Movies I consider Classic - a list that changes often (last updated 05-11-2006):
An Affair to Remember (When the Cary Grant character sees the painting: wow!)
Aliens (The best of the Alien series. Through an orphaned little girl, Ripley finds a reason to fight for survival. As usual, a terrific job by Sigourney Weaver as the alien[!])
An American Rhapsody* (Scarlett Johansson in a profound story
about real people. There are no heroes, no villains, and only a fleeting climax.)
Angel (1994)* (Whatever anybody might think about the movie, Donna Wilkes'
Angel, the unique character with the unflagging will to survive, has to go down as a
movie classic.)
Anne Frank* (2001)(Takes the story of this remarkable young person beyond her famous Diary.)
Anne of Green Gables* (The story of an indomitable spirit, Anne, an orphan who strives to find acceptance in a skeptical community. Beautiful performance by Megan Follows as Anne.)
Antigone(Jean Anouilh's version) (Excellent work by Genevieve Bujold as the intrepid hero of Sophocles' dramatic story of old Greece.)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence* (A tour de force for Haley Joel Osment, who brings life and emotions to a robot.)
As Good as it Gets
Bastard out of Carolina* (The movie was placed squarely on child actress Jena
Malone's shoulders, and she carried it)
Beauty and the Beast (The Disney version. For the climactic scene as Beauty shows
disappointment at first when Beast becomes a handsome prince. Friend and love were
more important to her than handsome)
Bee Season (A delicately balanced family shatters, and eleven year old Elly devotes her heart and soul to trying to put it back together. Fantastic understated performance by child actress Flora Cross as Elly)
Beyond Silence (About a hearing girl brought up by deaf parents. It delves deeply into the human need for acceptance and unqualified love)
Big (Some stereotyping, but with good intent, I believe; there was obviously much
research devoted to "little boy" behavior. However, for the most part an honest,
effective portrayal of pre-teen boys)
The Black Stallion
The Book of Stars* (One of the best movies I've ever seen. Making more of life than
was ever intended by reality. Profoundly affecting performances by Jena Malone,
Mary Stuart Masterson, and the supporting ensemble of Karl Geary, Delroy Lindo,
and D.B. Sweeney)
The Boy Who Could Fly (Real human emotions, passions, and sensitivities interwoven
with a poignant human story and a touching fantasy. The acting ensemble of Lucy
Deakins, Jay Underwood, Bonnie Bedelia, Fred Savage, Colleen Dewhurst, and Fred
Gwynne gives a heartwarming and memorable performance)
But I'm a Cheerleader (A biting burlesque/satire of a culture that would cruelly alter its members into acceptable shapes. In
beautifully affecting performances, Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall bring 3D hearts into a 2D world)
Catholics (For Trevor Howard's prayer scene)
Charly
Cheaters* (Excellent, thought-provoking movie. Super performances by Jeff Daniels
and Jena Malone in a complex story that demonstrates how morality and ethics are
not the clear-cut issues we've been brought up to think they were)
The City of Lost Children* (For Judith Vittet's Miette, a bright street urchin who puts
her life on the line for a friend - and for the warm relationship that develops between
Miette and the adult character One.)
The Client* (For Brad Renfro's portrayal of the boy, and for Susan Sarandon's
performance as the lawyer)
Contact* (For Jodie Foster's portrayal of a brave, idealistic, intelligent, and imperfect
human. And for the respect afforded the character of the child, and for Jena Malone,
who made the character live)
Courage Under Fire (An intense movie. Powerful and perceptive performances by
Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Regina Taylor, and a blue
ribbon supporting cast.)
Crooklyn* (Nine year old Troy maintains a solid grasp on her own sense of self through life altering family crises.)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (A free spirit invades a culture embedded in the
virtues of tradition, honor, duty, and repression of natural instincts. In the end, only
the free spirit remains a constant. Jen, as portrayed by Ziyi Zhang, is one of the most
remarkable characters in all literature. A great and memorable movie.)
Crows [Wrony] 1994* The performances of the two lead girls, Karolina Ostronzna as nine year-old Wrona ("Crow") and Kasia Szczepanik ("The baby)" are outstanding. Director Dorota Kedzierzawska brought us a poignant picture of real children, and her obviously sensitive work with the two girls brought out beautiful real-life portrayals).
