Dear Me, I've Become Popular

Selling a lot of tickets doesn't mean your film is good. But having limited appeal doesn't mean it, either. Unfortunately, some artists act as if acceptance by the public at large means they've failed. Woody Allen is a member of this club.

Another member, apparently, is Jim Jarmusch. Not a popular filmmaker in the mold of James Cameron or Steven Spielberg, he's certainly a major figure among indies. His latest, Broken Flowers, starring Bill Murray, comes out today. In interviews, he's been playing the artist who has something approaching contempt for popularity.

I'm looking forward to the film and hope it does well. But Jim, what'll happen if you have an honest-to-goodness mainstream hit? Will it mean you've lost your edge? Will you get the vapors? Will you quit?

When an artist like Jarmusch looks at his lack of popularity for validation, I want to remind him there are countless filmmakers who consider Jarmusch monstrously popular. Your films make millions, Jim; their films don't even get released. Does this mean they're so pure in their vision, so uncompromising, that they're better than you?

Columbus Guy says: This has the ring of truth. I myself have a film, and I can't get even my wife to inquire about it.