Previous poster is in denial and/or confused. I don't know about the rest of you. This is a simple story of love and opportunity, with top notch writing and acting (especially by the lead, Ernest Borgnine). It's clearly written by a cynic (P. Chayefsky, of course), with little sentimentality and little extravagance. As another user here commented, it adds up to more than the sum of its parts. I think this movie is maybe hard for people to understand in the 21st century, as being an simple, moving love story as it might occur to ordinary people. I think people realized its quality more back in the 1950s, because romance in film was obviously unrealistic, and heightened in sentimentality. Since then, films have really blurred the line between these different sorts of love stories, making a film like this seem possibly like its attempting to get laughs, or suffering from naivety or stupidity. This movie doesn't present perfect characters, perfect situations, or manufactured emotions. It's not a perfect film. It's not a fairy tale either - it's a love story. A small-scale, believable, unpretentious love story. One of hope in a world where perfection is a lie.
Marty was a pleasant surprise. It's an incredibly genuine romance that doesn't need melodrama to get its point across. It's simple and sweet. Marty is one of the most likeable characters ever.
Ernest Borgnine creates his public persona for years to come in Marty, the film that made him a lovable lug and earned him an Oscar. His lonely, 34-year-old, butcher and Betsy Blair's reserved 29-year-old school teacher gave voice to the malaise of being one of the undesirables of the dating scene. Following the characters for only the span of a weekend, the film isn't just about the mechanics of the romance genre played with unlikely leads, it also delves into much more complex territory, like the unwarranted and yet very real shame of being seen with someone others consider undesirable, and juggling family expectations and platonic jealousy. And it's not a case of the leads being charming after all in an ugly duckling kind of way. Marty's conversations are full of boring repetition and expose his nervousness, while Clara says little and shows little. They're both nice people, and you feel for them, but they're never revealed to have "movie wit". No matter the ending (and there's cause to wonder where it's going), the pain of rejection is at the center of the film. Marty and Clara are sunburnt by it, Marty's best friend is in denial about it, his mother fears it, and his aunt feels it from her own son. A lovely little love/family story that's truthful while also allowing itself to be romantic.
thestuman - Humorously, though you condemn another user for "openly discrediting someone's views," you yourself do the same thing when you use phrases like "don't delude yourselves" regarding those who come away with a different opinion of a film than you. The implication being that you somehow have the one "honest" opinion of the film, and that anyone who happens to disagree is either pretending or deluded.
In other words, you're condemning someone for doing the exact same thing you did. I'm sorry that your own medicine tastes so bad.
In other words, you're an arrogant movie-fascist who doesn't value anyone else's opinion besides your own, and so you decide to openly and publicly discredit the views of anyone who happens to disagree with you.
I request that the previous poster realize that I mean know personal offense toward him. I only wish to point out that I think this movie is being taken completely the wrong way by many people in this day and age. But relax, it's only a movie, o my brother.
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Wise Jake
Previous poster is in denial and/or confused. I don't know about the rest of you. This is a simple story of love and opportunity, with top notch writing and acting (especially by the lead, Ernest Borgnine). It's clearly written by a cynic (P. Chayefsky, of course), with little sentimentality and little extravagance. As another user here commented, it adds up to more than the sum of its parts. I think this movie is maybe hard for people to understand in the 21st century, as being an simple, moving love story as it might occur to ordinary people. I think people realized its quality more back in the 1950s, because romance in film was obviously unrealistic, and heightened in sentimentality. Since then, films have really blurred the line between these different sorts of love stories, making a film like this seem possibly like its attempting to get laughs, or suffering from naivety or stupidity. This movie doesn't present perfect characters, perfect situations, or manufactured emotions. It's not a perfect film. It's not a fairy tale either - it's a love story. A small-scale, believable, unpretentious love story. One of hope in a world where perfection is a lie.Brantastic16
Marty was a pleasant surprise. It's an incredibly genuine romance that doesn't need melodrama to get its point across. It's simple and sweet. Marty is one of the most likeable characters ever.alexbergmans
This movie is fulla tomatahs!twistedthursday
This film warms my heart. :)Aleril
It's not what you would call a typical "Oscar Winner", but it's good in it's own right.Siskoid
Ernest Borgnine creates his public persona for years to come in Marty, the film that made him a lovable lug and earned him an Oscar. His lonely, 34-year-old, butcher and Betsy Blair's reserved 29-year-old school teacher gave voice to the malaise of being one of the undesirables of the dating scene. Following the characters for only the span of a weekend, the film isn't just about the mechanics of the romance genre played with unlikely leads, it also delves into much more complex territory, like the unwarranted and yet very real shame of being seen with someone others consider undesirable, and juggling family expectations and platonic jealousy. And it's not a case of the leads being charming after all in an ugly duckling kind of way. Marty's conversations are full of boring repetition and expose his nervousness, while Clara says little and shows little. They're both nice people, and you feel for them, but they're never revealed to have "movie wit". No matter the ending (and there's cause to wonder where it's going), the pain of rejection is at the center of the film. Marty and Clara are sunburnt by it, Marty's best friend is in denial about it, his mother fears it, and his aunt feels it from her own son. A lovely little love/family story that's truthful while also allowing itself to be romantic.sushantv10
seemed so simple , yet wonderful.......corchap
i think the writer was rejected a few times and resented women for it. this could be his wish fulfilment.don't get me wrong though. i though this was super cute and Ernest is a quiet revolution in this film
AndrewB
danisanna
Dat single life!Cute, funny and charming!
stexdo
Great acting and dialogues but a very simple story.damnyougoogle
i liked this a lot. 8/10Timec
thestuman - Humorously, though you condemn another user for "openly discrediting someone's views," you yourself do the same thing when you use phrases like "don't delude yourselves" regarding those who come away with a different opinion of a film than you. The implication being that you somehow have the one "honest" opinion of the film, and that anyone who happens to disagree is either pretending or deluded.In other words, you're condemning someone for doing the exact same thing you did. I'm sorry that your own medicine tastes so bad.
In other words, you're an arrogant movie-fascist who doesn't value anyone else's opinion besides your own, and so you decide to openly and publicly discredit the views of anyone who happens to disagree with you.
In other words, the pot has met the kettle.
Wise Jake
I request that the previous poster realize that I mean know personal offense toward him. I only wish to point out that I think this movie is being taken completely the wrong way by many people in this day and age. But relax, it's only a movie, o my brother.Dieguito
Ok movie.Showing items 1 – 15 of 20