@phil-a-dork saidI rarely take offence at Americans and certainly not because they may make inaccurate representations of Brits on their movies.
So are they accurate or do y'all laugh or take offense?
I’ve not seen any of the films you listed, but I sense that Americans think Brits all talk with a sort of pantomime cockney accent, ride everywhere on red busses and drink a lot of tea.
We do drink a lot of tea, but very few of us eat hobnob biscuits.
@phil-a-dork saidCertainly one of the most laughable (unintended) was Dick Van Dyke’s awful fake cockney accent in Mary Popins. He later apologized for it.
I've wondered if the Brits find American movies set in the UK are accurate depictions of said Brits?
Examples off the top of my head 🤔
London has Fallen
The Gentlemen
Reign of Fire
The Patriot
Etc etc.
So are they accurate or do y'all laugh or take offense?
EDIT: Slightly off topic, but there is another example of really awful fake accents ruining a potentially great movie: The Boys From Brazil. Stellar cast: Laurence Olivier, Gregory Peck, James Mason -- but muttering in the most absurdly insipid Americo-German accents.
- Joined
- 11 Nov 14
- Moves
- 34223
16 Feb 21
@phil-a-dork saidAs for Reign Of Fire, I haven't seen too many fire breathing dragons for a week or so, so not too accurate.
I've wondered if the Brits find American movies set in the UK are accurate depictions of said Brits?
Examples off the top of my head 🤔
London has Fallen
The Gentlemen
Reign of Fire
The Patriot
Etc etc.
So are they accurate or do y'all laugh or take offense?
16 Feb 21
@moonbus saidI always though Van Dyke got away with it in Mary Poppins, probably because of the age of the film and the magical surreal backdrops.
Certainly one of the most laughable (unintended) was Dick Van Dyke’s awful fake cockney accent in Mary Popins. He later apologized for it.
EDIT: Slightly off topic, but there is another example of really awful fake accents ruining a potentially great movie: The Boys From Brazil. Stellar cast: Laurence Olivier, Gregory Peck, James Mason -- but muttering in the most absurdly insipid Americo-German accents.
One the worst of the recent generation of movies was I think was Don Cheadle as Basher in the Ocean’s trilogy.
17 Feb 21
1 edit
@divegeester saidIt's not as though American movie audiences had never heard proper British accents. David Niven and Terry Thomas were well known to American cinema goers at the time, but, of course, they didn't speak cockney. I think Van Dyke got away with it because Mary Poppins had so much else going for it -- a totally feel-good show with a smash hit song, and cleaned up at the Oscars that year.
I always though Van Dyke got away with it in Mary Poppins, probably because of the age of the film and the magical surreal backdrops.
One the worst of the recent generation of movies was I think was Don Cheadle as Basher in the Ocean’s trilogy.
I missed all the Ocean's films. Were they any good (apart from a sloppy British accent)?
17 Feb 21
@moonbus saidI hope you won't mind, but I always laugh quietly when American's refer to British accents. People in Britain rarely if at all refer to them collectively and certainly never refer to the British Accent as one thing as Americans sometimes do.
It's not as though American movie audiences had never heard proper British accents. David Niven and Terry Thomas were well known to American cinema goers at the time, but, of course, they didn't speak cockney. I think Van Dyke got away with it because Mary Poppins had so much else going for it -- a totally feel-good show with a smash hit song, and cleaned up at the Oscars th ...[text shortened]... t year.
I missed all the Ocean's films. Were they any good (apart from a sloppy British accent)?
It's like asking somebody for fruit. There are so many completely different types you are immediately going to be asked which one.
My guess is it's because these are accents that predate transport and go back to times when you only had to go ten miles to be in a completely different tribal home. Maybe that is particularly true where I live with just short journeys to Lancashire, Wales, Manchester, Potteries, Cheshire and the ferry to Ireland all of which have strong and completely different accents, but I think it is the general case as well.
17 Feb 21
@moonbus saidActually not too bad.
I missed all the Ocean's films. Were they any good (apart from a sloppy British accent)?
Don’t worry about missing them as I think you can still see them on these newfangled tv stations.
17 Feb 21
@relentless-red saidHe won’t mind at all.
I hope you won't mind, but I always laugh quietly when American's refer to British accents.
17 Feb 21
@relentless-red saidI lived in England for three years (and I do mean "England," not Wales or Scotland or NI), and I have visited many times since; I am well aware that there is not one British accent. There are posh ones and vulgar ones. I've heard Milton Keynes slobspeak and people in Cockermouth I didn't understand at all. The Preston accent is quite gentle compared to the people I know from Wigan, for example.
I hope you won't mind, but I always laugh quietly when American's refer to British accents. People in Britain rarely if at all refer to them collectively and certainly never refer to the British Accent as one thing as Americans sometimes do.
It's like asking somebody for fruit. There are so many completely different types you are immediately going to be asked which ...[text shortened]... l of which have strong and completely different accents, but I think it is the general case as well.
17 Feb 21
@divegeester saidI got NetFlix recently as we are all isolating here due to COVID lockdown restrictions. Should the Oceans films be viewed in order? I ask because the Indiana Jones films weren't made in order -- one of the later ones was actually a prequel. And don't get me started on Star Wars -- the story-order is totally incomprehensible.
Actually not too bad.
Don’t worry about missing them as I think you can still see them on these newfangled tv stations.