--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Despite his reputation as one of…" description: "\"Despite his reputation as one of America's foremost \"serious\" filmmakers, Oliver Stone's name under the \"director\" caption does not guarantee a good mo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c4/james-berardinelli-18367_america_despite-his-reputation-as-one-of-america_511328.jpg" --- # Despite his reputation as one of America's foremost… ![“Despite his reputation as one of America's foremost "serious" filmmakers, Oliver Stone's name under the "director" caption does not guarantee a good movie. I learned that lesson while enduring the seemingly-endless tedium of The Doors, and was reminded of it during some of the long, drawn-out…” quote by James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c4/james-berardinelli-18367_america_despite-his-reputation-as-one-of-america_511328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c4/james-berardinelli-18367_america_despite-his-reputation-as-one-of-america_511328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c4/james-berardinelli-18367_america_despite-his-reputation-as-one-of-america_511328.jpg) > “Despite his reputation as one of America's foremost "serious" filmmakers, Oliver Stone's name under the "director" caption does not guarantee a good movie. I learned that lesson while enduring the seemingly-endless tedium of The Doors, and was reminded of it during some of the long, drawn-out portions of JFK. However, nothing that Stone has directed or misdirected prepared me for the grotesque mess that is Natural Born Killers.” [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The film illustrates that a director’s reputation does not ensure quality; execution can be chaotic and off‑putting. **In simple terms:** Famous directors can still make bad movies. Key Takeaway Judge each work on its own merit. Themes film criticism expectations artistic reputation Mood frustrated critical disappointed Type evaluative cautionary When to use this quote - watching films - film analysis - media literacy Key Concepts director reputation creative control audience reception Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate a creator’s fame from the work itself? - What criteria help you assess a film beyond its director’s name? A Different Perspective Even acclaimed directors may produce incoherent or distasteful works. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Killers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killers/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Reputation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reputation/) [Tedium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tedium/) ## Related quotes > [Natural Born Killers' is really a misunderstood romantic comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/natural-born-killers-is-really-a-misunderstood-romantic-comedy/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [The only home I had was with Warner Bros. during the '90s. I made four movies with them then. Natural Born Killers, JFK, Heaven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/the-only-home-i-had-was-with-warner-bros-during-the-90s-i-made-four/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [“I guess we're all lonely in some way. - Oliver Stone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/i-guess-we-re-all-lonely-in-some-way-oliver-stone/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [I met Michael Milken for the first time with Oliver Stone at the Drexel Burnham offices in Los Angeles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/i-met-michael-milken-for-the-first-time-with-oliver-stone-at-the/) [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) > [When Oliver Stone and Woody Allen came forward to express sympathy for Mr. Weinstein, everybody rolled their eyes at them, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/when-oliver-stone-and-woody-allen-came-forward-to-express-sympathy/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [Would we even recognize an Oliver Stone production if it didn't kick up the usual fuss?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dean/would-we-even-recognize-an-oliver-stone-production-if-it-didn-t-kick/) [Michelle Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dean/) > [Oliver Stone will never be happy with the first take. He wants more than that. When you’re delivering your lines, he’ll stop you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/oliver-stone-will-never-be-happy-with-the-first-take-he-wants-more/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“Every time I walk with Alex I'm reminded both how lucky I am to have friends like him and also how unworthy I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baldacci/every-time-i-walk-with-alex-i-m-reminded-both-how-lucky-i-am-to-have/) [David Baldacci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baldacci/) > [John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola and Oliver Stone - those guys are consummate filmmakers. They believe that you don't talk it, you show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/john-milius-and-francis-ford-coppola-and-oliver-stone-those-guys-are/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [I'm a fan of Oliver Stone. I like his movies, I like his excess, and I think he has a great capacity for empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greil-marcus/i-m-a-fan-of-oliver-stone-i-like-his-movies-i-like-his-excess-and-i/) [Greil Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greil-marcus/) > [Nobody makes movies like Oliver Stone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/nobody-makes-movies-like-oliver-stone/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [With his ABC News experience, perhaps Pierre Salinger's next job could be cohosting-with Oliver Stone-a 24-hour Conspiracy Network.