What's the Point of Movies?

Top Hat (1935) Courtesy RKO Radio Pictures

Tim Schildberger - Script Magazine - March 20th, 2026

Why are movies made? Lately it feels like we’re being subjected to a lot of stuff labeled as "movies" that feel like they only exist as a potential revenue stream. I know I’ve watched a few and thought to myself, ‘Who thought this was a good idea for a movie?’ It feels like we’ve run off the rails when it comes to reasons for creating cinema, and we’re letting all the wrong reasons overwhelm the right ones.

I’m going to use two movies to demonstrate my point. Top Hat (1935) is an old musical starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at the height of their powers, and includes several classic songs by Irving Berlin, "Cheek To Cheek" being one of them. The other is Jay Kelly (2025) – a mostly Netflix release starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler. Yes, I know they are vastly different movies. That’s kinda the whole point of this article.

Movies, and any form of art, are not created in a vacuum. They are often reflections of the culture of the time. When we look at movies, we really should look at the climate in which they emerged. Also, if something is being made to entertain the public, or at the very least deliver a return on a substantial investment, then we should also look at audience reception. I think we can agree both Top Hat and Jay Kelly fit the aspiration for a return on investment.

Top Hat was released in 1935. This country was still immersed in the Great Depression. Things weren’t great for a lot of folks. The people making movies knew the public wanted a distraction from the financial strains of daily life. So they made a big, sweeping musical, with catchy songs, witty jokes, polished floors under grand sets, beautiful dresses, skilled dancing, and glamour, glamour and more glamour. Even in black and white. The goal was simple, it was well executed, and Top Hat was the second biggest box office earner in 1935. Police were needed to control crowds at its Radio City Musical Hall opening day. By the way, Mutiny on the Bounty with Clark Gable was #1.

Jay Kelly was released in 2025. The country was immersed in whatever the Trump Administration will be called in the future. But "good times" it ain’t. Inflation was high, AI was terrifying us, and everything felt hard, scary, and uncertain. So Netflix paid for a movie about an aging, rich movie star, complaining about what a crap Dad he was to his daughters, without actually doing anything to be a better Dad to his daughters. It included his long-suffering Manager (Adam Sandler), also realizing taking care of this rich baby is a thankless job, but he keeps doing it. Was it an escape from our scary reality? Nope. Glamorous? I guess the cast and crew got to have a holiday in Italy and shoot a movie. Distraction? Nah. Deep examination of the human condition? What do you reckon? Popular? No crowd control police were called at any stage.

Why did Jay Kelly get made?

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