Amadeus (1984)

Amadeus (1984)

[10]

Straight biographies rarely make great film, but by filtering the subject through another man’s envy, director Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) delivers one of the best bio-films I’ve ever seen. This isn’t a film about a composer and his music (how boring would that be?) — it’s a film about an insanely jealous contemporary named Salieri. Salieri, played brilliantly by F. Murray Abraham, turns Mozart’s life and accomplishments into his own personal battle with God. Just watch Abraham pretend to be Mozart’s best friend, all while plotting to destroy him, and you quickly appreciate why the man won an Oscar for his performance.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

[9] "As boys, they said they would die for each other. As men, they did." Once Upon a Time in America is an epic, gorgeous, emotionally moving gangster flick from spaghetti western maestro Sergio Leone (The Good the Bad and…
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

[10] In Steven Spielberg's blockbuster classic, a young boy named Elliot (Henry Thomas) takes care of a stranded alien, helping him send a message into space for the mother ship to return and rescue him.  E.T. is about loneliness and…
Ordinary People (1980)

Ordinary People (1980)

[10]

Robert Redford directs this adaptation of Judith Guest’s novel, about a family reeling from the accidental death of the eldest child. Unlike so many dramas, it’s what you don’t see and what isn’t said that makes Ordinary People such a gut-wrenching, powerfully moving film.

Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, and Mary Tyler Moore give superb performances as family members struggling to reconnect with one another after the tragedy. Hutton won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his raw, riveting portrayal of young Conrad Jarrett.  Moore plays his mother, an emotionally unavailable woman barricading herself from further distress by ignoring her family’s problems, even after Conrad tries to take his own life. Sutherland plays the father, the mediator between mother and son, desperately trying to hold his family together. Judd Hirsch appears as Conrad’s therapist, a savior shrink who forces Conrad to confront his guilt and fear. 

Midnight Express (1978)

Midnight Express (1978)

[8] Brad Davis (Querelle, Chariots of Fire) stars in this true story about an American named Billy Hayes who was sent to a dehumanizing Turkish prison for trying to smuggle hash over the border. Originally sentenced to four years, Hayes…
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

[9] Clint Eastwood stars in and directs The Outlaw Josey Wales, a Civil War drama about a peaceful farmer who turns to vengeance after a violent faction of the Union army burns down his home and murders his family. Wales…
Rocky (1976)

Rocky (1976)

[9] Sylvester Stallone wrote and stars in this low-budget box office triumph that went on to win the Best Picture Academy Award. Rocky is a remarkable blend of fantastic performances, understated screenwriting, and straightforward execution. It's very hard not to…
Network (1976)

Network (1976)

[10] A suicidal TV news anchorman strikes a nerve with the public, prompting his network to bastardize their news hour with his crackpot proselytizing. Before long, the network embraces pure tabloid sensationalism -- live assassinations and all. Network is now…
Chinatown (1974)

Chinatown (1974)

[9] Chinatown is the name of the movie, but only a short final scene takes place there. One could argue the film is a journey to its namesake, but even that's not enough to explain the title. In a rare…
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

[8] Ellen Burstyn stars as a widowed mother who suddenly finds herself having to start a new life in this engaging comedy/drama from Martin Scorsese. Burstyn plays Alice Hyatt, and if that name sounds familiar it's because the TV show "Alice"…