The Prince of Egypt (1998)

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

[8] Dreamworks Animation's maiden voyage is a stunning achievement of sight and sound. Impressionistic background paintings blend with sexy, angular character designs, all set to a brilliant soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. It kills me that…
True Grit (1969)

True Grit (1969)

[7] John Wayne took home the Oscar for his performance as crotchety Rooster Cogburn, an alcoholic US Marshall recruited by a young girl (Kim Darby) to capture her father's killer and bring him to justice. Wayne is low key as…
The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King (1994)

[8] The Disney Animation Studios took Shakespeare's Hamlet and transplanted it to the African savanna with an all-animal cast. Buoyed by a hit soundtrack, lush visuals, memorable characters, and a daring blend of intense drama and whacky humor, the film…
Mister Roberts (1955)

Mister Roberts (1955)

[6] Henry Fonda is caught between a beleaguered WWII cargo crew and their vindictive captain in this oddly cheerful, lightweight drama directed by John Ford and Mervyn Leroy. James Cagney hams it up as the nutcase captain while William Powell…
Airport (1970)

Airport (1970)

[6] This star-studded best picture Oscar nominee is credited for kicking off the boom of disaster flicks that plagued (or bedazzled?) the 1970s. It's entertaining enough, though I much prefer The Towering Inferno. All of the Airport movies (there would…
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

[7] Richard Gere plays a navy cadet who falls in love with a factory worker played by Debra Winger. The romance part of the story doesn't work as well as Gere's combative relationship with his drill instructor, played by Louis…
Annie Get Your Gun (1950)

Annie Get Your Gun (1950)

[6] This movie version of Irving Berlin's musical is chintzy fun kept afloat by cartoonish performances from leads Betty Hutton and Howard Keel. Watching the movie at this end of the feminist movement can be frustrating. While Annie Oakley is…
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

[5] Claude Rains is gold in all his scenes as the god-like Mr. Jordan, but I find the movie's playfully fatalistic view of love and self-purpose too saccharine to swallow. Robert Montgomery is also good as the deceased boxer who,…
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

[8] Steve McQueen plays a millionaire who robs a bank just for shits and giggles, and Faye Dunaway plays the insurance investigator who will either turn him in... or fall in love with him. Director Norman Jewison embraces the French…
The Black Swan (1942)

The Black Swan (1942)

[4] Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara star in this seafaring tale of a plundering buccaneer who considers changing his ways once he becomes smitten with an aristocratic lady. At times a very beautiful film, The Black Swan fails on the…