According to Prudence:
Dear Prudie,
Since
Bad News Bears is being redone and rereleased, I was talking with some co-workers about the original. I talked about the ending and one of them was disappointed that I gave it away. I figured since it was released 30 years ago it was fair game. However, we're all pretty young (early 20s) and there is a fair chance that someone our age hasn't yet seen the movie. What is the proper etiquette for situations such as these?
—Cineaste in Trouble
Dear Cin,
Being of sound mind and strong opinions, Prudie doesn't often consult experts, but friends are another matter. Roger Ebert, perhaps the name most associated with the word "movies," had this to say about your question: "That movie has been available for the entire lifetime of the person who had it 'spoiled.' At some point, doesn't the statute of limitations run out? If you really want to be polite, you can ask first before revealing an ending, but I think once a movie's on home video and DVD, the game is over. On Ebert & Roeper we carefully did not reveal that a new movie involved human cloning—only to discover that the ads, trailers, and interviews with the stars all revealed it." As for Prudie, she believes that the agenda-driven critics who revealed the ending of the relatively new movie Million Dollar Baby were way out of line. As the old saying has it, "Timing is everything."
—Prudie, cinematically
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