Die Hard
Digging to China* (Great performances by Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Bacon, Mary
Stuart Masterson, Marian Seldes, and Cathy Moriarty. Two episodes in particular
are artistic masterpieces: the runaway sojourn in the woods, and the night scene on
the merry-go-round. Especially outstanding acting turn by Miss Wood.)
Dirty Dancing (A ballet. Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze come across as fragile and
dignified real humans; you care what happens to them.)
A Doll's House (1973 version. This production held closely to the original classic play, both in script and settings. Powerful Drama.
Claire Bloom and Anthony Hopkins put in excellent performances in the lead roles.)
Domenica*(From Italy. The pairing of two remarkable characters - and actors: Domenica Giuliano as 12 year old Domenica, and Claudio Amendola as the dying detective Sciarra
evolve a deeply loving relationship on an emotionally charged trek to identify a dead rapist.)
The Earthling (A dying man grudgingly helps an orphaned 10 year-old boy learn about survival. One of William Holden's last performances, and one of Rick Schroder's first. The bonding of these two opposites is never cloying. A masterpiece.)
Ellen Foster*(A Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. Another tour de force for child
actress Jena Malone)
Emma's Shadow* (In Danish with subtitles. By the end of the picture, in any
language, Borje Ahlstedt and eleven year old Line Kruse own you)
Eve's Bayou* ("The truth changes color depending on the light." Fine ensemble cast,
with especially excellent performances by youthful Jurnee Smollett, 10, and Meagan
Good, 13.)
Eye of God (A thought-provoking story that fucuses on the nature of people and God.
Excellent ensemble cast, featuring Martha Plimpton, Hal Holbrook, and Kevin
Anderson)
Eye of the Needle (On a barren island in the North Sea, a lonely housewife is engaged in a mortal conflict with a Nazi superspy - the fate of
England at stake. Features Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan.)
Fairy Tale: A True Story* (A multi-layered story for young or old. You have to watch
and listen closely for key turns in the story. Great, sensitive performances, especially
by Paul McGann and Phoebe Nicholls as the parents, and Florence Hoath and
Elizabeth Earl playing the children. Among the most perfectly put together movies
I've ever seen)
Fallen Angel* (A revolutionary TV movie made in 1981 about child pornography and pedophilia. Powerful, complex, real-life
performances by Dana Hill as the child and Richard Masur as the pedophile)
Fanny and Alexander* (Sensitive brother and sister cope with the harsh abusive treatment of thier new stepfather.)
Fly Away Home* (Anna Paquin plays a thirteen year old girl who was left motherless by a tragic accident, who brings the pieces of her life back together while befriending orphaned Canada geese.)
Fortress* (A provocative story of survival and fighting back. Excellent ensemble work by the cast of Rachel Ward and nine very capable child actors and actresses)
Freeway (A tour-de-force for Reese Witherspoon as a modern-day Little Red
Ridinghood)
Frenchman's Creek (The romance classic for a whole generation. Joan Fontaine was
an empowered woman long before such was an accepted facet of democracy)
Fucking Amal - See Show Me Love
Garbo Talks (For Anne Bancroft's monologue)
Girlfight (The evolution and salvation of a throw-away human through her own
determination. Michelle Rodriguez is stunning in her first starring role. Her Diana and Santiago Douglas' Adrian give us
one of the most beautiful love stories in literature)
Grave of the Fireflies (The moving anime story of a brother caring for his little sister in post-Hiroshima Japan, showing how love has the power of creating beauty in the worst of worlds)
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (For Ralph Richardson)
The Hi-Line (Touching story of simple people with simple hopes who become towering examples of the best in humankind. Rachael Leigh Cook and Ryan Alosio are beautiful)
High Noon (For Gary Cooper, alone on a dusty street)
Ice Castles (The touching story of a girl suddenly thrust into a world of super pressure - without the emotional props needed for survival. Good ensemble work
by Lynn-Holly Johnson as the girl, Tom Skerritt as her father, Robby Benson as her boyfriend, and especially Colleen Dewhurst as her beloved mentor)
Interview with the Vampire* (For child actress Kirsten Dunst's outstanding
performance)
The Journey of Natty Gann* (In depression era America, a street-wise fourteen year old girl takes off from Chicago to Washington State to find her father, riding the rails with the hoboes and drifters. Natty takes her place among the great young characters in literature. Meredith Salenger is excellent as Natty)
Lawn Dogs* (For the sensitive, powerful performances of Sam Rockwell and child
actress Mischa Barton)
Leon* (One of the profoundest and most affecting love stories in literature,
perceptively and sensitively portrayed by Jean Reno and child actress Natalie
Portman)
Limbo (A John Sayles classic. Three people are isolated on a bleak Alaskan island, and must learn to survive together ... and live together ... and each must learn to understand him/herself. Highlight is the diary of a long ago girl, which the teenager [Vanessa Martinez] reads from during their long nights)
The Little Drummer Girl
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane* (A masterpiece. An early example of the courageous pioneering career of Jodie Foster, in which she plays a thirteen year old girl who's making it on her own.)
