Movie Review - Whiplash

Note: This post may contain spoilers.

I used to watch sci-fi and animated films exclusively but now every once in a while I watch a random movie just for the fun of it. Yesterday that random movie turned out to be Whiplash - a movie about an aspiring drummer and his well intentioned but abusive mentor.

I loved the movie but I disagree with the opinions of Terence Fletcher. There is a scene in the movie where he is asked if there is a line. If there is a limit which if he crosses he might actually discourage his student from becoming the next great musician that the world loves. And he replies that there is no such limit because the next great won't be discouraged. While that's a cute sentiment, I think he's wrong. The world isn't divided into 'The Greats' and talentless people. There are plenty of people who fall in between the spectrum. And I think that by not caring about those who are not destined to be 'Great' and even actively doing things that could damage them mentally he is doing more harm than good. Additionally, I think that there are a lot of people who respond much better to constructive criticism and positive reinforcement than to abuse hurled at them. For every person with a story about an abusive mentor who made them who they are, I think there are a few dozen people with stories about how their incredibly supportive and positive mentor inspired them to be their best.

So while the story was inspiring, I really hope that people don't use Terence as an inspiration.