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When it finds itself in times of trouble, the Mother Mary that comes to Hollywood is the happy ending. The white wedding, the slaying of the beast, a courtroom finale and a kiss. Of 2009's Oscar-nominated films, Happy-Go-Lucky and Slumdog Millionaire sum up a desire for consolation. If The Wrestler had been written when it was released, the ending might have offered solace over ambiguity. Doubt seems apt. Film producers are a notoriously jumpy lot, though; history shows that moviegoers still moviego in hard times, they just prefer winners to woe - and bring their own popcorn.
Writer: Robert Bound
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