A Little Princess* (The 1995 version) (A beautifully produced and directed movie about a ten year old saint. Liesel Matthews' performance as Sara perceptive, sensitive,
... and magical)
A Little
Princess* (The 1986 version) (The least known of the three versions
of the classic story, but the one many think is best. It gives us an in-depth study of one of the most remarkable characters in literature. Amelia Shankley is superb as the indomitable Sara Crewe)
The Major and the Minor* (Twelve year old Diana Lynn smashes the stereotype of childhood that pervaded Hollywood movies from their inception.)
Manny and Lo* (The acting team of Scarlett Jahansson, Aleksa Pallandino, and Mary Kay Place are fantastic as three of society's throw-away people, who eke out
their own brand of structure, sense, and dignity from life's meager offerings. Scarlett is especially impressive as the 11 year old Manny)
Matilda* (For Danny Devito's perceptive and imaginative direction, and for Mara
Wilson's dynamic and layered performance as Matilda)
The Miracle Worker (Both versions: with Anne Bancroft as Anne Sullivan, or with
Patty Duke as Anne Sullivan)
National Velvet* (Elizabeth Taylor's little Velvet is one of the most powerful
characters ever created for the screen. "Were we the best in the world, mother?")
Nell (The movie turned on the moment when the Natasha Richardson character
found solace in the hands of Nell, played by Jodie Foster)
New Waterford Girl (In a bleak Nova Scotia village, opposites 15 year old Moonie [Liane Balaban] and 16 year old Lou [Tara Spencer-Nairn] form a close friendship. Native born Moonie wants only to get away. Newcomer Lou wants only to belong. Fun, poignant story. Fine performances by Liane and Tara)
Once Were Warriors* (Thirteen year old girl strives to bring comfort and stability to her younger siblings in a violent and abusive home.)
Overboard (For the apology scene)
The Parent Trap(1998 version. The 1961 version with Hayley Mills was good, too,
and Miss Mills is great in anything she does, but it was presented with a different
slant)
The Piano* (A tour de force for the acting ensemble Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel,
Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin. Holly Hunter and the child actress Anna Paquin
deservedly received Oscars for their performances)
Pieces of April (A beautiful movie about how important family relationships are in the lives of people - for good and for bad. Katie Holmes was excellent as the estranged daughter)
Pinky (A memorable character study of an indomitable human. Jeanne Crain's best performance, playing an African-American with light skin)
Pleasantville (The ensemble of Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels, Joan
Allen, William H. Macy, J. T. Walsh, Marley Shelton, Don Knotts, and Jane
Kaczmarek gives a masterful demonstration of the art of acting)
Pollyanna (A Disney film loaded with stereotypes. However, with a cast that included
such powerhouses as Karl Malden, Adolphe Menjou, Hayley Mills, Agnes
Moorehead, and Jane Wyman, this movie became human)
Ponette* (A fantastically perceptive and sensitive story of a four year-old searching to
understand her mother's death - while those around her, adults included, have only
the vaguest concept of death themselves ... or of the child seeking the answers.
