2014 in review: The death of the middle-class movie

More than ever, Hollywood is dominated by tent-pole movies – so much that it seems as if the summer-movie season is now essentially running year-round. The studios still make standalone PG-13 or R-rated films for grownups (think “Unbroken,” “The Gambler,” or “Selma,” all being released this week). But they generally only unleash them at year’s end in hopes of awards consideration. And that means that a lot of the mid-budget ($30 million to $70 million), studio-made middle class of movies that once dominated theaters – thrillers, romances, and more sophisticated comedies – are increasingly getting squeezed out.

You’d think the studios would be happy to have…modestly budgeted, reliably profitable grown-up movies that were, until a little while ago, a mainstay of Hollywood.

Oliver Lyttelton, Yahoo Movies

There was, however, a dark-hearted, blood-soaked silver lining to this year’s blockbuster-crazed year: “Gone Girl.” It’s not the kind of movie most studios seem interested in making anymore. The success of “Gone Girl” (and films like last year’s “American Hustle,” “Lone Survivor,” and many others) are proof that there’s still an undernourished audience out there, one that’s vitally important to maintain: These middle-class movies are the ones that steer the culture, enable and empower mature filmmaking, and keep older, discerning audiences returning to theaters. Thanks to Hollywood’s ever-emulating production line – in which the latest hit is ripped off and ransacked as quickly as possible – audiences may very likely be getting a few more grown-up, “Gone Girl”-style dramas in the coming years.

The question remains, though, whether any actual grownups will be willing to show up for them.

Oliver Lyttelton, Yahoo Movies

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