How often in conversation have we been stuck for the name of that specific movie whose actors, story, or even character names we remembered? There must be something to the phenomenon of our failure to recall a movie title. Studios, production companies, marketing departments, screenwriters, and directors must all have some say in deciding on a movie’s title, and yet the number of movies that get released with forgettable titles is puzzling.
By “forgettable” I don’t mean that the given title was wrong, only that it didn’t register in the public conscious. In a society contending with an information deluge from mass media, an unmemorable movie title ultimately fails the movie by slipping into obscurity. Sadder still is the result when forgettable titles are given to good movies.
Bad Names—Common Pitfalls
The following are common pitfalls that make movie titles unmemorable:
- Vague Titles: Poetry, fiction, and even novels can have abstract titles, but for a movie, such titles are ill-advised. For instance, the recent Halle Berry/Benicio Del Toro movie, “Things We Lost in the Fire” didn’t receive any help from its long and vague title. The stylish title has to do with a pivotal scene’s revelation in the wonderful movie. Unfortunately, unless you saw the movie, the title will not resonate with you. While curiosity can drive audience interest, it is too risky to handicap an independent movie (that already fights an uphill battle getting to the market) with a cryptic title that further hinders the movie’s discovery.
- Bland Titles: There are a slew of movie titles that fall through memory’s cracks just by being mundane or clichéd. Remember the movie that brought Mark Ruffalo wide acclaim? I had to look it up on the net. The forgettable clichéd title was, “You Can Count On Me”.
- Character Name Titles: Unless the main character name is “Batman” or a famous legend such as “Gandhi” or “Michael Collins”, basing the movie title after a character name provides no clue about the movie’s theme. Does the title, “Jerry McGuire” inform you that the movie is about a sports agent falling in love with his assistant, a single mom? Does the title, “Michael Clayton” convey any of the movie’s themes: corporate corruption, guilt-ridden lawyers, or a self-loathing company man’s chance for redemption?
Does it Grab you?
A title should match the subject of any work of art. Paintings are the only exception to exist prominently without a title since the entire painting is immediately available for viewing. But even with a masterwork that was left untitled, one wishes for at least a simple title to recall and relate it better.
The object of a movie title then, owing to the heated competition it receives, should be to make an impression or stand out from the rest. A movie title should relay some information about the story, the theme, the protagonist, the time or era the story occurs, and some indication of the genre to which the movie belongs.
Breaking down the ingredients of a good movie title is harder. However, avoiding the common pitfalls of forgettable movie titles is a good start. Great movie titles become part of the cultural lingo (“Rebel Without a Cause”) or define a social strata (“Slacker”) The importance of a good title can’t be overstated, but title recognition alone can’t sustain an ill-conceived movie; for instance, having the best title in the history of movies didn’t save the movie, “Snakes on a Plane”.
