--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I regret the way that America has elected…" description: "\"I regret the way that America has elected to make films for its bluntest section of society and in ways that flatter them, and we have to recognize how..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/edward-jay-epstein-28064_america_i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-electe_1289861.jpg" --- # I regret the way that America has elected to make films… ![“I regret the way that America has elected to make films for its bluntest section of society and in ways that flatter them, and we have to recognize how much that is being done for money. We have to find another way of measuring ourselves. And film is one of the few ways that might be done.” quote by Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/edward-jay-epstein-28064_america_i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-electe_1289861.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/edward-jay-epstein-28064_america_i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-electe_1289861.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/edward-jay-epstein-28064_america_i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-electe_1289861.jpg) > “I regret the way that America has elected to make films for its bluntest section of society and in ways that flatter them, and we have to recognize how much that is being done for money. We have to find another way of measuring ourselves. And film is one of the few ways that might be done.” [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes how American cinema panders to lowbrow audiences for profit, urging a new self‑assessment metric. **In simple terms:** American movies chase cheap audiences for money, need new standards. Key Takeaway Seek higher artistic standards. Themes media criticism commercialism artistic integrity culture economics Mood critical concerned Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - film festivals - studio decisions - audience analysis - policy debates Key Concepts cultural hegemony market forces art vs profit Questions to Reflect On - How can filmmakers balance profit and art? - What alternative metrics could assess film value? A Different Perspective Profit motives can limit creative risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) ## Related quotes > [But you certainly don't have perspective. And there's so much pressure going into that opening night because you know there's journalists, tons of acquisitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ponsoldt/but-you-certainly-don-t-have-perspective-and-there-s-so-much-pressure/) [James Ponsoldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ponsoldt/) > [My biggest regret is that I've assisted the media in making me into a cartoon character. I don't regret what has happened to me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/my-biggest-regret-is-that-i-ve-assisted-the-media-in-making-me-into-a/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [I regret the way pain has taught me nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-pastan/i-regret-the-way-pain-has-taught-me-nothing/) [Linda Pastan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-pastan/) > [I took the easy way, and to an extent I regret that. Still, though, the way we did it was honest. We played it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-took-the-easy-way-and-to-an-extent-i-regret-that-still-though-the/) [Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/) > [“I do have regrets about the whole thing. I regret most the way I spoke to you. You can talk to whomever you chose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-hale/i-do-have-regrets-about-the-whole-thing-i-regret-most-the-way-i-spoke/) [Melissa Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-hale/) > [I may regret the way we ended, but I will never regret what we had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-regret-the-way-we-ended-but-i-will-never-regret-what-we-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't regret the way I approached things, because otherwise I wouldn't have achieved what I did, but when I look back, I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alun-wyn-jones/i-don-t-regret-the-way-i-approached-things-because-otherwise-i-wouldn/) [Alun Wyn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alun-wyn-jones/) > [I don't regret speaking out, but I regret the way I went about it, so put it that way, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-loos/i-don-t-regret-speaking-out-but-i-regret-the-way-i-went-about-it-so/) [Rebecca Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-loos/) > [In 1736 I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small-pox, taken in the common way. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-1736-i-lost-one-of-my-sons-a-fine-boy-of-four-years-old-by-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I think most I regret the way I treated Dr. Dre after he so graciously opened the doors to his kingdom to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-storch/i-think-most-i-regret-the-way-i-treated-dr-dre-after-he-so-graciously/) [Scott Storch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-storch/) > [There's no regret. You can't regret. I mean, I've felt regret but I've also refused to allow regret to sow a seed and live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-law/there-s-no-regret-you-can-t-regret-i-mean-i-ve-felt-regret-but-i-ve/) [Jude Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-law/) > [I've made a lot of mistakes and I don't regret any of them. Sometimes that's the only way you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/i-ve-made-a-lot-of-mistakes-and-i-don-t-regret-any-of-them-sometimes/) [Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/) > [One day I'm gonna make you see and you're gonna regret the way you treated me. You'll come crawling back and I'll be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blondie/one-day-i-m-gonna-make-you-see-and-you-re-gonna-regret-the-way-you/) [Blondie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blondie/) > [My advice is flip a coin. If you regret the way it landed, then go with your gut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kan/my-advice-is-flip-a-coin-if-you-regret-the-way-it-landed-then-go-with/) [Justin Kan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kan/) > [“No matter how much you regret it, nothing will go back to the way it was before. If you