Dear Auteurs (you know who you are), I’m writing this because I care deeply about you—we all do—and I only want the very best for your future. Growing up in New York, I spent hours watching your movies, and it was the stories you told so elegantly that inspired me to become a producer. But lately, you have gone down a path that I fear could be dangerous to both you and the audience we both cherish. In short, your movies are too damned long.
Case in point: On a recent Thursday, my wife and I were headed out the door for a screening of Todd Field’s new film, Tár, at the Academy Museum. The movie has great word of mouth, 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and Cate Blanchett. Before leaving, almost as an afterthought, we checked the running time: 2:40. Nope. Not on a weeknight.
