Last year, I wrote a column about the greatest movies you have probably never seen, but compared to what is out there, it was a very short list. So here’s the second installment, a few suggestions for the next time you are surfing, streaming or purchasing movie treasures.
Changeling (2008): Directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood, this film is based partly on real-life events – a 1928 kidnapping and murder case in Los Angeles, California. Anchored by a powerhouse performance by Angelina Jolie, Changeling is an unjustly overlooked gem.
Shining Through (1992): This World War II spy drama with Michael Douglas, Melanie Griffith and Liam Neeson was neither a commercial nor a critical success. The Razzie Awards declared it the Worst Picture of 1992. I completely disagree with these critical barbs and heartily endorse this cinematic misfire.
Fearless (1993): Celebrated director Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poets Society), Jeff Bridges, and Isabella Rossellini create an unforgettable film experience. Bridges is an airline crash survivor dealing with the devastating aftermath of this event and subsequently provides one of the best performances of his career.
Black Sunday (1977): One of director John Frankenheimer’s (The Manchurian Candidate) best thrillers features a race against time to thwart a terrorist attack that utilizes the Goodyear Blimp as a weapon of mass destruction at the Super Bowl. This is an edge-of-your-seat nail biter!
Ordinary People (1980): Oscar winner Robert Redford directed Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton in this story concerning the disintegration of an upper-middle class family following the death of one of their sons in a boating accident. The film won a total of four Oscars, including the Academy Award for Best Picture.
What’s Up, Doc? (1972): A delightful screwball comedy starring Barbra Streisand, Ryan O’Neal, and Madeline Kahn in her first feature film role. You will find it on the list of the 100 greatest comedies published by the American Film Institute. This is a “G” rated treat for your next family movie night.
Coma (1978): Geneviève Bujold and a young Michael Douglas shine in this medical chiller that will make you want to postpone surgery indefinitely. One of director Michael Crichton’s early hits before he soared into the stratosphere with TV hits (ER) and movie blockbusters (Jurassic Park).
The Fury (1978): This is a mind-blowing supernatural thriller directed by Brian De Palma (Carrie) and starring screen icon Kirk Douglas. Legendary film composer John Williams provides the film’s eerie score.
Dad (1989): Gary David Goldberg (TV’s Family Ties) directed Jack Lemmon, Ted Danson, Olympia Dukakis, Kevin Spacey and Ethan Hawke in this humorous and deeply touching treat about the loving bonds between fathers and sons.
Targets (1968): Screen horror legend Boris Karloff stars in this tense thriller about a crazed sniper on the loose. This cult favorite is currently included as one of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
Guarding Tess (1994): Shirley MacLaine plays a fictional former First Lady, and Nicolas Cage serves as one of the hapless Secret Service agents assigned to protect her. Their mutual journey from resentment to respect provides a highly entertaining film experience.
Starting Over (1979): A romantic charmer about a recently divorced man (Burt Reynolds in one of his best roles) who is torn between his new girlfriend played by Jill Clayburgh and Candice Bergen as his ex-wife.
Jeremy (1973): Teen stars from yesteryear, Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor, play two high school students who share a brief and bittersweet romance. The two stars dated each other in real life and appeared together again in the next movie on the list.
Ode to Billy Joe (1976): Inspired by the 1967 hit song by Bobbie Gentry and directed and produced by Max Baer, Jr. (Jethro of The Beverly Hillbillies), this Southern fried soaper once again paired real life lovebirds, Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor.
Ragtime (1981): Based on the historical novel Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow, set in the early 1900s and including fictionalized references to actual people and events of the time, this movie features the final film appearance of James Cagney. A modest success at the box office, Ragtime was nominated for eight Oscars.
The Other (1972): This psychological chiller was directed by Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird) and adapted for film by Tom Tryon from his novel that was a bestselling blockbuster in its day.
Madame X (1966): Lana Turner provides a relentlessly melodramatic performance in this soapy tear jerker from iconic producer Ross Hunter (Pillow Talk). The heart wrenching conclusion will wring a few tears from even the most stoic viewers.
Henry Poole Is Here (2008): This challenging and unusual film focuses on a dying man whose religious neighbor insists the water stain on the side wall of his house is an image of Jesus Christ. This is a humorous and thought provoking examination of faith that is not to be missed.
Yanks (1979): A lush period drama set during World War II in Northern England, directed by John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy) and starring Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave and William Devane, Yanks is a box office underachiever that deserves to be seen.
An Unfinished Life (2005): Robert Redford stars as a Wyoming rancher seeking to rebuild his relationship with his daughter-in-law, played by Jennifer Lopez, and granddaughter. The ever reliable Morgan Freeman also stars.
The Face of Love (2013): Annette Bening, Ed Harris and Robin Williams (in one of his last roles) star in the moving tale of a recent widow (Bening) who falls in a love with a man who physically resembles her dead husband.
So go forth! Surf the channels, stream the flicks or walk the home video aisles to track down these movie treats!
~Dr. Jeff Langham is State Assistant Superintendent for External and Governmental Affairs and a lifelong lover of film.
