Last week, in an effort to get away from the chaos of life in 2020, I listed what I consider the five greatest novels of all time. This week, we’ll take a look at a similar list, that of the five greatest movies of all time.
This is an area I’m sure we’ll disagree on the listing. Movies, even more so than books, tend to appeal to specific groups of people. I don’t often watch Academy Award-winning flicks, and romances seem like a waste of time and money. Much like a good book, a movie on this list is one that I feel like I can watch many times over and never get bored with it. And away we go!
Number Five: This movie did not do well at the box office when it first arrived in 1994, but it has since gained recognition for how great it is. The Shawshank Redemption is based on a Stephen King novella, and it focuses on Andy Dufresne, who is sent to prison for murder.
While Tim Robbins does a nice job as Andy, the true star is Morgan Freeman as Red. I’m a huge Freeman fan; if he’s in a movie, I want to see it. Somebody recently described him as “soothing” when he’s onscreen. His voice could rock you to sleep at night. The redemption in this story is as much his as it is Andy’s.
Number Four: “Wuv, twue wuv.” Recognize that line? As inconceivable as it might seem, The Princess Bride slides into this slot on the list. This was another movie that didn’t smash any box office records, but continues to grow and make money to this day. It came out in 1987 but is actually based on a novel from 1973 by William Goldman. And I say this a lot to people, but if you enjoy this movie, you absolutely must read the book. It’s even better and funnier and more fulfilling.
This movie looks at the romance between Westley and Princess Buttercup. It’s part love story, fantasy, and slapstick, and that’s what makes it so brilliant. The film doesn’t try to just be one thing, and that’s why it appeals to so many people.
Cary Elwes is brilliant as Westley, and he’s written a book about the experience, one that’s worth a read. There are many fine actors and actresses, but it’s the dialogue and witty rapport that makes this such a classic. So settle in, like Fred Savage does in the framing sequence, and watch this great movie again.
Number Three: This is the most recent of the movies on this list. Avengers: Endgame was the culmination of ten years of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies as the heroes from all the previous movies teamed up in a massive showdown with the diabolical Thanos, who had snapped half of all creatures out of existence before this movie began.
There aren’t many movies where I will cheer out loud, but I did with this one. More than once. How the Russo brothers as directors managed to put such an ensemble cast to work and still make it feel like everyone had their moment in the sun is unbelievable. Super heroes showed up left and right, and it never felt like any of them were extraneous. The special effects were spectacular, and money spent on them and other parts of the movie was easily made back since this movie made 2.8 billion dollars at the box office. The real question is how will Marvel continue after this climactic film?
Number Two: Follow the yellow brick road. Somewhere over the rainbow. I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too.
It likely didn’t take you more than the first line I wrote to figure out that the runner-up film is The Wizard of Oz. For those of us of a certain age, we remember watching this movie once a year when it would appear on television. That was a big deal, and we never missed a showing.
The movie based on L. Frank Baum’s novel is one of the most beloved movies of all time. There are so many iconic songs and images that one can’t even begin to list them. Even though the movie came out in 1939, I can’t imagine many people today who wouldn’t think of it as an all-time great. Judy Garland is best known for playing Dorothy, but it always felt like there were many stars, not just her. I’m just afraid that it’s not as big a deal in an era with streaming movies and access to so many things that watching it once a year isn’t a big deal anymore.
Number One: If you know me, you knew this was coming. The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite film of all time. Debuting in 1980 as the second Star Wars film to appear, my six-year-old self was entranced immediately, and I’ve never left the galaxy far, far away.
There are so many great aspects of ESB. The one that has stuck with me is that the good guys didn’t win. At the end of the film, Luke Skywalker has lost his hand while discovering his father, and Han Solo has been hauled off by Boba Fett. It looks like the Empire clearly has the upper hand over the Rebel Alliance. And there we had to sit for three years before finding out what would happen next!
Most Star Wars fans will agree that this is the best movie of the entire franchise, and I choose to put it at the top of my all-time list too, largely because of the huge impact it had on shaping my life.
Likely, many of you will disagree with my top pick. Just like last week, it can be fun to disagree and even more fun to compare ideas. In a time where we can’t go out and see many new movies, looking back at our favorites from the past is a fine way to pass the time.
Word of the Week: This week’s word is scamander, which means to take a winding course, as in, “The hero seemed to scamander for quite a while before finally getting to the quest.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!