There's a scene towards the end of entertaining political drama "The Contender" in which Jeff Bridges, as President Jackson Evans, makes an impassioned speech to Congress about the importance of nobility and honesty within American politics.
Of course, Congress is more corrupt than the music business and no actual President is either as good-looking as Jeff or as able to impart such poetic wisdom. But the scene's end result is still an exultant cheer.
The small audience of critics watching this pivotal scene was split in two. Some sneered at the 'aw shucks' mawkishness and - frankly - sometimes flat-out puke-worthy nature of the patriotic oration. Others, let's dub them 'sentimentalists', stifled a small tear.
Unfortunately for the sentimentalist movement, it seems that these days Hollywood is the only place they can get their kicks. Last minute, game-saving touchdowns generally take place in Midwest, USA - not a recreation ground or allotment in Grimsby.
Where's the flag-waving in British film? The slightly cringing dialogue? We may whinge about the lack of quality British output at the box office, but stop to consider one thing: perhaps if we ditched the incest, wife-beating, gangsters, and appallingly self-indulgent ensemble flicks, our movies just might be quite good.
Swap them instead for a cockle-warming and patriotic display of stiff-upper-lippedness - even throw a dash of sap - and you could have a hit on your hands. At the very least, us sentimentalists would be happy.
