Wow! One can hardly believe that it has been that many already. This means roughly one post per week with more or less 73 movies discussed. So, for my fiftieth post I thought to share with you some more of my Five Star movies.
The two I mentioned so far are: The Stone Boy from 1984 (posted on 11/11/2013) and Boy Interrupted from 2009 (posted on 18/05/2014). Here then are 5 more:
WILL (2011)
Last week we looked at another coming of age (Bar Mitzvah) movie. That time it was set against the background of the 1966 Football World Cup tournament in England. For my first discussion this week we look at yet another coming of age movie. Although in this one there are no Bar Mitzvah's involved, it is still set against a football/soccer background. This time it is the 2005 European Champions League Final.
Eleven year old Will Brennan (brilliantly played by newcomer Perry Eggleton) is a huge Liverpool Football Club fan. So when his absent father (Damien Lewis of Homeland fame) who works on a North Sea oil rig, got them two tickets for the final between Liverpool and AC Milan in Istanbul, he is over the moon. But his elation is short lived when his dad suddenly passes away. That is when the grief stricken boy decides to travel to Turkey by himself in honor of his later father.
This is one of those rare uplifting films which shows anyone can succeed at anything no matter how high the odds are stacked against you. And young Eggleton's raw talent is so natural that you tend to forget that in real life he was also only eleven at the time the movie was shot. This one is highly recommended, not only for fans of this genre but for anyone who is in the mood for some good old fashioned 'feel good' entertainment. Keep the box of tissues close by though... it is a real tear jerker.
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This poster of the closing scene says it all...
EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987)
Speaking of good acting... better than what you get in this movie you will not easily find. This Steven Spielberg production introduced a young Christian Bale (Batman) to the silver screen. And together with big names such as John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Joe Pantoliano and Leslie Phillips the acting is first class. In 1989 Bale won two Young Artist Awards for his work in this film.
Based on the autobiographical novel by JG Ballard the plot is set against the background of the invasion of the Japanese of Shanghai during World War II. Jamie Graham (Christian Bale), the spoiled son of British diplomats at the time in China, gets separated from his parents during evacuation of the city. He then ends up in a Japanese prisoner of war camp where he befriends a shrewd cynic by the name of Basie (John Malkovich) who basically teaches the boy how to survive and strive under even the most difficult of circumstances. Through it all he is forced to grow up fast so that 'poor little' Jamie soon turns into 'big' Jim.
Although this film is regarded as a wartime history drama, the underlying coming of age theme is strong though out. And as far as that genre goes, it is right up there with the very best. Besides for the awards already mentioned, this acclaimed film was also nominated and won numerous other awards. In my opinion this DVD is a definite must for any collection worth its salt. Fortunately it is still widely available.
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John Malkovich and Christian Bale
STAND BY ME (1986)
Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, this relatively 'small' movie is still regarded as one of the very best coming of age movies ever made. Some see it even as a bit of a standard for this genre. Leonard Maltin rates it a good three out of four stars while on IMDb it is rated at 8.1 out of 10.
The plot is quite simple: During the late fifties in Oregon, USA, four twelve year old friends set out on a journey to find the body of a missing local boy who is presumed to have drowned. Along the way they get to know each other as they really are, warts and all. That leads to a life long bond of friendship.
The four young stars, River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell are totally convincing in their rolls as boys on the brink of manhood but at the same time still very vulnerable, even if they swear a bit much to the taste of some. No wonder all of them went on to become adult stars in own right. It is also interesting to see Richard Dreyfuss as the older version of the character Gordie, played by Wil Wheaton. Even Kiefer Sutherland (of 24 fame) is completely believable as the local bully, terrorizing the boys.
Again, this DVD is a must have for any half decently respectable collection.
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Jerry O'Connell, River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton and Corey Feldman
I AM GABRIEL (2012)
On a totally different level there is this charming little indie.
On a hot summer's day, near a drought stricken small town in Texas, USA, a couple comes upon a strangely clothed boy (Gavin Casalegno) walking along the dusty road. Under his arm he carries a rolled up mat. For some reason they feel compelled to stop and offer him a lift and whatever help they can give him. However, little do the realize who he really is and what it is that he is there for...
Unlike all the other movies I discuss here today this one is not a coming of age story. In stead it is unlike most anything you have ever seen. It is one of those extremely rare movies where, at the end of it, you sit and stare in awe at the screen while the end credits role by just to ask yourself: "Wow! What is it that I just witnessed?"
There are only two relatively known actors in the whole movie: Dean Cain of TV's Superman Series fame and John Schneider from Smallville, also from TV. The acting is not particularly good and some critics described it as Christian dribble. But like it or not, it will affect you. Much like with The Stone Boy it contains that special quality that will haunt you long after you switched off your TV set and removed the disk from the DVD player...
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Cast and crew
MELODY (1971)
Most film buffs will agree that some of the best movies ever made were done during the 1970's. It is as if the seventies had some unique nostalgia about it that, for some funny reason, the other decades simply do not have. Without going into any detail, just think for a moment of the music, books, TV show and movies from that era. Most of them are still revered by many still to this very day.
With that in mind, let's look at this little British gem which, over the years, acquired quite a cult status. I first saw it when I was still at primary (middle or junior high) school and developed a serious crush for the leading girl, Tracy Hyde.
The plot is such a sweet story of innocence and puppy love that you got to adore it. Ten year old Daniel (Mark Lester of whom it was once said he is far too pretty to be a boy) falls head over heals in love for the first time in his life. The object of his affection is Melody (Tracy Hyde) while his best friend, Ornshaw (Jack Wild who also appeared together with Lester in the 1968 smash hit musical Oliver!) will have nothing of it. But soon the two young lovers are inseparable. However, when they decide not to wait and get married right away, it is panic stations for all the adults!
This is definitely a movie for everyone who once experienced the joys and perils of puppy love... and who of us hasn't? To my mind this is still one of the very best movies ever made on this tender subject. Even when I watched it again as an adult and listened to those lovely Bee Gee's tunes, I relived those forgotten butterflies-in-the-stomach feelings all over again. Unfortunately I understand that this movie on DVD is virtually unobtainable. But if you manage to get hold of it somehow, by all means do so. I guarantee you will not regret it.
Trailer link:
Tracy Hyde, Jack Wild and Mark Lester
Trailer link:
Tracy Hyde, Jack Wild and Mark Lester
I hope that you enjoyed these few notes on some of my all time favorite movies Hopefully I can do something similar for my 100th post. In the meantime I welcome your comments.
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