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…
The Fighter (2010)

The Fighter (2010)

[8] David O. Russell directs a top-notch cast in this story of a Massachusetts boxer who tries to get out from under the influence of his crack-addicted brother and domineering mother. If those character descriptions sound like Oscar-bait, indeed they…
Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

[7] Director Sydney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Network) takes on Agatha Christie and delivers a light-hearted soufflĂ© of a murder mystery. I always tend to enjoy ensemble films within a claustrophobic setting, so being trapped on the Orient Express during…
Cold Mountain (2003)

Cold Mountain (2003)

[7] Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, Talented Mr. Ripley) adapts Charles Frazier's book about a Civil War deserter trying to get back to his lover. The film goes back and forth between the soldier's story and the sweetheart's story. My…
The Constant Gardener (2005)

The Constant Gardener (2005)

[6] A British diplomat in Kenya tries to solve the mystery of his activist wife's murder, only to get in over his head with the culprits -- a pharmaceutical company that is intentionally poisoning and killing people. The first third…
Ghost (1990)

Ghost (1990)

[8] A surprisingly effective blend of romance, comedy, and supernatural horror, Ghost stars Patrick Swayze as a murdered man who works through a flim-flam psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to save the life of his endangered girlfriend (Demi Moore). Ghost became so…
Michael Clayton (2007)

Michael Clayton (2007)

[7] George Clooney stars in this thriller about a lawyer who gets called in by a major corporation to "fix" a potential whistle-blower who is losing his mind the longer he keeps his secret. I never thought I would enjoy…
12 Years a Slave (2013)

12 Years a Slave (2013)

[8] Director Steve McQueen (Hunger, Shame) brings to life the true-life story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York who is kidnapped and sold into Southern slavery. Northup endures two different owners and many harrowing experiences before…
Gone with the Wind (1939)

Gone with the Wind (1939)

[7]

Hollywood’s most celebrated melodrama is still entertaining today. Vivien Leigh does a remarkable job playing one of the most volatile heroines in film history. Scarlet O’Hara begins Margaret Mitchell’s story damned spoiled, and I’m not sure she ever really learns her lesson, but Leigh renders a subtle transformation while always remaining true to character. My other favorites are Olivia de Havilland (sweet in everything she’s in), Hattie McDaniel (who deserved her Oscar), and Butterfly McQueen (for bringing a little comedy to the proceedings). I don’t get Leslie Howard as Ashley. For being the crux of the movie’s romantic triangle, I’d like to have known what was so darned special about him. Max Steiner’s music, especially the Tara theme, is among the most memorable ever composed for film.

The Piano (1993)

The Piano (1993)

[10] Holly Hunter picked up an Academy Award for her performance as Ada, a rebellious mute who finds solace and a means of expression only with her beloved piano in Jane Campion's gorgeously crafted and erotically charged The Piano. Ada…