--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't make movies about issues. This is…" description: "\"I don't make movies about issues. This is my same litmus test for all the movies I love: Is it a great character on a great emotional quest with a grea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/kimberly-peirce-27376_activist_i-don-t-make-movies-about-issues-this-is_3160739.jpg" --- # I don't make movies about issues. This is my same litmus… ![“I don't make movies about issues. This is my same litmus test for all the movies I love: Is it a great character on a great emotional quest with a great emotional need? Do they overcome great emotional obstacles? Is it a fantastic story? I didn't set out to be a political activist. I'm just a…” quote by Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/kimberly-peirce-27376_activist_i-don-t-make-movies-about-issues-this-is_3160739.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/kimberly-peirce-27376_activist_i-don-t-make-movies-about-issues-this-is_3160739.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eab/kimberly-peirce-27376_activist_i-don-t-make-movies-about-issues-this-is_3160739.jpg) > “I don't make movies about issues. This is my same litmus test for all the movies I love: Is it a great character on a great emotional quest with a great emotional need? Do they overcome great emotional obstacles? Is it a fantastic story? I didn't set out to be a political activist. I'm just a human being who's moved by certain things, and if certain things break my heart, I set out to fix them.” [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) ## 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 worth lies in compelling characters on emotional journeys, not political messages. **In simple terms:** Great stories focus on emotional depth. Key Takeaway Prioritize character-driven narratives. Themes storytelling character development emotional resonance Mood inspirational thoughtful Type creative reflective When to use this quote - screenwriting - directing - film criticism - personal growth Key Concepts hero's journey conflict resolution audience empathy Questions to Reflect On - What emotional need drives your favorite characters? - How do you balance emotional depth with thematic messages? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on emotion may overlook social relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist/) [Adventure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adventure/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Breaking my heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-my-heart/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-great-1359452/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Emotional needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-needs/) [Emotional Quest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-quest-5712423/) [Fantastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantastic/) [Great character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-character/) [Great Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-emotional-1637616/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Love is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-is/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Movies Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies-love/) [My heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-heart/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Obstacles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstacles/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Quests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quests/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) ## Related quotes > [Animals are wonderful, because they put you in a great emotional state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur-ray/animals-are-wonderful-because-they-put-you-in-a-great-emotional-state/) [James Arthur Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur-ray/) > [Great acting is being able to create a character. Great character is being able to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leguizamo/great-acting-is-being-able-to-create-a-character-great-character-is/) [John Leguizamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leguizamo/) > [Everyone in this world is dealt a different hand-some better, some worse than others-but what's more important is how you play that hand. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-ha/everyone-in-this-world-is-dealt-a-different-hand-some-better-some/) [Christine Ha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-ha/) > [All you ever really want is a great character and great writing. As an actor, that's the juiciest sandwich you could ever ask for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-scott/all-you-ever-really-want-is-a-great-character-and-great-writing-as-an/) [Jill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-scott/) > [I never would rule out a great character or a great story. I don't care what the forum is. If I get to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-heigl/i-never-would-rule-out-a-great-character-or-a-great-story-i-don-t/) [Katherine Heigl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-heigl/) > [If I find great material, or a great character, or a great director that wants to do something on TV, or whether it's in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-holland/if-i-find-great-material-or-a-great-character-or-a-great-director/) [Andre Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-holland/) > [What Tim does is, he calls me and sends me the script. And then he sends me a drawing, an illustration of his image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-devito/what-tim-does-is-he-calls-me-and-sends-me-the-script-and-then-he/) [Danny DeVito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-devito/) > [Character, in great and little things, means carrying through what you feel able to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/character-in-great-and-little-things-means-carrying-through-what-you/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The Funkasaurus character was great and it taught me about being humble, about the character, about not being concerned with what people think you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrus/the-funkasaurus-character-was-great-and-it-taught-me-about-being/) [Tyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrus/) > [I love making people laugh, and to be able to be that humorous character was great. And I actually was very similar to Neville…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lewis/i-love-making-people-laugh-and-to-be-able-to-be-that-humorous/) [Matthew Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lewis/) > [“If you really want to judge of the character of a man, look not at his great performances. Every fool may become a hero…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/if-you-really-want-to-judge-of-the-character-of-a-man-look-not-at-his/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Great players are very