Desencontros

Listen to Me is, quite frankly, spectacularly bad, which makes it hard to rate. It was, quite unintentionally, hysterical at moments, and I love such great debating advice as, "We're not going to win with facts, so let's go for drama!" and suggesting that a new plan should be run in the 2AR. As other reviewers have noted, it does NOT represent debate very accurately at all, and is highly melodramatic and overwrought. However, as a debater (policy for 2 years in high school, now into my 3rd year of parliamentary in college), I enjoyed watching it, at least once, because it was so unintentionally funny. My coach last spring had us watch it during a meeting and we all laughed nonstop because of its inherent stupidity. My advice: if you're a debater, you might think this hilarious. If you're not, you might not enjoy it. Additionally, don't for a moment think that's how REAL debate is done. Just to pick one example, I cannot even begin to imagine my coach advising me to make up stories in order to win rounds. Side note of interest to debaters: Tom Miller, who is a debate official in the film, is an actual college debate coach at UCLA.

This film brings up the tail end of the 1980s "John Hughes-ish" movies about earnest teens and young adults. As a tail-ender, it's not as rewarding as The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, or even Some Kind of Wonderful. It's not a great movie, not even that good of a movie, but if you like its kinfolk, you may enjoy it.

One caution: its portrayal of college debate is utter fiction. Do not imagine for a moment that college debate resembles this film's view of it in the slightest.

I wasted two hours of my life watching this movie. I can't believe that I am wasting more time thinking about it and writing about it. But I must warn others who stumble upon this comment. Avoid this movie. Do not see it. I'm sure that after the actors made this movie, they felt so stupid that they never were seen in public again. This is the worst. I wanted it all to end.

Is this movie ever going to come out on DVD? I love this movie, it has stayed with me for years because it captures the turmoil of teenagers learning how to live with the past and be a good person in the future. I would recommend that all teenagers see it, because it is so sincere and earnest. The emotion and confusion of being a good person, and a good student and a good friend is phenomenal. People are always wondering what they can do or say to be a better person and this movie teaches them that we all make mistakes, but we all survive. If a child or adult learns anything from this I would hope that it would be to treat each person fairly and compassionately. This movie shows that we all have our own demons and with the help and support of family, and friends we can all learn to deal with those demons without hurting those we love and using them as shields from our own pain.

Though it has been years since I saw "Listen", I remember it not for the quality of the acting, which I thought was fine, but for delivering the most eloquent argument against abortion I had ever seen, even to this day. Any movie that gets the range of comments that have been posted, from rave to rage, is certainly has to be called controversial. So the debate scenes did not match up to the life experiences of some, it is a STORY. Its message is very, very strong, and delivered quite effectively. Isn't that what movies, books, plays, photography, et al are about? I just saw "Cider House Rules", the flip side of the abortion discussion from "Listen". Try watching "Listen" and "Cider House" back to back for what should be quite an emotional and intellectual experience. I rate both films at least 9 out of 10.

PS: I am 64, male, anti-abortion, and pro-choice.