---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But they do,\" he said. \"That is the…"
description: "\"“But they do,\" he said. \"That is the distressing part. They do. The quality--the intellectual or artistic quality--of the films is almost irrelevant. T..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/henry-sutton-78270_art_but-they-do-he-said-that-is-the-distress_2731177.jpg"
---

#  But they do," he said. "That is the distressing part. They…

![“But they do,&quot; he said. &quot;That is the distressing part. They do. The quality--the intellectual or artistic quality--of the films is almost irrelevant. The crucial thing is only the degree to which they can identify, the degree to which they can project and see themselves as they would like to be. If…” quote by Henry Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/henry-sutton-78270_art_but-they-do-he-said-that-is-the-distress_2731177.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/henry-sutton-78270_art_but-they-do-he-said-that-is-the-distress_2731177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/henry-sutton-78270_art_but-they-do-he-said-that-is-the-distress_2731177.jpg)

> ““But they do," he said. "That is the distressing part. They do. The quality--the intellectual or artistic quality--of the films is almost irrelevant. The crucial thing is only the degree to which they can identify, the degree to which they can project and see themselves as they would like to be. If they can do those things they can believe the picture, and if they can believe in it, then it is a good picture.””

[Henry Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sutton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A film’s value lies in its ability to let viewers see themselves and imagine possibilities, not just artistic quality.

**In simple terms:** Identify and project yourself.

Key Takeaway

Seek relatable stories.

Themes

film identity projection

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

critical reflective

When to use this quote

- movie nights
- therapy
- education

Key Concepts

media studies psychology art criticism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does identification affect impact?
- Can a film be good without relatability?

A Different Perspective

Artistic merit still matters.

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[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artistic Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artistic-quality-2955742/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Distressing Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distressing-quality-2955743/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Films Irrelevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-irrelevant-2955744/) [Good Picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-picture-282560/) [Motion pictures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motion-pictures/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Quality Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality-films-367027/)

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