Thursday, September 14, 2017

Top 150 Movies of All-Time: 50-41



50. Back to the Future - In the first of the memorable series, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is transported back to 1955 where he must make his parents fall in love again after the time continuum is messed up. Marty has to fight off the advances of his mom, the bully Biff and he introduces the kids to some classic Chuck Berry music ahead of its time. Eric Stolz was supposed to be Marty, but the switch was made during filming.

49. The Social Network - David Fincher directed this film written by Aaron Sorkin based loosely on the making of facebook, with Jesse Eisenberg starring Mark Zuckerberg. Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake add outstanding performances while Dakota Johnson and Rooney Mara steal their scenes. The film is more about entertainment than accuracy, but most are and it is a fun watch.

48. Notting Hill - The romantic comedy was written by Richard Curtis - his second of two brilliant screen plays in the 1990s. The film stars Hugh Grant as a small-time shop owner who enters into an on-again, off-again relationship after a chance meeting with a superstar actress played by Julia Roberts. It's smart, humorous, thought-provoking and heartwarming. The ending is one of the best ever for this genre.

47. ET - Director Steven Spielberg's charming 1982 film is about a goofy-looking abandoned extra-terrestrial who befriends a young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas). We were introduced to a tiny Drew Barrymore as Elliott's little sister in the epic movie that makes you laugh, cry and want to "phone home." It won four technical awards, but was beaten out for Best Picture by "Ghandi."

46. Clerks - It's crude, somewhat inappropriate, but Kevin Smith's film based on life along the Jersey shore is one of the most humorous of all time. The movie revolves around Dante (Brian O'Halloran), who "wasn't even supposed to be working today!" and his day running the Quick Stop as he juggles girlfriends. Jay and Silent Bob show up and Randal (Jeff Anderson) probably has the best lines while 37 becomes the operative number. LOL.

45. The Godfather Part II - No doubt the greatest sequel - and prequel - in movie history, isn't it? You can make a case that it may be better than the original, but it is hard to match the intrigue and power of director Francis Ford Coppola's first epic film. This story moves from Italy to New York to Nevada to Cuba and all points in between, but ends on the Lake with poor Fredo.

44. The Descendants - George Clooney produces his best career performance as a man dealing with an emotional roller coaster in Alexander Payne's film. Clooney's wife, who he finds out was cheating on him, is on her death bed after a boating accident while he must make a decision about whether to sell his large family's beautiful stretch of ocean land on Hawaii and deal with two young daughters. Shailene Woodley is outstanding as usual as Clooney's oldest daughter.

43. Jerry Maguire - Cameron Crowe's 1996 romantic comedy stars Tom Cruise as a sports agent trying to do the right thing in a profession that has gone off the rails. Renee Zellweger is brilliant as the accountant that follows him out the door of his agency and makes him a better man. Cuba Gooding Jr. won Best Supporting Actor basically for one of the most iconic scenes of all time when he asks Cruise to "Show me the money!"

42. 25th Hour - Director Spike Lee's best film stars Ed Norton as Monty Brogan, a broken man headed to prison after getting caught selling drugs for the Russian mafia. The story follows Monty as he spends the final day with his girlfriend, wonderfully named Natural Rivera (Rosario Dawson), along with long-time buddies. Monty calls out everyone in NYC to the mirror in a powerful, controversial scene (go see it on you tube), but the final finger is pointed at his greed.

41. Major League - A bunch of rejects and has-beens lead the Cleveland Indians to the pennant in this lovable 1989 sports comedy. Charlie Sheen brings the Wild Thing to life and Tom Berenger plays the cliched heady catcher that leads the team. There were sequels that didn't match the humor and spirit of the original when the great Bob Uecker coined the phrase "jusssst a bit outside."