Tender Mercies (1983)

Tender Mercies (1983)

[7] Robert Duvall earned the Best Actor Oscar for his subtle but moving performance in Tender Mercies, the story of a divorced, alcoholic country singer who hits rock bottom before slowly rebuilding his life. A single mother (Tess Harper) hires…
The Thing (1982)

The Thing (1982)

[10] This movie does two things extraordinarily well. It transports me and it terrifies me. Before anything scary even happens, director John Carpenter (Assault on Precinct 13, Starman) succeeds in creating an atmosphere of mystery and suspense that locks me…
Cocoon: The Return (1988)

Cocoon: The Return (1988)

[5] The old folks who left Earth in a UFO at the end of Cocoon are back for an unnecessary sequel that retreads the first film in so many ways, it's shameful. The entire cast and composer James Horner return…
The Natural (1984)

The Natural (1984)

[8] Robert Redford stars as Roy Hobbs in this 1930s baseball fantasy about a middle-aged rookie who leads a down-and-out team to the top of the league with his seemingly supernatural batting skills. But when a duplicitous woman (Kim Basinger)…
The China Syndrome (1978)

The China Syndrome (1978)

[8] Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas play a news reporter and cameraman who try to report on a near-disaster at a nuclear power plant where safety measures aren't being met. While the plant's owners and the TV station hold them…
10 to Midnight (1983)

10 to Midnight (1983)

[7] Charles Bronson headlines this above-average low-budget thriller about a cop of questionable morals (Bronson) in pursuit of a serial killer (Gene Davis) who kills in the nude. Early in the film, Bronson tells his boss (Wilford Brimley) that the…
In & Out (1997)

In & Out (1997)

[6] Kevin Kline headlines this comedy about a small-town Indiana drama teacher whose life is turned upside down when a student 'outs' him in his Academy Awards acceptance speech. At first the funny thing is that Kline's character isn't gay.…
Cocoon (1985)

Cocoon (1985)

[7] Ron Howard (Splash, A Beautiful Mind) directs this sweet story about a group of nursing home residents who discover a 'fountain of youth' in a nearby pool. Turns out, though, that the pool's power is extra-terrestrial. Soon the old…
The Hotel New Hampshire (1984)

The Hotel New Hampshire (1984)

[6] Intentionally bizarre and overwrought, I'm not sure what to make of this adaptation of John Irving's novel about an extended, eccentric family that moves into a down-trodden hotel. I liked a previous Irving adaptation, The World According to Garp,…