Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
A.F.I. Ranking: 25
Director: Robert Mulligan
Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, John Megna, Frank Overton, Brock Peters
Release Year: 1962
Brief Synopsis: To Kill a Mockingbird is based on the novel by Harper Lee. The story is about Scout and Jem coming of age in the south during the 1930s. Their dad Atticus is appointed to defend a black man who is accused of raping a white girl, which makes them the target of ridicule from the kids at school and even the adults in the neighborhood. While all of this is going on Jem and Scout, along with their friend Dill, try to uncover the mystery of Boo Radley, a man who never leaves his house.
My Thoughts: This classic has been one of my favorites ever since I read the book in high school. I have seen the movie many times and have now read the book twice. This movie is a lot of things. It is a coming of age story as well as a statement on race and how we judge people that are different from us. Atticus is a great character that you can’t help but fall in love with. He is strong, moral, but at the same time flawed, which makes him relatable. At the core of this movie is the lesson that it is important to treat others with respect no matter how different they may seem and also to do the right thing even if it is not the popular thing.
“Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing.”
Rating: Top of the List!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
#82 Sunrise
Title: Sunrise
A.F.I. Ranking: 82
Director: F.W. Murnau
Starring: George O’Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston
Release Year: 1927
Brief Synopsis: A girl from the city comes to the country for a vacation and starts an affair with a married farmer. When it is time to go back to the city, she asks the farmer to come with her. When he says he can’t because of his wife, she asks him to drown his wife. They come up with the plan and she leaves to go back to the city. Halfway through following the plan, the man has a change of heart and rediscovers what he loved about his wife in the first place.
My Thoughts: Almost three hours of a silent film. Need I say more? If you follow my blog, you know it’s not that I don’t like silent films. I really enjoy Buster Keaton, but three hours is just too much. Even though I did not enjoy this movie, I do see that it was something big back in the day. It is an epic love story and some of the action must have been cutting edge back in 1927. Besides the length, I didn’t like the main character. At some point or another during the film, he is physically abusive to pretty much every female character on screen. I guess the best way to sum up my feelings for this film are it was great for 1927, but doesn’t really stand the test of time in this girl’s opinion.
Rating: What’s Up with This List?
A.F.I. Ranking: 82
Director: F.W. Murnau
Starring: George O’Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston
Release Year: 1927
Brief Synopsis: A girl from the city comes to the country for a vacation and starts an affair with a married farmer. When it is time to go back to the city, she asks the farmer to come with her. When he says he can’t because of his wife, she asks him to drown his wife. They come up with the plan and she leaves to go back to the city. Halfway through following the plan, the man has a change of heart and rediscovers what he loved about his wife in the first place.
My Thoughts: Almost three hours of a silent film. Need I say more? If you follow my blog, you know it’s not that I don’t like silent films. I really enjoy Buster Keaton, but three hours is just too much. Even though I did not enjoy this movie, I do see that it was something big back in the day. It is an epic love story and some of the action must have been cutting edge back in 1927. Besides the length, I didn’t like the main character. At some point or another during the film, he is physically abusive to pretty much every female character on screen. I guess the best way to sum up my feelings for this film are it was great for 1927, but doesn’t really stand the test of time in this girl’s opinion.
Rating: What’s Up with This List?
Monday, July 5, 2010
#90 Swing Time
Title: Swing Time
A.F.I. Ranking: 90
Director: George Stevens
Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers
Release Year: 1936
Brief Synopsis: After a joke played on him by his friends, Lucky was late to his own wedding. His fiancé and her family agree that Lucky can still marry her if he raises $25,000. Lucky heads to New York to raise the money. While there he runs into a dance instructor named Penny and they quickly strike up a relationship. Now Lucky needs to decide if he still focuses on raising the $25,000 or does he just stay in New York.
My Thoughts: This movie is a very sweet romance, something theaters are missing as of late. This was the first Astaire/Rogers movie I have watched. The dancing and storytelling was wonderful. The movie's down fall is the end. I didn’t like the end at all. It was almost as they just tacked the end of the film on as an afterthought, almost like they didn’t know how to end it, however the rest of the movie, the songs, and the dancing make up for a less than perfect ending.
“You know, snow tastes just as bad as water.”
Rating: List Worthy!
A.F.I. Ranking: 90
Director: George Stevens
Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers
Release Year: 1936
Brief Synopsis: After a joke played on him by his friends, Lucky was late to his own wedding. His fiancé and her family agree that Lucky can still marry her if he raises $25,000. Lucky heads to New York to raise the money. While there he runs into a dance instructor named Penny and they quickly strike up a relationship. Now Lucky needs to decide if he still focuses on raising the $25,000 or does he just stay in New York.
My Thoughts: This movie is a very sweet romance, something theaters are missing as of late. This was the first Astaire/Rogers movie I have watched. The dancing and storytelling was wonderful. The movie's down fall is the end. I didn’t like the end at all. It was almost as they just tacked the end of the film on as an afterthought, almost like they didn’t know how to end it, however the rest of the movie, the songs, and the dancing make up for a less than perfect ending.
“You know, snow tastes just as bad as water.”
Rating: List Worthy!
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