you think?' I think that's some of what the culture critic Greg Tate meant by art leaving a 'metaphysical stain.'” [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A good film should provoke thought rather than provide clear answers, acting like a counselor who asks the audience to reflect. **In simple terms:** Films should ask questions, not give answers. Key Takeaway Embrace ambiguity in storytelling. Themes art film questioning reflection critique Mood thoughtful curious Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - movie watching - film studies - creative writing - media analysis Key Concepts metaphysics audience engagement interpretation Questions to Reflect On - What questions does a film leave you with? - How does ambiguity affect your engagement? A Different Perspective Not all viewers enjoy unresolved narratives; some prefer clear conclusions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act/) [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Bidding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bidding/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Counselor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counselor/) [Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critic/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Culture Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture-critic-672632/) [Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-does-672630/) [Frustrating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustrating/) [Gives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gives/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant/) [Metaphysical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphysical/) [Metaphysical Stain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphysical-stain-672631/) [Poses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poses/) [Poses Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poses-questions-672633/) [Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions/) [Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rather/) [Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Stain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stain/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Think Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-film/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [“I wrote Unwind for lots of reasons, and it poses questions about a lot of subjects. To state it briefly, I wanted to point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/i-wrote-unwind-for-lots-of-reasons-and-it-poses-questions-about-a-lot/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [I think great art poses questions and doesn't necessarily give answers and solutions - that's not what I'm trying to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kano/i-think-great-art-poses-questions-and-doesn-t-necessarily-give/) [Kano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kano/) > [“Say what you will about the quality of K-pop music, but Lee Moon-won, Korea’s most influential pop culture critic, made a shockingly frank pronouncement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euny-hong/say-what-you-will-about-the-quality-of-k-pop-music-but-lee-moon-won/) [Euny Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euny-hong/) > [I am not a "culture critic" because I am not in any way interested in classifying cultural forms. I am a metaphysician, interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/i-am-not-a-culture-critic-because-i-am-not-in-any-way-interested-in/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [I think when any one kind of film does well, it creates a precedent and paves the way for more like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-thompson/i-think-when-any-one-kind-of-film-does-well-it-creates-a-precedent/) [Tessa Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-thompson/) > [In the industry, you do need some ethics - if one film does well, then thousands get work and money comes back to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajay-devgan/in-the-industry-you-do-need-some-ethics-if-one-film-does-well-then/) [Ajay Devgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajay-devgan/) > [Even if my film does well, you will not see me blowing my own trumpet. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-taymor/one-of-the-reasons-i-love-to-jump-back-and-forth-between-mediums-is/) [Julie Taymor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-taymor/) > [There are different sides to me; I wanted to make a personal film but I would not want to make any film that does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarsem-singh/there-are-different-sides-to-me-i-wanted-to-make-a-personal-film-but/) [Tarsem Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarsem-singh/) > [“Any time a film scores a massive hit or gets uniform critical acclaim, it's a surprise. When a film does both, it's a miracle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-katzenberg/any-time-a-film-scores-a-massive-hit-or-gets-uniform-critical-acclaim/) [Jeffrey Katzenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-katzenberg/) > [If two of your films don't do well, people say you're out in the cold and your career is over. One film does well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanka-chopra/if-two-of-your-films-don-t-do-well-people-say-you-re-out-in-the-cold/) [Priyanka Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanka-chopra/) > [Film then does not promote socialist revolution in any consistent way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-poster/film-then-does-not-promote-socialist-revolution-in-any-consistent-way/) [Mark Poster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-poster/) > [I am oblique; I think that has to do with my own nature. I like trying to do things which work on many levels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-j-pakula/i-am-oblique-i-think-that-has-to-do-with-my-own-nature-i-like-trying/) [Alan J. Pakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-j-pakula/) > [I still shoot film. I like what film does, how it renders things, Also, when I'm shooting from the air, I want to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-maisel/i-still-shoot-film-i-like-what-film-does-how-it-renders-things-also/) [David Maisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-maisel/) ## More by Aunjanue Ellis > [Every role is