die, you'll just be getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-from-togainu-no-chi/no-matter-how-much-you-regret-it-nothing-will-go-back-to-the-way-it/) Akira from Togainu no Chi ## More by Edward Jay Epstein > [The discrepancy between what actually happened and the version of what happened provided by sources is an enormous gray area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/the-discrepancy-between-what-actually-happened-and-the-version-of/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [We have a thriving subculture of 'independent' American movies that makes an impact on America as a whole roughly equivalent to that of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/we-have-a-thriving-subculture-of-independent-american-movies-that/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [Who can now deny the loss of natural light, of skin tones, of real place, and common but precious things in our movies, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/who-can-now-deny-the-loss-of-natural-light-of-skin-tones-of-real/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [“Snowden’s penetration went beyond whistle-blowing, however. In the vast number of files he copied were documents that contained the NSA’s most sensitive sources and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/snowden-s-penetration-went-beyond-whistle-blowing-however-in-the-vast/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [The problem of journalism is simple. Journalists are rarely in a position to establish the truth of an issue themselves, since they didn't' witness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/the-problem-of-journalism-is-simple-journalists-are-rarely-in-a/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [In the first week of the showings of the The Matrix Revolutions, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II played on cable television. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/in-the-first-week-of-the-showings-of-the-the-matrix-revolutions-the/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [What guided Chaplin was the proper protection of self-interest (or craziness). So Chapling, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mark Pickford, with DW Griffith and William S…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/what-guided-chaplin-was-the-proper-protection-of-self-interest-or/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [“Unless one is willing to believe that the Putin regime acted out of purely altruistic motives in exfiltrating this American intelligence worker to Moscow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/unless-one-is-willing-to-believe-that-the-putin-regime-acted-out-of/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [“Greenwald told the Associated Press that the documents that Snowden had taken from the NSA constituted “the instruction manual for how the NSA is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/greenwald-told-the-associated-press-that-the-documents-that-snowden/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [“He further disclosed that before leaving the NSA, he had gained access to the lists of computers that the NSA had penetrated in foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/he-further-disclosed-that-before-leaving-the-nsa-he-had-gained-access/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [“would strain credibility that such privileges would be awarded to an intelligence defector who had refused to cooperate with Russian authorities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/would-strain-credibility-that-such-privileges-would-be-awarded-to-an/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [Louis B. Mayer is one of those with a claim to posessing the equation... he began to buy up nickelodeon arcades in the years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/louis-b-mayer-is-one-of-those-with-a-claim-to-posessing-the-equation/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [The Deer Hunter is securely on my list of American movie events, by which I mean those films that aspired to the whole equation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/the-deer-hunter-is-securely-on-my-list-of-american-movie-events-by/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [Bonnie and Clyde became not just a big hit, but a movie that went through young audiences like a first slug of Scotch. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/bonnie-and-clyde-became-not-just-a-big-hit-but-a-movie-that-went/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [I dislike The Exorcist, and I found it a warning sign of the dangers in a furious cinematic talent putting the audience through it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/i-dislike-the-exorcist-and-i-found-it-a-warning-sign-of-the-dangers/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) [Explore all 20 Edward Jay Epstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I regret the way that America has elected to make films for its bluntest section of society and in ways that flatter them, and we have to recognize how much that is being done for money. We have to find another way of measuring ourselves. And film is one of the few ways that might be done.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Jay Epstein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-elected-to-make-films-for-its/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-elected-to-make-films-for-its/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/edward-jay-epstein-28064_america_i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-electe_1289861.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/edward-jay-epstein-28064_america_i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-electe_1289861.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/edward-jay-epstein-28064_america_i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-electe_1289861.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I regret the way that America has elected to make films for its bluntest section of society and in ways that…” — Edward Jay Epstein", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edward Jay Epstein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I regret the way that America...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-elected-to-make-films-for-its/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/i-regret-the-way-that-america-has-elected-to-make-films-for-its/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```