# 92

92: Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones), Colin Firth (Mark Darcy), Hugh Grant (Daniel Cleaver), Gemma Jones (Bridget’s Mum), Jim Broadbent (Bridget’s Dad)

It’s rough being a singleton in your thirties. Dinners with smug marrieds, holiday parties with relatives who want to know how your “love life” is faring, drunken karaoke at the office—just a year in the life of Bridget Jones. Bridget Jones’s Diary (1996) was first a novel, written in diary form, in which the title character documents her weight, number of cigarettes smoked, and alcohol units imbibed all while searching for love. This was one instance (a rare one) where I read the book before seeing the film. When Renée Zellweger secured the coveted role, Bridget Jones fans worldwide wondered if an American could do Bridget justice. Before the film was released, much was made of the 25 pounds Renée put on for the role. In my opinion, Zellweger never looked better!

I saw the film on opening night in a packed theater—and I loved it. Renée exceeded my expectations. She was not only pitch perfect with her accent, but was absolutely adorable. Colin Firth as Mark Darcy is a stroke of genius—it was also a nod to his iconic performance as Mr. Darcy in the BBC television mini-series of Pride and Prejudice (1995). Bridget Jones’s Diary is in part inspired by Pride and Prejudice, and Colin Firth’s performance as Mr. Darcy is mentioned in the novel Bridget Jones’s Diary. And then there’s Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver—in my opinion the role he was born to play. Grant, a romantic comedy staple of the nineties, typically played the reserved handsome goody two shoes Mr. Right—but in Jones’s he appears to relish the opportunity to play a devilish cad.

Author Helen Fielding did write a sequel: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2001), and the film adaptation was released a few years later. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004) is not nearly as good as Bridget Jones’s Diary, but if you’re a completest like me you will want to see it.  Currently IMDB is showing an upcoming Bridget Jones’s Baby without a release date—but I know whenever it comes out I will be in line to see it. Bridget is one of my all-time favorite single girl heroines—she’s not perfect, but I love her just the way she is!

If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Jerry Maguire (1996)

# 93

93: National Velvet (1944)

Mickey Rooney (Mi Taylor), Elizabeth Taylor (Velvet Brown), Donald Crisp (Mr. Brown), Ann Revere (Mrs. Brown), Angela Lansbury (Edwina Brown), Jackie Jenkins (Donald Brown)

Velvet Brown is a young school girl obsessed with horses. Just outside her town she meets a wanderer: Mi Taylor. Mi has travelled to Velvet’s town looking for Velvet’s mother—her name was in a notebook Mi inherited from his father. As Mi and Velvet are talking, a gorgeous wild steed gallops across the pasture and Velvet is smitten. She calls the horse Pie and the Pie is all she can talk about. That night Mi stays for dinner and Mrs. Brown decides to hire Mi to help around the farm. Velvet likes Mi and is happy that he’s going to stay with them. When the owner of the Pie decides that he can’t control the horse and wants to be rid of him—Pie is raffled off at Mr. Brown’s butcher shop. Mi purchases raffle tickets for all the Brown children and Velvet wins her coveted steed! Mi is impressed with Pie’s natural jumping ability—and we learn that Mi was once a jockey himself. Mi once raced in England’s Grand National Steeplechase but for some reason (revealed later in the film) he quit jockeying. Mi thinks that if properly trained the Pie could be a contender in the Grand National—and Velvet seizes on the idea. She writes to the race officials on her own and asks Mi to help her train the Pie. Mi is reluctant but then agrees to help Velvet train Pie to race in the Grand National.

I am as enchanted by this film today as I was when I first saw it as a young girl Velvet’s age. The plot is simple but the performances and characters in this film are superb. Elizabeth Taylor in her first starring role is delightful. Mickey Rooney gives a wonderful performance as a wanderer who at first thinks he will just rob the Browns and leave—but is truly touched by the kindness of the Brown family. Ann Revere (Mrs. Brown) earned an Oscar for her performance as Velvet’s mom—one of the strongest female characters I have seen in a film. Angela Lansbury is charming as a young teenage girl in love, and Jackie Jenkins as Donald Brown is a true gem. The climatic race scene is extremely well shot and is as fresh and exciting today as I imagine it was when the film debuted. This film is almost 70 years old but it isn’t dated. The dialogue is fresh, the characters are modern, and the performances are all top notch—there’s even a cute family dog. While you may find this film filed under “Kid’s” or “Family Fun” at the Family Video—no matter what your age this film is a delight and by the end of it you will be cheering for Velvet and the Pie!

