It doesn’t matter whether you think Oswald acted alone or not. Oliver Stone’s JFK is stunning in its craftsmanship and enthralling in its narrative construction. If you’re only casually familiar with the people and events surrounding Kennedy’s assassination and the conspiracy theories about it, brace yourself for a fast-paced, provocative, emotionally compelling story that is sure to make you drop your jaw and raise your eyebrows.
Kevin Costner’s ambitious ode to the American frontier is grand, romantic storytelling at its best. And talk about an underdog. People were calling it ‘Kevin’s Gate’ months prior to release — and why shouldn’t they? A three-hour long western with most of its dialogue in Lakota Sioux? How could such a movie find an audience, much less sweep the Academy Awards?
This superb dark comedy blows apart any precious John Hughes-like notions of high school life. Winona Ryder stars as Veronica, a high school girl caught in an elitist bitch-clique with three other young women (including Beverly Hills 90210 star Shannen Doherty) — all named Heather. But when the dangerous and alluring JD (Christian Slater) rides into town, Veronica falls under his spell as the two set out to exact revenge on the Heathers and every other force of alienation in the school. Veronica quickly finds herself in over her head with JD when their shenanigans end up having a body count. As classmates continue to die, Veronica finds herself running from both JD and the Heathers — building to a climax that will change the student body hierarchy forever.Â
Director Sydney Lumet sets the gritty streets of New York aside temporarily and gives us an emotionally stirring family drama about two parents who have to uproot their family every time the feds catch scent of their trail. If they ever get too comfortable, they run the risk of being locked away for an act of protest that accidentally ended in a fatality during the turbulent ’60s. The family’s vagabond routine is put to the ultimate test when the eldest son, played by River Phoenix in an Oscar-nominated performance, comes of age and wants to attend music school. But if he leaves the family, he may never see them again. Running on Empty is an incredibly moving story about family bonds — both suffocating and empowering — and how loving someone sometimes means letting them go.Â
James Cameron accomplishes a rare feat with a sequel that doesn’t shame the original and succeeds on its own merits. Aliens is so different in tone than the original Alien, I think of it as a sequel only in name (this goes for all the Alien movies). In a smart move, Cameron decided not to compete with Ridley Scott in the areas of horror and suspense. Aliens is decidedly a combat movie.
Harrison Ford gives one of his best performances as Allie Fox, an obsessed inventor who moves his family to a Central American jungle to escape what he perceives to be the end of American civilization. Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poets Society) directs from a screenplay by Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), based on the novel by Paul Theroux. We experience the story through the eyes of Fox’s eldest son, Charlie (River Phoenix). Charlie begins the film in awe of his father, but as Allie spirals out of control, putting his family in danger and developing a serious God complex, Charlie begins conspiring with his mother (Helen Mirren) to save the family from their patriarch.
Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride) adapts this dark coming-of-age tale from Stephen King, about a band of four boys who embark on a weekend journey to find the body of a missing teenager. Stand By Me is the best film of Reiner’s career, and the best film adaptation of King’s work. It’s a moving, hauntingly nostalgic piece, bolstered with healthy doses of good humor and some of the best adolescent performances ever put to film.