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-alter/with-his-abc-news-experience-perhaps-pierre-salinger-s-next-job-could/) [Jonathan Alter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-alter/) > [“For the next three hours . . .” Wow! Talk about an interest-killer. The last thing any audience wants to be reminded of is that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mcgowan/for-the-next-three-hours-wow-talk-about-an-interest-killer-the-last/) [Bill McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mcgowan/) > [Maybe Oliver Stone doesn't lend himself well to remakes or sequels, because he does them so well the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-barnes/maybe-oliver-stone-doesn-t-lend-himself-well-to-remakes-or-sequels/) [Ben Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-barnes/) > [For any actor to have Oliver Stone call him or her up It’s a compliment. He expects you to be on your toes. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/for-any-actor-to-have-oliver-stone-call-him-or-her-up-it-s-a/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) ## More by James Berardinelli > [There's nothing terribly wrong with The November Man in a serviceable late-night cable TV sort of way but neither is there anything terribly right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/there-s-nothing-terribly-wrong-with-the-november-man-in-a-serviceable/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Live Free or Die Hard may work better for an audience that doesn't know much about the series is than it will for Die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/live-free-or-die-hard-may-work-better-for-an-audience-that-doesn-t/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Parodies are hard to do well, as is shown by the mediocrity of so many recent attempts. No matter how ripe a genre is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/parodies-are-hard-to-do-well-as-is-shown-by-the-mediocrity-of-so-many/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Seventeen years after its intial release, The Empire Strikes Back is still as thrilling and involving as ever. Because of the high quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/seventeen-years-after-its-intial-release-the-empire-strikes-back-is/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [The Phantom Menace is not a masterpiece, but it's an example of how imagination, craftsmanship, and technological bravura can fashion superior entertainment out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/the-phantom-menace-is-not-a-masterpiece-but-it-s-an-example-of-how/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [The term "godawful" should be used sparingly in connection with motion pictures. With Angels & Demons, however, it seems oddly appropriate. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/the-term-godawful-should-be-used-sparingly-in-connection-with-motion/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [John Wick is a rousing action thriller of the sort rarely encountered in theaters these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/john-wick-is-a-rousing-action-thriller-of-the-sort-rarely-encountered/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [For the most part, however, Lady in the Water comes across as a movie that's too bad to be good, and not bad enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/for-the-most-part-however-lady-in-the-water-comes-across-as-a-movie/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [This is as brain-dead as a movie can be and it assumes the audience will have the I.Q. of a rutabaga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/this-is-as-brain-dead-as-a-movie-can-be-and-it-assumes-the-audience/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Aside from a couple of signature flourishes, there's nothing to mark Paycheck as the product of acclaimed action director John Woo. In fact, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/aside-from-a-couple-of-signature-flourishes-there-s-nothing-to-mark/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Those who delight in bad movies and enjoy producing their own unfilmed versions of Mystery Science Theater 3000 may gain a measure of semi-masochistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/those-who-delight-in-bad-movies-and-enjoy-producing-their-own/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [There's good news and bad news about 2 Fast 2 Furious, the moronic follow-up to The Fast and the Furious and a contender for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/there-s-good-news-and-bad-news-about-2-fast-2-furious-the-moronic/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Looking back at Batman from a distance - after all the hype has dried up and the franchise has at least temporarily been abandoned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/looking-back-at-batman-from-a-distance-after-all-the-hype-has-dried/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [Side note to parents: Anyone who thinks 'Dude, Where's My Car' is more appropriate for children than 'American Pie' because it obtained a PG-13…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/side-note-to-parents-anyone-who-thinks-dude-where-s-my-car-is-more/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) > [It's rare that the sequel to a good movie lives up to expectations. Such is the case with Die Hard 2, the somewhat-muddled but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-berardinelli/it-s-rare-that-the-sequel-to-a-good-movie-lives-up-to-expectations/) [James Berardinelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) [Explore all 35 James Berardinelli quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-berardinelli/) ## 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": "Despite his reputation as one of America's foremost \"serious\" filmmakers, Oliver Stone's name under the \"director\" caption does not guarantee a good movie. 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