2011: A Year of Nostalgia

Last month my dear friend El Lobo wrote a post titled "2011 Has Been Boring". Besides having a fantastic title (simple, straight forward and charmingly negative), he made a rather convincing argument that 2011 pretty much sucked in terms of pop cultural output. And while I'm not one to disagree with him, there was one trend in 2011 that I absolutely bought into, and that was the way in which numerous Hollywood films capitalized on our collective nostalgia.

I'm not going to produce a comprehensive list of every nostalgia inducing theatrical release, but here are a few I can think of off the top of my head: Super 8, Winnie the Pooh, The Muppets, Hugo, and the re-release of The Lion King. These titles used different strategies to capitalize on nostalgia. Pooh and The Muppets promised to reunite audiences with beloved characters, but in the context of all new storylines. Super 8 and Hugo expressed nostalgia for bygone eras and, more generally, the emotions and relationships of childhood. And as for the 3-D re-release of The Lion King? Well, that was pretty much a straight up cash in, but it was one I bought into and thoroughly enjoyed nonetheless.

I've read before that nostalgia for the past is indicative of a deep dissatisfaction with the present and a fear for the future. Perhaps then the current interest in nostalgia-inducing movies stems from the economic hardships many face in today's weak economy. Another possible reason for the plethora of nostalgia pictures is that they appeal to a broad range of people. Not only does Pooh bring in the kiddies, but it also appeals to childless twentysomethings like me who grew up with the franchise and would love an opportunity to revisit the Hundred Acre Wood. And obviously a larger Pooh-watching demographic means more cash for Disney.

And that brings me to another point, that from a spectator's standpoint I'm really loving these films. I suspect I'm not the only one. During screenings for both The Lion King and The Muppets I have watched the audience spontaneously burst into applause as the final credits rolled. This is something I don't see everyday, so I always find it touching to witness collective applause when it happens.

Good news for the nostalgia fans is that the such releases show no signs of stopping as we approach the new year. The first half of 2012 alone will see 3-D theatrical re-releases for the late nineties blockbusters Titanic and Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. While it's scary to me that the we've come far enough away from the 1990's that the decade can now carry nostalgic clout, I have to otherwise reiterate that I'm kind of loving this trend. Granted studios can, and probably will, end up taking this trend too far and run it into the ground, but for now let's all bask in the warm nostalgic glow of clever marketing.