good technically, but they also have a huge amount of character because, without it, you will never get to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mascherano/great-players-are-very-good-technically-but-they-also-have-a-huge/) [Javier Mascherano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mascherano/) > [The script is really always the main attraction, and then there's whether there is an interesting character and great people around you. Those are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-grint/the-script-is-really-always-the-main-attraction-and-then-there-s/) [Rupert Grint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-grint/) > [Great occasions rouse even the lowest of human beings to some kind of greatness, but he alone is the really great man whose character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/great-occasions-rouse-even-the-lowest-of-human-beings-to-some-kind-of/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Giving style” to one’s character - a great and rare art! It is exercised by those who see all the strengths and weaknesses of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/giving-style-to-one-s-character-a-great-and-rare-art-it-is-exercised/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Kimberly Peirce > [I like violence because I like looking at it and I like understanding emotional and physical violence and how they work with one another...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/i-like-violence-because-i-like-looking-at-it-and-i-like-understanding/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [If you're writing in the mainstream... Whatever that is - the norm. 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I would invite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/if-we-educate-ourselves-then-the-desire-and-need-to-have-art-as-a/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [A good horror film is something that taps into something absolutely truthful about us - about what we want, about what we're terrified of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/a-good-horror-film-is-something-that-taps-into-something-absolutely/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [Again, let's pay all due respect to De Palma and put him over here so we're not saying, "Mine's deeper, mine's better." Let's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/again-let-s-pay-all-due-respect-to-de-palma-and-put-him-over-here-so/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [Forget about Republican or Democrat - what about the kid in the middle of the country who wants to play the drums, the kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/forget-about-republican-or-democrat-what-about-the-kid-in-the-middle/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [Art changed my life. I mean, I would say art saved me. I believe that it made me better at handling my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/art-changed-my-life-i-mean-i-would-say-art-saved-me-i-believe-that-it/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [There are a number of times when we have found, there's a number of old-school special effects in here that are fantastic, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/there-are-a-number-of-times-when-we-have-found-there-s-a-number-of/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [In The Shining, you love Shelley Duvall. You love Jack Nicholson. You're let into the intimacy of that violence and it's emotional and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/in-the-shining-you-love-shelley-duvall-you-love-jack-nicholson-you-re/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [I'm a writer who doesn't much think about money because money doesn't really care about me. In other nations, art gets subsidized. Writers aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/i-m-a-writer-who-doesn-t-much-think-about-money-because-money-doesn-t/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [I think there are a lot of writers who would never have an opportunity to make their work. Some presses rely heavily on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/i-think-there-are-a-lot-of-writers-who-would-never-have-an/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [I think it's always a challenge when you're telling a story that people know. But hopefully, good storytelling - well, there's two things. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/i-think-it-s-always-a-challenge-when-you-re-telling-a-story-that/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) > [I am a lifelong career artist, which itself is a bit of a miracle. It's really challenging to be a career artist. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-peirce/i-am-a-lifelong-career-artist-which-itself-is-a-bit-of-a-miracle-it-s/) [Kimberly Peirce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) [Explore all 20 Kimberly Peirce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-peirce/) ## More Activist quotes > [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/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Social media is not just another way to connect feminist and activist voices - it amplifies our messages as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/social-media-is-not-just-another-way-to-connect-feminist-and-activist/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I have never been an activist for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-parsons/i-have-never-been-an-activist-for-anything/) [Jim Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-parsons/) > [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [I've been an activist in the LGBT community for a long time. I think nothing's changed, I'm just a little bit more focused on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-bono/i-ve-been-an-activist-in-the-lgbt-community-for-a-long-time-i-think/) [Chaz Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-bono/) > [I've been an activist since I was a teenager. I was always curious about what we would now call social justice. 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But Im an activist - thats just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-bono/obviously-the-transgender-movement-has-not-progressed-in-the-way-that/) [Chaz Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-bono/) > [“If you teach your children how to bully, or do nothing to stop them, teach them also how to die for their cause.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darnell-lamont-walker/if-you-teach-your-children-how-to-bully-or-do-nothing-to-stop-them/) [Darnell Lamont Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darnell-lamont-walker/) [Browse all 773 Activist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't make movies about issues. This is my same litmus test for all the movies I love: Is it a great character on a great emotional quest with a great emotional need? Do they overcome great emotional obstacles? Is it a fantastic story? I didn't set out to be a political activist. 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