A Few Good Men: Both an outstanding screenplay and a superb cast make this film an instant classic. Jack Nicholson, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon are excellent as always, while Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Kevin Pollak also deliver exceptionally strong performances. The script is full of incredible dialogue, tense exchanges, and memorable one-liners.
A Walk to Remember: A love story where someone is able to reach beyond their own selfish desires and genuinely care about someone else is a rare and beautiful gift. Though this clearly falls in the “Chick Flick” section, it absolutely works for me.
Remember the Titans: It’s hard to resist a good underdog story, or anything that Denzel Washington does. Add a great assembly of young actors, and some wonderful old songs from that era and you’ve got a recipe for success. The fact that it’s based on a true story makes it even better.
Field of Dreams: This dreamlike tale of a seemingly magical corn field, and ghost players from the past is full of twists and turns, which eventually lead to a homerun finish.
The Ultimate Gift: A great story that drives home what really matters in life. This young man’s transformation is both believable and moving.
August Rush: This unconventional tale of an orphan who finds his way back to a family that didn’t realize they’d lost him, is hauntingly beautiful. It is filled with wonderfully subtle performances from Freddie Highmore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Keri Russell, juxtaposed against an almost menacing performance by Robin Williams. The transcendent story is also accompanied by a soundtrack full of memorable music.
October Sky: The inspiring story of Homer Hickam, and the “Rocket Boys” emergence from a small mining town in West Virginia is what making movies is all about.
Forever My Girl: This story of a country music star, whose unplanned return to his hometown brings him face to face with the girl he left at the altar, and the daughter he didn’t know he had, is markedly better than your typical Hallmark movie. Definitely a cut above what passes for romance these days.
Touchback: Though the story revolves around football, this is not really a sports movie in the truest sense. Ultimately, it is about the choices we make, the consequences that come with that, and what truly matters in the end.
The Shawshank Redemption: Based on the Stephen King novella, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”, this movie features a great story, beautifully told. Tim Robbins nuanced performance, and Morgan Freeman’s narration throughout lift the relentlessly dark subject matter to something more profound and hopeful. The conclusion of this journey is one of the most satisfying in movie history.
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