6 remakes that were as good as — or better than — the original
Greetings Mick: I recently saw ' The Wedding Banquet,' directed by Andrew Ahn, a remake of the original movie directed by Ang Lee. I thought it to be excellent. Can you recall other remakes of excellent movies that were good?
David Swanson, San Francisco
Greetings David: Steven Spielberg's 2021 ' West Side Story ' is just as great as the original 'West Side Story' (1961), just different. The best thing about the old one is that Rita Moreno is amazing in it. The best thing about the new one is that Rita Moreno is amazing in it.
Other great remakes that somehow get by without Rita Moreno are ' A Star is Born ' (2018), with Lady Gaga, which is way better than both previous versions; ' Scarface ' (1983), with Al Pacino, which is better than the 1932 original; 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' (1978), which is at least as good as the 1956 film; and Spielberg's 'War of the Worlds' (2005), which is as good as 'The War of the Worlds' (1953). Finally, 1941's 'The Maltese Falcon' was the second remake of the original 1931 'The Maltese Falcon,' starring Ricardo Cortez. I prefer some things about the original, but the 1941 version has the edge.
Dear Mick: Let's talk talent versus technique. I say only two aspects of creative work are inborn and not teachable: basic intelligence and responsiveness in one of the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, body movement). The rest can be taught by a great teacher to a highly motivated, diligent student of the art. What do you say?
Dennis Briskin, Palo Alto
Dear Mick: It depends what you mean by 'taught.' When I was 12, I was taught how to play the violin, but I was never good at it. You might say, 'Well, that's because you weren't highly motivated.' To which I'd say, 'If I really had a gift, it would have motivated me.' People are like self-programming computers that gravitate in the direction of their innate capacity.
It also depends on what you mean by 'basic intelligence.' If you just mean someone with a decent I.Q., then no, I don't think you can teach any average smart person to be a great writer or a great actor, even if they're motivated. On the other hand, if we refine our definition of intelligence and start talking about an actor's intuition or a writer's perception, then we've basically just come up with another name for 'talent,' which is mysterious and random.
I'd go this far. You can probably teach almost anybody to be OK at something, if you both work at it. And if you're lucky, you can teach them how to be good. But you can't teach anybody to be Meryl Streep, unless, by some miracle, they happen to be Meryl Streep.
Dear Mick LaSalle: Your analysis of cats versus dogs misses the point. Cats have only themselves to blame for their sometimes negative image. Dogs are open to all, like stereotypical Democrats, who wag their tails at labor, environmentalists, feminists, et al. The cat approach is like Republicans: 'We have money, and will pay attention to you on our terms.' Your thoughts?
Nick Rizza, Berkeley
Dear Nick Rizza: My late cat, Sandrine, was not excessively partisan and, being gray, tried never to see issues in terms of black or white. She preferred the gray areas. If memory serves, I believe she supported Hillary during the 2008 primaries, but eventually warmed to Obama. And though she got along well with a very nice orange cat that we had when she was young, she was quite firm at drawing the line at orange people. In fact, just the sight of a spray tan would make her get a crazed look on her face. She might have leaned Democrat.
Have a question? Ask Mick LaSalle at mlasalle@sfchronicle.com. Include your name and city for publication, and a phone number for verification. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
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