Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful for those blessings, however small, that we can claim for ourselves and those close to us. It is also a day that we petition that which is good in each of us to strive to make the lives of those less fortunate a little better. It is a day that we draw those who we cherish most even closer to us. If you think of the day in this way it acquires a certain solemnity. With the sacred nature of the day so close to my heart, it seems almost crass to express my gratitude towards the movie industry. But, if you can be thankful for football on Thanksgiving, certainly there is room for movies as well. So, here goes.
First, I’m thankful for these eleven new releases that I’ve seen since last Thanksgiving.
| My “Really Like” Probability | My Actual Score (100 pt. scale) | ||
| Spotlight | 96.5% | 98 | |
| Brooklyn | 96.5% | 96 | |
| Bridge of Spies | 96.5% | 88 | |
| Big Short, The | 96.5% | 88 | |
| Mad Max: Fury Road | 48.1% | 86 | |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | 96.5% | 86 | |
| Steve Jobs | 86.3% | 85 | |
| Hell or High Water | 74.8% | 85 | |
| Sing Street | 74.8% | 85 | |
| Captain America: Civil War | 96.5% | 85 | |
| Room | 96.5% | 85 |
It is movies like these that fuel my passion. It is particularly gratifying to discover so-called “little” movies like Hell or High Water and Sing Street that don’t get the promotion dollars that bigger budget movies might get.
When you watch around 100 movies a year, you realize that there aren’t enough new releases in a year that are of sufficient quality to fill your hopes for those “special” movie experiences. I am thankful that there are vintage movies that meet that need even when your experiencing them again for a second time, or a third time, or more. Here are 18 movies that I’ve watched in the last year that I still love after multiple viewings.
| My “Really Like” Probability | My Actual Score (100 pt. scale) | ||
| Godfather: Part II, The | 94.5% | 100 | |
| Silence of the Lambs, The | 94.4% | 99 | |
| Lawrence of Arabia | 74.8% | 99 | |
| Saturday Night Fever | 49.7% | 95 | |
| Courage Under Fire | 62.5% | 94 | |
| From Here to Eternity | 96.5% | 90 | |
| American Beauty | 96.5% | 90 | |
| Hustler, The | 74.8% | 89 | |
| Erin Brockovich | 96.5% | 89 | |
| LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring | 94.4% | 88 | |
| Cast Away | 96.5% | 88 | |
| Insider, The | 96.5% | 88 | |
| Memento | 92.5% | 88 | |
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | 82.6% | 86 | |
| Body Heat | 61.0% | 86 | |
| Remember the Titans | 89.7% | 85 | |
| Frequency | 96.5% | 85 |
I am thankful that Christopher Nolan is still directing movies. I’ve watched eight Christopher Nolan directed movies and have “really liked” all eight. The six listed below are movies of his that I love.
| My “Really Like” Probability | My Actual Score (100 pt. scale) | ||
| Batman Begins | 96.5% | 97 | |
| The Dark Knight Rises | 96.5% | 95 | |
| Inception | 94.4% | 88 | |
| Memento | 92.5% | 88 | |
| The Dark Knight | 94.4% | 87 | |
| Interstellar | 74.8% | 86 |
I am thankful that another Christopher Nolan movie, Dunkirk, will be released July 21, 2017.
Finally, I am thankful for well written screenplays. Without an engaging story with crisp dialogue, a movie will fall flat on its face. Based on my ratings, there is no screenwriter I enjoy more than Aaron Sorkin. I have seen six of the seven movie screenplays he has written. I have loved all six movies.
| My “Really Like” Probability | My Actual Score (100 pt. scale) | ||
| A Few Good Men | 96.5% | 98 | |
| The American President | 96.5% | 96 | |
| The Social Network | 96.5% | 89 | |
| Moneyball | 96.5% | 87 | |
| Steve Jobs | 86.3% | 85 | |
| Charlie Wilson’s War | 96.5% | 85 |
I’m thankful that Aaron Sorkin has two 2017 projects he is working on. He is directing, as well as screenwriting, an adaptation of the memoir Molly’s Game about the high stakes world of underground poker. The movie is filming now and has Jessica Chastain in the lead. Sorkin is also working on a live TV presentation of A Few Good Men.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
