Overheard at MRP’s house:
MRP: “The Da Vinci Code” is the first movie I’ve liked Tom Hanks in since “Forrest Gump.”
Mister MRP: Wait, I thought you didn’t like “Forrest Gump.”
MRP: I didn’t.
Mister: But you just said you haven’t liked any movie Tom Hanks was in since “Forrest Gump,” which implies that you liked him in “Forrest Gump” but not in any movie since then.
MRP: No, it means that since “Forrest Gump,” I haven’t liked Tom Hanks in any movie. That would include “Forrest Gump.”
Mister: No, that’s not what it means. Now why don’t you blog about that.
What do you think, people? Help out Mighty Red Pen, wouldya?
Mighty Red Pen 
News reports do this all the time: “The coldest day on record since March 12th.” or “The highest number of homicides since 2002.” or “The lowest mortgage interest rates since the late 1970s.” The part after “since” is the exception.
Did you like “Philadelphia?” That was the movie immediately before Forrest Gump, so you go tell Mister: “I meant to say: ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is the first movie I’ve liked Tom Hanks in since ‘Philadelphia.'”
Comment by Gopher — November 29, 2006 @ 2:39 am |
Sorry but I agree with Mr. MRP.
Comment by The Mole — November 29, 2006 @ 3:27 am |
I think I agree with Mr. MRP too. It sounds like you liked the Gump. But the bigger question is why not The Green Mile? That was pretty good. It was on TBS last night, but since I now have cable, maybe anything looks better than snowy, rabbit-ear tuned regular TV. (Note the appearance of “since” in the last sentence…)But Cast Away, yuk.
Comment by Frida's Big Gay Dad — November 29, 2006 @ 3:51 pm |
You’re all a bunch of traitors. Mister MRP can be your new BFF.
Yes, I loved Tom H. in “Philadelphia.” I loathed “FG” as the worst, most bombastic pieces of overrated film ever . . . and haven’t liked Tom H. in any movie since then, either.
Until now. I’m not saying “The Da Vinci Code” is anything other than an okay adaptation of a highly overrated book but Tom H. was actually pretty good.
Sorry, Frida’s BGD, “The Green Mile” was maybe a better movie but Tom H. just cruise controlled his way through that one. I couldn’t even bring myself to see “Cast Away.”
Comment by mightyredpen — November 29, 2006 @ 6:56 pm |
Dear Ms. Mightyredpen,
You should know that the grammar maven business can be tough. Feelings, while important, cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the rigid application of the rules. One cannot stay the red pen simply out of respect for the humanity of another.
Mr. MRP was correct.
It happens.
If it is any consolation, remember that you still get to take a chainsaw to ihaveallyourbabystuff’s work.
Yr. Ob. Srvt.,
D
Comment by David — November 29, 2006 @ 7:35 pm |
What are your feelings on Tom Hanks in Bosom Buddies? Personally I think his work as Kip/Buffy Wilson is the best he’s ever done. 😉
Comment by The Mole — November 29, 2006 @ 7:37 pm |
I wasn’t allowed to watch Bosom Buddies . . . maybe that’s why I turned out this way.
Comment by mightyredpen — November 29, 2006 @ 3:22 pm |
But what about the classic “Turner and Hooch”?
Comment by Frida's Big Gay Dad — November 29, 2006 @ 3:56 pm |
Thanks to all of you who came to my side on this one. It’s not often that I’m on the winning side of an disagreement with MRP. I’ll hold on to this victory for a long, long time.
Mr. MRP
P.S. I have to give a shout out for TH in Saving Private Ryan.
Comment by Mr. MRP — November 30, 2006 @ 11:32 am |
You don’t like Tom Hanks? Wow, next you’ll say you don’t like Jimmy Stewart in “It’s A Wonderful Life”. As for the “since” question; unfortunately, Mr. MRP is correct.
Run, MRP, run!
Comment by Deb Goldberg — December 1, 2006 @ 2:27 pm |
Another view.
I was speaking with Mr. D, my spouse, about this matter. Since Mr. D is trained as a lawyer he asked, “Do you want my opinion as a lawyer or as a person?” Curious, I asked for both.
As a lawyer, Mr. D says that MRP expressed only her contempt for The Tom following Gump. We cannot from her statement make any determination of her opinion of The Tom in Gump or prior to Gump.
As a person, Mr. D says we’re all right. People use this phrase in this manner on a regular basis and it should be so understood in ordinary conversation.
(And, yes, we frequently make a distinction between Mr. D as a person and as a lawyer.)
Comment by David — December 1, 2006 @ 3:21 pm |
This must all end, and the title of this movie ain’t nobody’s seen should do it: Road to Perdition
Comment by Krodamai — December 2, 2006 @ 2:40 am |
Just for fun, and in the hopes that this string of comments never ends, I must say that I agree with Mr. MRP.
Comment by Raquel — December 6, 2006 @ 10:34 am |
Thought I’d chime in with another show of support for Mr. MRP.
There’s an implied parallel structure, so that when you say:
“The Da Vinci Code” is the first movie I’ve liked Tom Hanks in since “Forrest Gump.”
you’re saying:
“The Da Vinci Code” is the first movie I’ve liked Tom Hanks in since [I liked him in] “Forrest Gump.”
Just so you know, my mom used to request that Ruby the hair-dresser cut my hair so it would look like Tom Hanks’ hair. She liked the curls to show.
Comment by ihaveallyourbabystuffandyourChicagoManualofStyle — December 7, 2006 @ 12:53 pm |
I totally disagree, Honey Blonde Highlights, and thanks to Mr. D for [sort of] coming to my rescue.
The bracketed implicit words here:
“The Da Vinci Code” is the first movie I’ve liked Tom Hanks in since [I liked him in] “Forrest Gump.”
totally read a meaning into my sentence that was not there. And everyone coming to Mr. MRP’s rescue is reading this implied statement the intent of which was absent from my original statement,
“The Da Vinci Code” is the first movie I’ve liked Tom Hanks in since [I saw] “Forrest Gump.”
Which was maybe (evidently) not the most precise way to say it but doesn’t, as I think Mr. D rightly points out, make any actual statement one way or the other about my feelings about “Forrest Gump.”
Comment by mightyredpen — December 7, 2006 @ 1:37 pm |
Yeah, you and Mr. D the lawyer are right. I am guilty of intellectual dishonesy in order to pile on.
I haven’t liked Tom Hanks since I saw him mug my grandma.
Comment by Ihaveallyourbabystuff — December 11, 2006 @ 12:19 pm |
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