If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:

The Secret Garden (1993)

The Muppets (2011)

# 94

94: Shall We Dance (1996)

Koji Yakusho (Shohei Sugiyama), Tamiyo Kusakari (Mai Kishikawa), Naoto Takenaka (Tomio Aoki), Eri Watanabe (Toyoko Takahashi)

Mr. Sugiyama is a middle-aged businessman who was recently promoted and just bought a new home for his family: a wife and teenage daughter. Though he should be content, he feels there’s something missing from his life. As he takes the subway home each night he sees a beautiful young woman in the window of a dance studio. One night he decides to get off the train at that stop and finds himself enrolling in ballroom dancing lessons. I saw this film in the tiny Student Center Theater at college—it was part of the Foreign Film Series at Southern Illinois University. I saw a lot of films in that little theater with the 1960’s era folding upholstered metal seats and sometimes sticky linoleum floor. In that theater, I learned that when I’m watching a truly great film—the primitive sound system and butt-numbing seats don’t matter. When it’s a really good film I forget where I am watching it—and such was the case with Shall We Dance.

At first Sugiyama’s goal is to meet and possibly hook up with the pretty dance teacher—but his plans are thwarted when he’s put in the group class with the middle aged instructor. Like Train Man (#99) it is the cast of colorful supporting characters that make this film. The stand outs are Naoto Takenaka as Mr. Aoki and Eri Watanabe as Toyoko. Mr. Aoki works with Mr. Sugiyama and keeps his dance life a secret from his co-workers. When dancing Aoki dons a ridiculous bowl-cut wig and assumes the alter ego of a famous Latin Ballroom dancer—but he says that it’s only when he’s dancing that he is truly free to be himself. Through the dance lessons Aoki and Sugiyama become friends—they not only go to the weekly lessons but they also attend various dance halls and clubs. The four men in the group dance class and Toyoko (a middle aged woman with aspirations of competing in the dance competition in Japan) are all changed for the better through their friendship found on the dance floor. Meanwhile Sugiyama’s wife thinks he is seeing another woman and hires a private investigator. Sugiyama’s wife and daughter go to see him compete in the dance competition and are shocked to see that he not only seems to be enjoying it—but he’s also really good. Shall We Dance is a charming romantic comedy and a must see for anyone who has either been a dancer or loves dance films. This gem of a movie was remade for American audiences—and I have not and probably will not see that version. The characters and performances in the Japanese version are perfect and I think any attempt at a remake would pale in comparison.

If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:

Strictly Ballroom (1992)

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)

# 95

95: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly), George Peppard (Paul Varjak), Patricia Neal (2-E), Buddy Ebsen (Doc Golightly), Martin Balsam (O.J. Berman)

I first saw this film when I was maybe 11 or 12. My mom introduced me to Audrey as she was herself a fan—and I remember when Audrey passed away in 1993 that my mom picked up the Special Audrey Issue of People Magazine. I poured over that issue and the photos of Audrey from her childhood in Belgium to her work around the world for UNICEF. Audrey was gorgeous, graceful, and seemed like the nicest person on Earth both on and off screen. As a young girl seeing this film for the first time I was enchanted with Audrey—and I hoped that someday I would morph into a fabulous young woman living in New York City—flitting from party to party and chatting up handsome interesting men all while wearing an amazing Givenchy wardrobe. What I did not realize seeing the film for the first time was that Holly was a hooker. Watching this film now I’m not impressed by the script, or the story—I think Midnight Cowboy (1969) is a far better film that deals with similar themes. But Tiffany’s made my top 100 while Cowboy did not. Other than Audrey, I also love the amazing Henry Mancini score for the film—and not just Moon River but the entire score. This is not the only Audrey film in my top 100, and it’s not in my opinion her best performance—but it is her most famous and popular film. Though Holly is a flighty party girl—I end up caring for her because throughout the film there are small quiet moments where her quirky, almost nerdy traits shine through. And though Audrey isn’t the greatest singer, when she sits on that balcony with her guitar and sings Moon River I always get a little misty eyed. This film firmly established Audrey as a style icon and made the little black dress an essential in every woman’s closet. I have yet to go to New York City and in the early morning stand in front of Tiffany’s windows and nibble on a chocolate croissant and sip from a cup of coffee—but it’s definitely on my bucket list.