Beautiful performance by four year-old Victoire Thivisol. And absolutely stupendous
directing by Jacques Doillon.)
Rabbit-Proof Fence* (In the early thirties, three girls of Australia's "Stolen Generations" escape internmemnt and set on a fifteen hundred mile trek home.)
Radio Flyer* (For Elijah Wood and Joseph Mazzello)
The Ratcatcher* (A young Glasgow boy strives to understand the depressing world surrounding him.)
Return to Me (A warm, tender, and very human movie. David Duchovny and Minnie
Driver head the powerful ensemble cast. The dramatic and emotional opening scenes
of this movie stab straight to the heart)
Return to Oz* (Pre-teen Fairuza Balk as Dorothy finds herself back in Oz. More realistic and more affecrting than the original.)
The River (Actually, I didn't think this was a very good movie, but Sissy Spacek's
tractor scene, of itself, made the movie a worthy classic)
Rocky
Sand Pebbles
Save the Last Dance (The love that evolves between Sara and Derek, Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas, is every bit the stuff of classic literature.)
Searching for Bobby Fischer* (A seven year old chess prodigy tries to balance childhood with his passion for the game.)
The Secret Garden (The 1993 version)* (The beautiful story of a lonely, bitter ten year old girl, who manages to bring heart not only to her own life, but to all about her. Fantastically sensitive acting turns
by the three children in the lead roles: Hayden Prowse, Andrew Knott, and especially Kate Maberly as Mary Lennox)
Show Me Love (Fucking Amal) (From Sweden. One of the best depictions of teenage life. Fine ensemble cast. Alexandra Dahlstrom and Rebecka Liljeberg are fabulous as Elin and Agnes)
Sixth Sense, The* (Outstanding performances by whole cast, led by Bruce Willis, Toni
Collette, Olivia Williams, and child actor Haley Joel Osment)
Skipped Parts* (For recognizing that young teens are sexual beings capable of sexual behavior. Sexual scenes shown frankly and without coyness, while still respecting the characters and the actors playing the parts. Fine work by Mischa Barton and Bug Hall as the youngsters)
Sleepless in Seattle (For the realistic grief the Tom Hanks character was suffering
early in the movie)
The Snow Goose* (In this relatively unknown little screen gem, Jenny Agutter and
Richard Harris, in superbly sensitive performances, bring to life the loving
relationship that evolves between two outcasts.)
Spirited Away, (An anime movie about a 10 year-old girl who finds herself suddenly alone, thrust into an alternate universe of strange spirits. She exhibits courage, resillience, and compassion; grows from a fearful child to a strong human; and shares deep love with a wounded god)
Stand by Me
Starman(A beautiful, magical, thought-provoking story of the love that develops
between two sensitive people from impossibly different worlds. Fine acting by Jeff
Bridges and Karen Allen)
Stigmata - The director's alternate ending (For the supurb acting of Patricia Arquette
and Gabriel Byrne in a story of ordinary people facing extra-ordinary challenges)
Taxi Driver* (Scorsese's classic about a man looking for meaning in his life. Excellent performance by Robert De Niro as the protagonist and by Jodie Foster in the key supporting role as as a 12 year old prostitute.)
That Night* (11 year old girl, played by Eliza Dushku, whose father is unable to express love, aids and abets the older girl across the street, Juliette Lewis, in her clandestine trysts with her young lover.)
Tiger Bay* (Hayley Mills' first big movie. She was a special talent even back then)
Together (He ni zai yi qi)*(From China. The beautiful story of a father and son - and of the fragile innocence of thirteen year old hearts)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn* (Peggy Ann Garner's perceptive reading of the role of
the bright, sensitive, devoted Francie was a landmark stereotype-breaking performance, outstanding in every way).
Tumbleweeds* (For the great acting team of Janet McTeer, as the irrepressible
mother, and Kimberly J. Brown, as her equally irrepressible twelve year-old
daughter. And for director Gavin O'Connor's respect for actors)
Whale Rider* (Story of a courageous girl who leads her Maori tribe out of the darkness into which it had fallen. Fantastic performance by eleven year old Keisha Castle-Hughes)
While You Were Sleeping (For the family scenes, and for Sandra Bullock's loneliness)