There are a few movies that have a big and lasting impact on you. For a 13-year-old kid from Ashdown, Arkansas, one of those for me was 性视界传媒淛aws.性视界传媒 It性视界传媒檚 the story of a great white shark and the people it ate off the coast of New England.
But it wasn性视界传媒檛 just kids from southwest Arkansas who went to see that movie. For that matter, it wasn性视界传媒檛 just kids. Everyone in the world, just about, went to see 性视界传媒淛aws.性视界传媒
It was 1975, and no one had seen anything like 性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 since possibly Alfred Hitchcock性视界传媒檚 性视界传媒淭he Birds性视界传媒 15 years prior.
The fear this movie created was very real. Suddenly, people who性视界传媒檇 never given swimming in the ocean a second thought, now wouldn性视界传媒檛 step foot in a kiddie pool.
性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 was a phenomenon.
T-shirts, lunchboxes, board games, and other merchandise were everywhere. Comedians did 性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 jokes. There were novelty records about 性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 played on the radio.
The man who wrote the book 性视界传媒淛aws,性视界传媒 Peter Benchley, found himself going from relative obscurity to being front and center in pop culture.
So did the movie性视界传媒檚 director. A guy named Steven Spielberg.
Jaws also made stars of its cast members, including Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, and Robert Shaw. Arguably, Shaw was already a star, but his role as Captain Quint, the guy hired to catch and eliminate the shark, didn性视界传媒檛 hurt his salary demands for projects that came after 性视界传媒淛aws.性视界传媒
The impact of this movie is hard to explain to someone who wasn性视界传媒檛 here in 1975. If you were around in 1997 when the film 性视界传媒淭itanic性视界传媒 came out, you have some idea. But 性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 was even bigger than 性视界传媒淭itanic性视界传媒 as far as its cultural significance.
The movie spurred me to seek out and read the book, which was the basis for the film.
And the book was far more graphic than the movie. As often is the case, the book was also better than the movie. If my mom had known I was reading it, I likely wouldn性视界传媒檛 have been allowed to read it.
If my teacher had known I性视界传媒檇 pick 性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 for my oral book report, I性视界传媒檇 probably have been told to pick something else.
I say that because about one-third of the way through my presentation, my teacher stopped me and told me that was enough. When I explained that I wasn性视界传媒檛 finished, she assured me that I was.
I made an A. I性视界传媒檒l always believe that the A was her way of reminding herself that she should preview all seventh-grade boys chosen topics before allowing them to get up in front of a room full of kids. Especially if the room has a lot of girls.
The look on the girls性视界传媒 faces is something I性视界传媒檝e only seen one other time. That was when Roseanne Barr sang the National Anthem at a baseball game.
性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 didn性视界传媒檛 just influence people and culture when it debuted; it influenced people and culture after.
Blockbuster summer movies didn性视界传媒檛 exist before 性视界传媒淛aws.性视界传媒 Today, a movie is considered a failure of it doesn性视界传媒檛 make millions. That性视界传媒檚 changed the content of films from creative to cash-driven.
性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 was one of the first films to be advertised and marketed heavily. Today, that性视界传媒檚 a given.
Before 性视界传媒淛aws,性视界传媒 a film性视界传媒檚 soundtrack might be popular, but the film性视界传媒檚 accompaniment became its own entity. The two notes that signaled the shark was about to appear could be solved by almost anyone if they were playing, 性视界传媒淣ame That Tune.性视界传媒
性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 was based on a true story that happened on the Jersey Shore in 1916. A period of 59 years passed between then and the movie in 1975.
The year 2025 marks 50 years since the film性视界传媒檚 theatrical debut.
Anyone who hasn性视界传媒檛 seen 性视界传媒淛aws性视界传媒 should. Anyone who has deserves to view it again.
It性视界传媒檚 a true American classic. And it性视界传媒檚 a much better option than listening to Roseanne sing the National Anthem.
