--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A movie isn't good or bad based on its…" description: "\"A movie isn't good or bad based on its politics. It's usually good or bad for other reasons, though you might agree or disagree with its politics.\" — R..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/roger-ebert-655_agree_a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its-p_58765.jpg" --- # A movie isn't good or bad based on its politics. It's… ![“A movie isn't good or bad based on its politics. It's usually good or bad for other reasons, though you might agree or disagree with its politics.” quote by Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/roger-ebert-655_agree_a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its-p_58765.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/roger-ebert-655_agree_a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its-p_58765.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/roger-ebert-655_agree_a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its-p_58765.jpg) > “A movie isn't good or bad based on its politics. It's usually good or bad for other reasons, though you might agree or disagree with its politics.” [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) ## 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 quality is judged by its artistic merits, not its political stance; political views may influence personal preference but are not the primary metric of its value. **In simple terms:** Artistic merit outweighs political content. Key Takeaway Separate art from ideology. Themes art criticism politics subjectivity cultural analysis media literacy Mood thoughtful analytical Type observation opinion When to use this quote - film review - academic discussion - political debate - personal recommendation Key Concepts aesthetic evaluation political interpretation personal bias Practical Applications - critical essay - educational curriculum Questions to Reflect On - How does political context affect your perception of a film? - Can a work be both artistically excellent and politically controversial? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) [Based Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/based-politics-339453/) [Disagree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree/) [Disagree Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disagree-politics-806834/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Isn Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isn-good-320308/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movie Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-isn-806835/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-usually-806833/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [It's a good question, because a movie isn't good or bad based on its politics. It's usually good or bad for other reasons, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-s-a-good-question-because-a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I've got friends who totally disagree on politics, religion, cultural things, but at the core, we're the same people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/i-ve-got-friends-who-totally-disagree-on-politics-religion-cultural/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [You never know if it's any good until people respond to it. You know how it feels when you do it, but there's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/you-never-know-if-it-s-any-good-until-people-respond-to-it-you-know/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [If a movie isn't a hit right out of the gate, they drop it. Which means that the whole mainstream Hollywood product has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/if-a-movie-isn-t-a-hit-right-out-of-the-gate-they-drop-it-which-means/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“The degree of unity aspired to in the total society is incompatible with human freedom and the right to disagree. Politics should be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/the-degree-of-unity-aspired-to-in-the-total-society-is-incompatible/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [It's a question of evidence-based politics. If you know that something does not work, you should not keep doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-kurz/it-s-a-question-of-evidence-based-politics-if-you-know-that-something/) [Sebastian Kurz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-kurz/) > [If you were buying products or going to movies based upon the politics of the people involved, well I probably couldn't go to half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-puzder/if-you-were-buying-products-or-going-to-movies-based-upon-the/) [Andrew Puzder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-puzder/) > [I don't pick my friends based on politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cain/i-don-t-pick-my-friends-based-on-politics/) [Dean Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cain/) > [We're seeing quite a lot of people who really would like a return to class-based politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hewitt/we-re-seeing-quite-a-lot-of-people-who-really-would-like-a-return-to/) [Patricia Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hewitt/) > [I have always been involved in issue-based politics, not party politics - I was never really originally drawn to party politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-have-always-been-involved-in-issue-based-politics-not-party/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Most people who get in trouble in politics usually get in trouble because they're disconnected from the people they serve, and I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-alexander/most-people-who-get-in-trouble-in-politics-usually-get-in-trouble/) [Lamar Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-alexander/) > [“I started to pour some of my passion into politics. I later learnt that a man who has passion in his politics is usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waguih-ghali/i-started-to-pour-some-of-my-passion-into-politics-i-later-learnt/) [Waguih Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waguih-ghali/) > [In the world of fiction, politics usually appears considerably more exciting than it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-phillips/in-the-world-of-fiction-politics-usually-appears-considerably-more/) [Jess Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-phillips/) > [In power politics, it's usually not enough to be liked. A nation has to be considered essential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cohen/in-power-politics-it-s-usually-not-enough-to-be-liked-a-nation-has-to/) [Richard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cohen/) > [Certainly the policy is right and good politics usually follow good policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-flake/certainly-the-policy-is-right-and-good-politics-usually-follow-good/) [Jeff Flake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-flake/) ## More by Roger Ebert > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I am, beneath everything else, a fan. I was fixed in this mode as a young boy and am awed by people who take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-am-beneath-everything-else-a-fan-i-was-fixed-in-this-mode-as-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“We’d had a revelation. 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We don't enjoy a reminder of our own fragile mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-human-nature-to-look-away-from-illness-we-don-t-enjoy-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [ Gene \[Siskel\] often mentioned something François Truffaut once told him: the most beautiful sight in a movie theater is to walk down to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/gene-siskel-often-mentioned-something-fran-ois-truffaut-once-told-him/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-is-not-about-what-it-is-about-it-is-about-how-it-is-about-it/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [James Cameron's films have always been distinguished by ground-breaking technical excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/james-cameron-s-films-have-always-been-distinguished-by-ground/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Friends don't let Jackasses drink and drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/friends-don-t-let-jackasses-drink-and-drive/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I think we have to get beyond the idea that we have to categorize people. 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