The Shawshank Redemption

Brilliant in every aspect. Whatever you want to look at- the story from Stephen King, the performances across the board, the music- it's all absolutely top-notch. I remember feeling like I'd been in prison after I saw this for the first time, and that's what makes it so great- It engulfs you with its drama from the start and never lets go. The character of Andy Dufresne is ideally what I think what everyone wants to be- someone who can cling to hope in the most difficult and hopeLESS of circumstances. Also, I think this is Morgan Freeman's finest performance ever. This movie seems to be on everyone's top 10 of the nineties list, it's just impossible not to like. Never quite ends when you think it will, and when it does, you just have to sigh and wish more movies were this good.

Field of Dreams

Okay, this really isn't a baseball movie. A lot of people view it as a baseball movie, but baseball really isn't the focus. Sports and mysticism are often intertwined in books and movies (especially golf and baseball), and Field of Dreams is almost magical in how it describes this mysticism. Everything works in this movie, even though everything is completely unbelievable...But that's okay because it's a fantasy. Everything from the music to Burt Lancaster to the Iowa cornfield suggest something a little deeper than anything we can conceive, but something that is pure and good. "Is this heaven?" "No, it's Iowa.." In this film, Iowa and heaven are one and the same. Not only are the performances great, the characters are great...James Earl Jones is absolutely fantastic as Terrance Mann, and this was probably the peak of Costner's film career. Ray Liotta is a perfect Shoeless Joe. Also has one of the best endings I've ever seen in a movie. It's always been in my top three movies and will probably remain there for a long time.

High Fidelity

In so many ways, this is just the perfect movie, at least for me. It may not be the best movie ever made, but damn if it doesn't just nail so many things. What's a better combination than music and failed relationships? As you can probably see from this website, I'm totally into the idea of ranking things in top 5, top 10 lists, especially with music. The idea of chronicling one's life with music or certain songs is kind of what music's all about to me. Sure it's a love story, but it succeeds in being completely original with the way it ties music in with it. I love the way it is shown that music is not just songs, but things that can have a lot of meaning, and often that meaning is completely specific to each individual listener. The casting was right on with John Cusack as Rob Gordon- it's definitely one of his best performances ever. It's just a very smart movie, one that could stand alone as a movie about music or a movie about relationships, but the fact that it blends both together so effectively makes it the best movie of 2000 and one of the best to come around in a long time.

 

Office Space

Not only is this movie a laugh riot, it is all fact. It's not really a satire because it's all true. This is really what big companies are like. Even funnier (or sadder depending on the way you look at it), is this movie was my life. Almost every part of it. It was filmed in Austin, the company Inotech was basically Dell........and I worked at TGI Friday's the summer before so the part about the flair really hit home. It's kind of like watching "Adam, this is your life" and then laughing and then crying. Hmmm, I wonder how many times this movie caused someone to quit their job....I mean, besides me. : )

 

 

The Big Lebowski

I can't watch The Big Lebowski and not laugh to the point where it's difficult to breathe. Almost every other line is absolutely hilarious. I wasn't that big of a Jeff Bridges fan before seeing this, but now I think he's brilliant!! He plays "The Dude" to pefection. While his acting job is impressive though, John Goodman gives one of my all-time favorite performances as Walter. Goodman is so underrated as an actor, and just owns this role. Just looking at him here makes me laugh! Lots of other good small roles from Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, etc..... But you HAVE to have a sense of humor to enjoy this flick.....a wacky sense of humor.... Just a warning because I know having a wacky sense of humor doesn't apply to everyone.... For those of you that do, though, watch it and try not to laugh.... It's just not possible.