Trivia: The band Jets to Brazil got their name from a poster that is seen hanging on Holly’s apartment wall. George Peppard would later play John “Hannibal” Smith on The A-Team TV series—a show that I loved growing up.

If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:

Roman Holiday (1953)

Sabrina (1954)

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

# 96

96: The Usual Suspects (1995)

Kevin Spacey (Roger “Verbal” Kint), Gabriel Byrne (Dean Keaton), Benicio Del Toro (Fred Fenster), Stephen Baldwin (Michael McManus), Kevin Pollak (Todd Hockney), Chazz Palminteri (Dave Kujan)

I didn’t see this film in the theater and I wish I had. I rented it while I was in college, watched it alone probably on a Sunday afternoon while I was supposed to be working on a paper or studying for some test no doubt. The film follows the police investigation into a boat explosion. There are only two survivors: “Verbal” Kint and a Hungarian terrorist who is being treated for severe burns. Verbal narrates the film as he explains how the five men who were pulled into a line up in New York City ended up involved in a heist on a San Pedro pier. The film doesn’t seem all that special until the end—where one surprise ending is then immediately followed by another that trumps the first. Spacey shines as “Verbal” Kint—a criminal who seems so hapless that I couldn’t help sympathizing with him. The first time you watch The Usual Suspects is definitely the best. You can never go back and undo seeing that surprise ending—although it’s definitely worth multiple viewings.

If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:

Into the West (1992)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

# 97

97: Walk the Line (2005)

Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny Cash), Reese Witherspoon (June Carter), Ginnifer Goodwin (Vivian Cash), Robert Patrick (Ray Cash)

 

When I first saw the trailer for this film I knew of three Johnny Cash songs: Ring of Fire, A Boy Named Sue, and The Wanderer, a collaboration he did with U2 on Zooropa (1993). I loved all three of these songs but I didn’t consider myself a Johnny Cash fan, I didn’t own any of his albums. After seeing this film I went out and bought my first Cash album—because of this film I fell in love with the “Man in Black.” I knew that I would see this film in the theater when it was released because I was already a Joaquin Phoenix fan. I fell for Joaquin in Inventing the Abbots (1997) and then was blown away by his phenomenal performance in Gladiator (2000). In Walk the Line both Phoenix and Witherspoon give performances of a lifetime. Both actors learned to sing and play for this film, which itself is impressive—but rather than merely impersonate Johnny and June, Phoenix and Witherspoon embody the couple who fall passionately in love with each other.

Biographical or biopics are a genre of film that I love. I enjoy learning something about a person or topic in a nice 90 minute to 2 hour film, however not all biopics are alike. I think Walk the Line is one of the best biographical films ever made. It’s an honest portrayal of Johnny and June Carter Cash. While some biography films turn into a cautionary tale or glorify or deify the subject—Walk the Line does none of those things. The film covers Johnny’s life from his childhood in Arkansas to his historic concert at Folsom Prison. We learn that he toured with such greats as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Waylon Jennings. This was the early days of rock n’ roll and Johnny was right in the thick of it. While on tour Johnny is introduced to pills (barbituates) and soon becomes addicted. His addiction ruins his marriage with Vivian, alienates him from his children, and devastates his career—and then June steps in.

