40 movies down. Shocking that we've gotten this far in a little less than a month. But also shocking is Luke's list so far. I had a chance to discuss this with him after yet another bowling escapade and mentioned to him just how surprised I was with some of his selections. And it's not too much on what movies are there, but where they are. Too many movies I feel like should be much higher but instead as found in his bottom 50. And I don't say they are ranked low because of my personal admiration for the movies, but more of what I think are Luke's types of movies.
But that is what makes this so much fun. I feel like I am learning more about him as much as I learned about myself when I made my list. But just cause I am learning something about Luke doesn't mean I'm gonna hold back in any criticism of his choices. So with that in mind, here are my thoughts on his latest ten movies.
#70 The Pursuit of Happyness
-- This is one of those movies that shocks me is so low on Luke's list. This movie has all you want in a great movie. A true story shown on screen without deviating much from the actual story because it's that strong. A captivating performance by Will Smith, one of his (and mine) favorite actors. And also, a movie that makes you think, something that Luke has been known to favor so far. I'm glad it made his list though. This is a movie that if you haven't seen, you should soon, especially in the midst of a recession and tough times for everyone. It's the story of how if you keep fighting and working hard for something you want, you'll get it. But if you don't, just keep going.
#69 Hoosiers
-- I thought long and hard about older movies (before 1990) and where they should rank on my list that includes a lot more movies from 1995 and beyond. I may have graded the older movies too harshly but I don't think I did with Hoosiers. I like this movie. It's almost impossible not to. But I didn't love it and therefore, it did not make the cut for me. The story is true and told well. But in the end, it drags for me a bit and comes off a bit hokey for me at times. Again, Luke came grew up in a small town so it may resonate more with him than me. For me though, it just wasn't top 100 material.
#68 Superbad
-- This movie is aptly titled in my opinion. I don't wanna dog Luke too much for the selection because I have a lot of friends who enjoy this movie and swear by its comedy. I'm not one of them though. I just didn't find it funny. In fact, I fell asleep in my first time watching it. And my theory on that is that even if I am tired when I watch a movie, if it is a good movie, it keeps me entertained. Well, I wasn't tired and I sure as hell wasn't entertained. Maybe I should watch it again and give it another chance. Maybe I'll feel differently. But for now, to see this movie this high on this list doesn't make sense to me.
#67 To Kill A Mockingbird
-- Luke writes in his post that I hate black and white movies (true) and that if he had to force me to watch one, it'd be this one. Well thankfully, he doesn't have to. I've seen it and while I liked it, in no way would it crack my top 100 or top 150. That has nothing to do with the performance of Gregory Peck (amazing) or the movie but more to do with the fact that the book was exponentially better than the movie. Imagining the events in the book was more entertaining than seeing them in black and white. I hope one day Luke does take the time and reads the book because not only would he love it, but he'll understand my position on why the movie shouldn't even crack his list.
#66 Stand By Me
-- Never seen this movie and honestly, don't know too much about it. And after watching the trailer, yikes. It's always tough to judge Luke's picks when I have yet to see the movie AND the trailer is awful. Well, that's the case here. The only time I remember hearing about this movie is when Corey Feldman's good friend Corey Haim died. I wish I could offer more on this selection but I can't. Sorry.
#65 American History X
-- Another movie I honestly thought Luke would have higher on his list. It wasn't the most popular movie or even nominated for tons of Academy Awards. But it is a solid if not amazing movie that again, addresses topics that most movies won't touch. The word to best describe this movie is probably the word Luke used in "powerful". I watched this movie and was moved by it. And I didn't see it at 14 but instead in college at the urging of a friend. I'm so glad I did and glad Luke did as well. Just wish its stock would be up in his book as it sure is in my book.
#64 Space Jam
-- I'm almost discouraged by the lack of animated movies on Luke's list so far. Makes me think he was deprived of such classics as a child and instead was forced to watch black and white movies and/or dramas that he had no business watching from 5-10 years old.So to see this movie there is a relief. But it also was a given. I've known Luke long enough to know this movie would be there. It is a quality movie, it has great music, it involves sports, and stars his favorite basketball player in Michael Jordan. Enough said. Glad he made room for it and it doesn't surprise me where he ranked it.
#63 The Fighter
-- On my top 10 list...of movies I want to see now. I've wanted to see the movie since the trailer and ever since all the Oscar hype and eventual wins, I've wanted to see it that much more. I'm not a big Mark Wahlberg fan as an actor but what I've learned is that if you put him into the right character, he excels. This is that type of character. He also does a good job of surrounding himself around capable actors in Christian Bale and Melissa Leo who apparently, were so amazing in their roles, they deserved an Oscar. I'm excited to see this movie and I'm sure that when I do, it will validate its place on Luke's list for me and probably crack my list as well.
#62 Major League
-- I've seen this movie multiple times. Still catch a few minutes of it on TBS or some other channel. Even watched it with Luke and Kevin one time in college. But never been a big fan. Yes, it has some great lines and some great characters. But the story is not good to me. It is obviously a parody of baseball in nearly every way, which is fine if it were just funny enough to make me laugh all the time. Bob Uecker is fantastic in this movie and honestly, without him, this movie would be among my most disappointing ten movies. It is a sports movie. It involves my Indians. Too bad it's just not that good.
#61 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
-- Not much to say here as I have not seen the movie and well, don't want to either. I know it's a classic, as seen by its 5 Academy Awards. But I'll pass on this. I will say this about Luke's list. I appreciate his willingness to embrace the older films that I was not willing to. While I have seen some quality films that were released before I was born, I simply couldn't judge them fairly against ones from my lifetime I feel like. So kudos to Luke for finding a way to do that, even if that means including movies that probably don't deserve to be there in all actuality.
A good list overall I think. Some oldies and some newbies. Some of my faves and some that I would never watch again if I had to. Can't wait to see what he rolls out next week! Make sure you check back next week to see my movies 51-60.
Until then, Hakuna Matata
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