100 Favorite Movies, Part 5

• 60. BRAVEHEART (1995) - This is the perfect blend of action and drama for me, and unlike all those war movies where I leave feeling demoralized and horrified at the atrocities of war, after I watch Braveheart I feel hopeful and remember that there are situations where war is necessary and can result in good things. Another rousing score (this one by James Horner, my fave), a tragic love story, and a final magnificent cry of "Freedom!" Do I even have to say that this film makes me cry? You already know.

• 59. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971) - Another classic musical, this one has me siding with Tevye, a joyous Jewish milkman trying to negotiate balance between his daughters' happiness and his own need to follow "TRADITION" and adhere to customs of his faith. We see the tragic effects of antisemitism when his eldest daughter's wedding is disrupted by a "demonstration" of Russian officers. We see the profound sadness of Tevye as turns his back on his youngest daughter Hava because her marriage partner is Catholic. And we see a sweet acknowledgment of love between Tevye and his wife after a movie's worth of arguments. All of these struggles are chronicled in wonderful songs including the boisterous "If I Were a Rich Man," and "To Life," the wistfulness of "Sunrise, Sunset," and "Far From the Home I Love," and the ridiculously funny "Matchmaker" and "Tevye's Dream."

• 58. THE SANDLOT (1993) - This story about baseball is really just an excuse for a parable about the best summer of a kid's life. We all have one, or at least an approximation of one. The group of boys are all colorfully imagined, each with a specific personality, not the least of which is naive Scott Smalls, perhaps the only boy in the world who doesn't know who Babe Ruth is. As he is taken under the wing of Benny "The Jets" Rodriguez we watch a magical summer unfold from learning to play baseball to getting in the biggest pickle of his life and watching a legend tackle "the Beast." That the movie also includes the tale of Squints Polidorus kissing Wendy Peffercorn, a beautiful 4th of July nighttime game, and the grossest fair ride of their lives, is all just a bonus for us.

• 57. SPEED (1994) - Definitely my favorite straight action movie. Keanu Reeves has never been better and we were first (or at least most memorably) introduced to a cheeky Sandra Bullock. The thrills start right away with a terrorized elevator and a great game of "Pop Quiz, Hotshot!," but once we get on that bus, the tension intensifies immeasurably as Reeves has to circumvent one obstacle after another. We are so caught up in the action we even give the film a pass for the unrealistic bus leap over a 50-foot gap in the overpass. Perhaps the end on the subway doesn't live up to the superb suspense that came before, but we do get the sublime moment of Dennis Hopper's head being torn off by a low-hanging light!
• 56. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (1995) - Hey, look! It's Sandra Bullock again! So, I've said what I want to about this one before, but just to reiterate: it warms my cold heart to see lonely Lucy so cheerily welcomed into the crazy eccentric family. Peter Gallagher is the perfect blend of yuppy narcissist and appealing charmer, I adore the antics of Lucy's neighbor, Mr. Joe Fusco Jr., and Bill Pullman hits all the right notes as he goes from wary suspicion to whole-hearted love of Lucy's presence in his nutty family.
• 55. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (1995) - My favorite of the Shakespeare adaptations takes place in the sensuously earthy and cheerful Italian countryside where soldiers returning from the wars find happiness, intrigue and playful banter with the women of Messina. Hero and Claudio's innocent young love is temporarily thwarted by the conniving Don Jon, while everyone else amuses themselves by tricking Benedict (director Kenneth Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson) into falling in love. Their love/hate relationship offers the most witty exchanges of the entire film ("I had rather hear a dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me." "God keep your ladyship still in that mind! so some gentleman or other shall 'scape a predestinate scratched face!" "Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as yours were.") And, of course, it all ends with lively music and energetic dancing, as it should!
• 54. THAT THING YOU DO (1996) - We follow the adventures of musical group "The Wonders" (or the "One-ders" depending on where you enter the story) as drummer Guy changes the tempo on one song and alters their fates. As the song rises in popularity, they play bigger and bigger shows, are recruited by a major record label, guest-star in a beach movie, and play on the movie's equivalent of the "Ed Sullivan Show." It's a common tale about rise and fall of one-hit wonders, but the cast is fresh and amusing (Tom Everett Scott as Guy, Steve Zahn as Lenny and Liv Tyler as sweetie Faye really steal it for me) and the all original music is fun and sounds time-specific. The title song, 'That Thing You Do" is damn catchy, and as my dad is so fond of reminding me, if it had actually come out in the '60's, it definitely would have been a hit!
• 53. THE STING (1973) - Do you get any cooler than the pairing of Robert Redford and Paul Newman? I guess Brad Pitt and George Clooney are making a run of it, but for me, this con-men story works mainly because of the intrinsic chemistry of it's stars. Robert Shaw is the perfect snotty foil for their con, Newman is a gas as he plays drunk to reel Shaw in, and the final twist in the their elaborate ruse still has me trying to spot the clues each time. The revival of Scott Joplin's ragtime piano fits the piece seamlessly, and the kaleidoscope of great characters include fast-talking J.J., the elegant Kid Twist, nervous banker Eddie, and dirty cop Charles Durning. And my favorite element of The Sting has to be that sweet nose flick as the signal!
• 52. CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1958) - Maggie the Cat is a ruthless character, often manipulative, selfish, and demanding. But in the hands of Elizabeth Taylor, her honest need just bleeds through and I find myself on her side in spite of her negative qualities. Her desperation to get through to her withdrawn and alcoholic husband Brick (Paul Newman) has them engaged in a constant battle of wills, even as the intense sexual chemistry between them rises. Burl Ives is spot-on as the cantankerous patriarch Big Daddy, and the tightly woven story of buried resentments offers endlessly heady pleasures.
• 51. PULP FICTION (1994) - Another highly quotable movie, Quentin Tarantino's jumbled plot of L.A. gangsters offers some of the most refreshingly stylized dialogue of the past 20 years. There simply are no bad scenes in this movie, from Vincent and Mia's tentatively shy, then weirdly drug-laced date, to Butch and Marcellus' strange trip to the basement, Christopher Walken's excellent cameo, and finally to Samuel L. Jackson's star-making turn as Jules. His breakfast-burger conversation with Brett is a surreal blend of menace and comedy, and his final act of kindness to Pumpkin and Honeybunny in the diner is the ultimate act of redemption in the film. And I love his conversation with Vincent about the meaning of a foot massage.

100 Favorite Movies Part 6