While the film is considered a biopic of Johnny Cash, the film isn’t called Cash or Johnny Cash, or the Man in Black—because the film is really about the relationship of Johnny of June. Johnny was a fan of June Carter’s as a child, he kept track of her career while in the Air Force, and when he began touring with the Sun Records’ performers he finally meets her and sparks fly. I can’t help but fall completely in love with Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in this film—a performance which earned Witherspoon an Oscar. She is charming and effervescent when onstage as June Carter, and offstage she’s a strong, moral woman who sees the good in Johnny when he’s at his worst. The performances in this film are first rate, but that’s not all there is to this film that makes it awesome. Rather than just hit every important historical highlight of Johnny Cash’s life, director Mangold focuses on the relationship of Johnny and June—and it’s their friendship and love that drives the film. While the music is certainly important and essential to the film, it plays a supporting role to their relationship. When Johnny hits rock bottom—June decides to help him. It’s because of her love and determination to help him kick his addiction that Johnny is given a second chance. As a result, he and his career are reborn.  The attraction of Johnny Cash is that he’s an everyman, he’s flawed, he made mistakes—but he also found love and it was that love that saved him. This is one of my favorite films because unlike all of the other films about rock stars, musicians or bands—this film doesn’t end with the star burning out or dying of a drug overdose. This film ends on an optimistic note but is also a very honest and genuine portrayal of Johnny Cash that champions the theme that love really does conquer all.

If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:

Houdini (1953)

Spartacus (1960)

Legally Blonde (2001)

# 98

98: Pulp Fiction (1994)

John Travolta (Vincent Vega), Samuel L. Jackson (Jules Winnfield), Uma Thurman (Mia Wallace), Tim Roth (Ringo), Amanda Plummer (Yolanda), Bruce Willis (Butch Coolidge), Ving Rhames (Marsellus Wallace)

Marsellus Wallace is a tough guy—a guy who allegedly threw a man from a fourth story window because he gave Marsellus’ wife a foot massage. Jules and Vincent are hit men who work for Marsellus and are charged with the task of retrieving a valuable suitcase that was stolen from Marsellus. The plot of Pulp Fiction is simple, but the way that it’s broken up into five chapters and then presented out of chronological order is simply genius. Of all the films in my top 100, Pulp Fiction is the most violent and obscenity riddled. I first saw the film when it was released. I was fifteen years old and very green. The scene with the gimp in the basement of the crazy pawn shop owner; when I first saw the film I had no idea what was going on. I knew something bad was happening to Marsellus, but exactly what—I didn’t really understand. Of course I played it off to my friends that I totally understood every part of the film. Admitting ignorance I would have looked like a dork, and this was 1994 before being a dork was really cool. But I knew I loved this film. I went out and bought the soundtrack and committed it to memory, I dyed my hair black and got a bob a-la Uma Thurman as Mrs. Mia Wallace. So why did a 15 year old, who spent most of her week with her nose in fashion magazines and weekends at the dance studio practicing for the local production of the Nutcracker, love this film? As it turned out I didn’t need to understand all the details to know that this was something I had never seen before, Pulp Fiction was fresh and stylish and it had a killer soundtrack (pun intended). And though the film is full of violence and action—the best part is the dialogue. Razor sharp dialogue delivered by a stellar ensemble cast. Travolta’s career was resurrected as a result of this film and deservedly so—Travolta is brilliant as an affable hit man. Though Vincent Vega kills people for a living you know he has heart when he expounds on the intimacy of a foot massage. Uma Thurman is sublime as Wallace’s wife—a willowy coke addict who’s only claim to fame was starring in a failed TV pilot. When Uma slinks around singing Urge Overkill’s “Girl You’ll Be a Woman Soon” I can’t look away. Uma is also devastatingly charming in the Jack Rabbit Slim’s sequence. But my favorite performance: Samuel L. Jackson as Jules. When Sam Jackson takes a bite out of the “Big Kahuna” burger it is Oscar worthy. That I’m not distracted by the chunks of brain in Jackson’s hair while he delivers lines is a testament to his awesome performance in this film. Sam Jackson never gives a bad performance, but this is my favorite—yes I love it even more than his Mace Windu.

Triva: I was researching Chief Illiniwek last week and found Pulp Fiction mentioned in the court report for one of the cases related to the controversy of the Native American mascot of the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. In the film Travolta is seen wearing a University of California-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs t-shirt. The film was mentioned because of the shirt and the shirt was mentioned as an example of an inoffensive school mascot. It’s pretty hilarious because that’s maybe the only universally inoffensive part of the film. The t-shirt is in the film because that’s director Tarantino’s alma mater.

If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:

Fresh (1994)

The Red Violin (1998)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)/Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)