Our options aren’t only limited to “film” or “movie” when referring to the moving picture. There’s also “flick”, “picture”, “motion picture”, “feature”, “feature film”, and the far-out-of-fashion “talkie”. But it’s either “film” or “movie” we hear and use the most frequently. See for yourself which you choose. The answer might surprise you.
As you read, fill in the blank with either “film” or “movie”:
It’s a Saturday afternoon and it’s raining. You’re trying to figure out what to do, when someone suggests you go see a _______. As you leave the theater, you excitedly discuss if it was a good _____ or not. You break down what you liked and what you didn’t like about the _____, and just before you leave, spot a ______ poster. You tell your friends, “We should see that _____ next.” But they suggest watching an older _____ instead, a classic.
Did you use the same choice for every blank? Or did you find yourself saying “film” for some and “movie” for others?
Which did you favor?
Personally, I found myself switching between the two, which made me take a deeper look at my usage of each term. Why does it feel more natural to say “film” in some contexts and “movie” in others?
Here’s what I noticed about the thought process behind my word choice.
When I’m writing or talking about a moving picture as a medium of art, I call it “film”. I use this terminology while focusing on the techniques, or after I’ve looked at it through an analytical eye.
For me, “film” distinguishes my critical perspective from my personal enjoyment or experience. I’m looking at it objectively as a piece of art, and in my mind, I literally see the original film reels, the canvases, so to speak, for this particular medium. I also noticed that I tend to call older films…well, “films”. See?
“Movie” is what I say when I’m just there for my own enjoyment, and generally with others. It’s less about the art and more about the experience. This probably goes without saying, but “movie” is also an abbreviation for “moving picture”, hence, less formal.
I also noticed that just as I call critically successful and older films “films” (Again, see? Didn’t even plan that), I refer to sillier, more entertainment-based movies as “movies”! The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) is a movie. The Kings Speech (2010) is a film. Abbot & Costello’s Hold That Ghost (1941) might be the exception to the old film rule, because that’s one of my favorite movies.
Ok, so it’s not a perfect science, but you tell me.
1. Do you find yourself referring to moving pictures one way or the other?
2. Is using the term “film” a bunch of poppy-cock and twaddle, an upper-crust way to distinguish oneself as a critical viewer rather than some inactive consumer audience?
3. Does “movie” automatically bring down the sophistication level when discussing films (and I did it again!)?
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