Have you ever defended a movie you didn't like that much? I have. In fact, I've done it on more than one occasion. Let me explain.
Let's say someone whose opinion in film I respect tells me they don't like a certain movie. Not just any movie but a well established movie, perhaps even a classic in film history. Let's say, for the sake of argument, it's The General, directed by Buster Keaton. My friend delivers points A and B in her defense and I generally agree. I love Keaton but feel Sherlock, Jr is more definitive and confess I'm not a big fan of The General myself.*1* But we both understand its greatness nevertheless.
Now I'm talking with someone who has seen all of four movies made before 1990. Their favorite movie of all time is The Core. They think Forrest Gump is the height of modern movie making. While The Core's their favorite Gump they say is the best. Now this person tells me they saw The General on PBS the other night and thought it was boring. At this point, whether it is a favorite Keaton of mine or not, I begin defending it vigorously. Why? Because while neither of us is enamored of it, this troglodyte is not enamored of it for all the wrong reasons.
Which leads me into where I'm going with this. Among the general movie going public, admitting to not liking a classic film is no big deal. But admitting it to a bunch of cinephiles (like anyone surfing a movie blog is most likely to be) is a different story altogether.
So I have a question: Is there a movie out there, well praised and entrenched in the pantheon, that you just don't get? Now I don't mean you understand its greatness but just don't like it (like in The General example above), I mean you're not quite sure why other cinephiles think it's so great.
And conversely, is there a movie that is roundly considered a stinker that you think is good or 
maybe even great? Now again, I don't mean a guilty pleasure. I don't mean, "Yeah I know Smokey and the Bandit sucks but I like it anyway." I mean, "Everyone thinks Smokey and the Bandit sucks but I think it should have won Best Picture."
For myself I have two that fit into these categories and I will reveal them now in the hopes that my regular commenters, and perhaps even regular readers who do not comment, will be inclined to list two of their own in the comment section below.
First the bad because the bad is easier. I don't know why, but it seems less embarrassing for a cinephile to admire a movie not liked by others than to admit to not admiring a film loved by all. As for the bad I submit (and please be kind - this is a little embarrassing. I'm putting myself out there for the sake of the blogosphere): Star Trek: Insurrection. Whew, there I said it. It's considered one of the worst Star Trek movies but I like it. And as I said, not just as in it's a guilty pleasure, but as in I think it's a very good Star Trek movie. I really do. But I'm not going to defend it here, just put it out there to let you know my choice for the bad.
Now the good. Or should I say the great because it's ranked high, I mean really high, among lists of the greatest films ever made. And yet my reaction to it is, "Ehh." That film is ... I'm a little nervous here... L'Atalante (1934). Yes, that L'Atalante, the one directed by Jean Vigo. I just don't like it very much. I think it's well made and interesting. I don't think it's bad at all. I can see it as an excellent film. I just don't understand why it stands so high above others, including Zéro de conduite (Zero for Conduct) by the same director. Now I never said the criteria was considering the film bad because I certainly don't, just not quite getting why it's so great. And that's the case here.
It's a subject I avoid in polite company because I don't want to put myself on the spot but I'm doing it here (although I consider all of you polite company). I certainly hope others have had the same experiences and I'm not alone, left here hanging, defending the indefensible. But if I am so be it. I shall be an insurrection of one.
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*1* I actually like The General very much. This was just a hypothetical.
