--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American movie audiences now just don’t…" description: "\"American movie audiences now just don’t seem to be very interested in any kind of ambiguity or any kind of real complexity of character or narrative — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/steven-soderbergh-2075_ambiguity_american-movie-audiences-now-just-don-t_891750.png" --- # American movie audiences now just don’t seem to be very… ![“American movie audiences now just don’t seem to be very interested in any kind of ambiguity or any kind of real complexity of character or narrative — I’m talking in large numbers, there are always some, but enough to make hits out of movies that have those qualities. I think those qualities are…” quote by Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/steven-soderbergh-2075_ambiguity_american-movie-audiences-now-just-don-t_891750.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/steven-soderbergh-2075_ambiguity_american-movie-audiences-now-just-don-t_891750.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15a/steven-soderbergh-2075_ambiguity_american-movie-audiences-now-just-don-t_891750.png) > “American movie audiences now just don’t seem to be very interested in any kind of ambiguity or any kind of real complexity of character or narrative — I’m talking in large numbers, there are always some, but enough to make hits out of movies that have those qualities. I think those qualities are now being seen on television and that people who want to see stories that have those kinds of qualities are watching television.” [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Audiences prefer clear, simple stories in movies, pushing complex narratives to TV. **In simple terms:** People want easy-to-follow movies, leaving depth for TV. Key Takeaway Embrace depth on TV, simplify film storytelling. Themes media preferences storytelling film vs TV audience behavior Mood criticalious analytical Type observational critical When to use this quote - Film marketing - TV series development - scriptwriting - studio strategy Key Concepts Narrative complexity media migration consumer choice Questions to Reflect On - How can filmmakers balance depth with broad appeal? - What TV formats best host complex characters? A Different Perspective Complex stories may alienate mainstream moviegoers, limiting box office success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambiguity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) [American movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-movie/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Large numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-numbers/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movie Audiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-audiences-1155585/) [Movies Qualities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies-qualities-1155586/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Qualities Watching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualities-watching-1155587/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Seen Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seen-television-368558/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Watching television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watching-television/) ## Related quotes > [I like making movies that have some of the qualities of first-person shooter games. That was very important to me for the 'Bourne' franchise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-like-making-movies-that-have-some-of-the-qualities-of-first-person/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [If you have superheroes or characters that exist in the same world, and you're doing movies of them, wouldn't it be fun to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/if-you-have-superheroes-or-characters-that-exist-in-the-same-world/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [My obligation is to the movie audiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/my-obligation-is-to-the-movie-audiences/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [You are always hoping that movie audiences are interested in characters and interested in story values rather than just mindless special effects. But you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/you-are-always-hoping-that-movie-audiences-are-interested-in/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [Being from New York, living in L.A., being in Chicago, you kind of get more of the big-city, melting-pot sort of thing. But when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mekhi-phifer/being-from-new-york-living-in-l-a-being-in-chicago-you-kind-of-get/) [Mekhi Phifer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mekhi-phifer/) > [The only shared reality we have is things we have seen on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armando-iannucci/the-only-shared-reality-we-have-is-things-we-have-seen-on-television/) [Armando Iannucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armando-iannucci/) > [Don't believe something just because you didn't read it in the papers. Wait until you haven't seen it on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-kelly/don-t-believe-something-just-because-you-didn-t-read-it-in-the-papers/) [Walt Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-kelly/) > [Sometimes people think they know you and they go, 'Hey!' and then they realize that they've just seen you on the television. That's kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisie-williams/sometimes-people-think-they-know-you-and-they-go-hey-and-then-they/) [Maisie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisie-williams/) > [I'd never seen any television before I started.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-kneale/i-d-never-seen-any-television-before-i-started/) [Nigel Kneale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-kneale/) > [It's still a trip for me to see somebody that I've only seen on television or in a movie. When they are there in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-atkins/it-s-still-a-trip-for-me-to-see-somebody-that-i-ve-only-seen-on/) [Rodney Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-atkins/) > [I've seen them on television on a Sunday morning most days of the week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-charlton/i-ve-seen-them-on-television-on-a-sunday-morning-most-days-of-the-week/) [Jack Charlton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-charlton/) > [I suppose I would like to be remembered as one of the funniest men that people have seen on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-barker/i-suppose-i-would-like-to-be-remembered-as-one-of-the-funniest-men/) [Ronnie Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-barker/) > [I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I have no accurate sense of what I actually look like. I've seen myself on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-front/i-m-sure-i-m-not-alone-when-i-say-that-i-have-no-accurate-sense-of/) [Rebecca Front](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-front/) > [ I think it \[ Difficult People\] is for people who don't feel that they have been properly represented on TV. I think it's painting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/i-think-it-difficult-people-is-for-people-who-don-t-feel-that-they/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [Wayne Rooney has always made a great impression on me, even though I have only ever seen him on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabio-quagliarella/wayne-rooney-has-always-made-a-great-impression-on-me-even-though-i/) [Fabio Quagliarella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabio-quagliarella/) ## More by Steven Soderbergh > [I was lucky that I was getting exposed to a lot of different kinds of films, and I was liking them all. So it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-was-lucky-that-i-was-getting-exposed-to-a-lot-of-different-kinds-of/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [Truth and facts have to trump partisanship. There has to be something that's true regardless of what your angle is on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/truth-and-facts-have-to-trump-partisanship-there-has-to-be-something/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [I have a friend whose theory is that you're from wherever you went to high school. I think that's mostly true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-have-a-friend-whose-theory-is-that-you-re-from-wherever-you-went-to/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [In nature, if a cell gets too big, it divides. You can't come up with a set of rules that's going to work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/in-nature-if-a-cell-gets-too-big-it-divides-you-can-t-come-up-with-a/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [You should never assume anything coming from a critical standpoint. You should go into everything assuming you're going to get crushed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/you-should-never-assume-anything-coming-from-a-critical-standpoint/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [I'm sure some people will say, 'Why do this?' And my response is, 'Why wouldn't you?' The film business in general is using a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-m-sure-some-people-will-say-why-do-this-and-my-response-is-why/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [A movie is something you see, cinema is something that’s made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/a-movie-is-something-you-see-cinema-is-something-that-s-made/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [If you're a painter and you want people to know who you are and recognize your work, you've got to build some long-term value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/if-you-re-a-painter-and-you-want-people-to-know-who-you-are-and/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [Everybody, including me, has to submit to what it needs to be. The thing is at the top of the pyramid, the best version…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/everybody-including-me-has-to-submit-to-what-it-needs-to-be-the-thing/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [A big part of making an album is that you want to have enough material - you want to have enough stuff for people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/a-big-part-of-making-an-album-is-that-you-want-to-have-enough/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [The reverberation of the freedom of making 'Schizopolis' absolutely resulted in 'Out of Sight' and everything that followed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-reverberation-of-the-freedom-of-making-schizopolis-absolutely/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [ I've never been a snob. It \[movie\] is just about stories. And I've never felt just because it's a big screen and you plop… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/i-ve-never-been-a-snob-it-movie-is-just-about-stories-and-i-ve-never/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [The ought to be a worldwide cultural taskforce that just stops you when you have ideas like combining The Red Desert with an armored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/the-ought-to-be-a-worldwide-cultural-taskforce-that-just-stops-you/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [There's definitely a way of thinking and a way of being in the South that has its advantages and disadvantages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/there-s-definitely-a-way-of-thinking-and-a-way-of-being-in-the-south/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [All I care about is the story and telling the story. I don't care how people ingest it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/all-i-care-about-is-the-story-and-telling-the-story-i-don-t-care-how/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) [Explore all 187 Steven Soderbergh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) ## More Ambiguity quotes > [The position is clear - there is no ambiguity in Sinn Fein's position. We, along with all the other parties, have signed up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/the-position-is-clear-there-is-no-ambiguity-in-sinn-fein-s-position/) [Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/) > [Ambiguity is necessary in some of my stories, not in all. In those, it certainly contributes to the richness of the story. I doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wolfe/ambiguity-is-necessary-in-some-of-my-stories-not-in-all-in-those-it/) [Gene Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wolfe/) > [During the Cold War, we lived in coded times when it wasn't easy and there were shades of grey and ambiguity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/during-the-cold-war-we-lived-in-coded-times-when-it-wasn-t-easy-and/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [I blame my grandfather 100 percent for his oldest son's death. I don't think there's any ambiguity there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-l-trump/i-blame-my-grandfather-100-percent-for-his-oldest-son-s-death-i-don-t/) [Mary L. Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-l-trump/) > [I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/i-think-the-relationship-between-social-dominance-orientation-in/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [Yet again, an ancient answer echoes across the centuries: Listen! Listen to stories! For what stories do, above all else, is hold up a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-kurtz/yet-again-an-ancient-answer-echoes-across-the-centuries-listen-listen/) [Ernest Kurtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-kurtz/) > [My path to wisdom began when I stopped pretending to know things I didn't know. When I explicitly admitted to the limits of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/my-path-to-wisdom-began-when-i-stopped-pretending-to-know-things-i/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [If there is a single tragic flaw that mars our biggest enterprises, it is conservatism - the failure to fail, and fail big, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-there-is-a-single-tragic-flaw-that-mars-our-biggest-enterprises-it/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [In order to be as free as I possibly can, in my own imagination, I can't take positions that are closed. Everything I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-order-to-be-as-free-as-i-possibly-can-in-my-own-imagination-i-can/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [I've always been drawn to ambiguity in pop music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-ve-always-been-drawn-to-ambiguity-in-pop-music/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [I believe that we can still have a genre of scientific books suitable for and accessible alike to professionals and interested laypeople. The concepts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-believe-that-we-can-still-have-a-genre-of-scientific-books-suitable/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I am in the utmost perplexity, yand have wished a hundred times, that if there is a A God, nature would manifest him without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/i-am-in-the-utmost-perplexity-yand-have-wished-a-hundred-times-that/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [There's a lot of ambiguity in life, and so often, our art is very neatly wrapped up at the end, when our lives never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/there-s-a-lot-of-ambiguity-in-life-and-so-often-our-art-is-very/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [“Man must not attempt to dispel the ambiguity of his being but, on the contrary, accept the task of realizing it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/man-must-not-attempt-to-dispel-the-ambiguity-of-his-being-but-on-the/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) [Browse all 431 Ambiguity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambiguity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "American movie audiences now just don’t seem to be very interested in any kind of ambiguity or any kind of real complexity of character or narrative — I’m talking in large numbers, there are always some, but enough to make hits out of movies that have those qualities. 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