a potential lover. I ask: Are they someone I want to wake up to in the morning and go to bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/every-role-is-a-potential-lover-i-ask-are-they-someone-i-want-to-wake/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [I don't think that a vote for Barack Obama is a symbolic thing. I think it's much more than that. It's not just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/i-don-t-think-that-a-vote-for-barack-obama-is-a-symbolic-thing-i/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [I'm not married, nor do I want to be. I'm the loving kind but not the marrying kind, though I am romantic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/i-m-not-married-nor-do-i-want-to-be-i-m-the-loving-kind-but-not-the/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [Pain doesn't have a face and pain doesn't have a certain way of adjusting. Pain is universal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/pain-doesn-t-have-a-face-and-pain-doesn-t-have-a-certain-way-of/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [Sitcoms are incredibly limiting. When you do a sitcom and it becomes a signature part for you, it's harder to do something else; but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/sitcoms-are-incredibly-limiting-when-you-do-a-sitcom-and-it-becomes-a/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [Black women are supposed to be 'strong,' but the burden of carrying our race and carrying our families adds the pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/black-women-are-supposed-to-be-strong-but-the-burden-of-carrying-our/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [The roles that I feel I get, or handed to me, or whatever, are not that interesting. I don't think it's a problem that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/the-roles-that-i-feel-i-get-or-handed-to-me-or-whatever-are-not-that/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [Pain doesnt have a face and pain doesnt have a certain way of adjusting. Pain is universal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/pain-doesnt-have-a-face-and-pain-doesnt-have-a-certain-way-of/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [Too many people I've loved dearly have left this earth. And some I've lost are still here breathing the same air. That grief can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/too-many-people-i-ve-loved-dearly-have-left-this-earth-and-some-i-ve/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [I love playing different characters and things that are challenging. I'm not interested in safety at all. That's what makes me get up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/i-love-playing-different-characters-and-things-that-are-challenging-i/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) > [I think a film is a failure if it doesn't have an emotional effect. That's the film's failure. Not if it doesn't deliver a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aunjanue-ellis/i-think-a-film-is-a-failure-if-it-doesn-t-have-an-emotional-effect/) [Aunjanue Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) [Explore all 12 Aunjanue Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aunjanue-ellis/) ## More Act quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [Teachers' unions don't act in the interest of most teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/teachers-unions-don-t-act-in-the-interest-of-most-teachers/) [Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/) > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [“Don’t turn your face away. Once you’ve seen, you can no longer act like you don’t know. Open your eyes to the truth. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vashti-quiroz-vega/don-t-turn-your-face-away-once-you-ve-seen-you-can-no-longer-act-like/) [Vashti Quiroz-Vega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vashti-quiroz-vega/) > [I always advise people not to act upon the advice that I give them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-always-advise-people-not-to-act-upon-the-advice-that-i-give-them/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [I have no interest in watching myself act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wesley/i-have-no-interest-in-watching-myself-act/) [Paul Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wesley/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I do believe some people can naturally act and don't know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-arnold/i-do-believe-some-people-can-naturally-act-and-don-t-know-it/) [Andrea Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-arnold/) > [Regardless of what I do, whether I write a book or whether I act or whether I host, I'll always do stand-up comedy because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-mandel/regardless-of-what-i-do-whether-i-write-a-book-or-whether-i-act-or/) [Howie Mandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-mandel/) > [On 'Workaholics,' I feel like I'm just hanging out with my buddies being filmed, but on 'Mindy,' I'm around professional funny people who act.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-holm/on-workaholics-i-feel-like-i-m-just-hanging-out-with-my-buddies-being/) [Anders Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-holm/) > [I'm not an artist, and I want to take risks, and when the possibility of failure occurs, it's because the idea is all exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-m-not-an-artist-and-i-want-to-take-risks-and-when-the-possibility/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) > [I don't have a huge amount of gear, but on the software side, I have a number of plug-in chains that act as abstracted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hopkins/i-don-t-have-a-huge-amount-of-gear-but-on-the-software-side-i-have-a/) [Jon Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hopkins/) > [I honestly didn't know that I wanted to act until I was probably 12.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-rae-mayo/i-honestly-didn-t-know-that-i-wanted-to-act-until-i-was-probably-12/) [Miranda Rae Mayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-rae-mayo/) [Browse all 1,802 Act quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that when a film does its job, it poses questions rather than gives answers. 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