20 FILMS that will CHANGE YOU
These film represent a marked change in who I am. Good films can transport you to a different place and the great ones can transform you into a different person with a better appreciation of life and love.
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- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsMyrna LoyDana AndrewsFredric MarchThree World War II veterans, two of them traumatized or disabled, return home to the American midwest to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.Life does not always turn out as planned. Sometimes thing change you- in this amazing film, the lives of friends and the life of war alters everything around them. Should be titled 'The Best Film You will Ever Watch in Your Life'. I guess that title was too long.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonOver the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.Life behind bars is not an easy life, especially for Andy, played by the masterful Tim Robbins. What sets Andy's story a part from other prision tales is the friendship, the loyalty, the brotherhood from the prisions man 'with whatever you need'- Red. If ever there was a time in which one questions the roads that take us to unexpected places and yields unexpected results it is Shawshank.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.Lock them in a room- see what happens. Nothing is ever as simple at it appears.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsKevin SpaceyGabriel ByrneChazz PalminteriThe sole survivor of a pier shoot-out tells the story of how a notorious criminal influenced the events that began with five criminals meeting in a seemingly random police lineup.This was my first rated 'R' movie that I saw. I was 16 and remember watching it on VHS at a friends house and thinking- this movie will never end. All of the sudden, the movie is over and I am sitting there with a blank face- wondering how the time passed and why I did not see that coming. I thought I was smart- I thought I was paying attention. I watched it once more- right then with my friends and he looked at me and simply said 'told you'. After this I never doubted the role of any detail in any film. And I had a huge crush on Kevin Spacey from that point on- regardless of the 25 year age difference.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsKerry FoxChristopher EcclestonEwan McGregorThree friends discover their new flatmate dead but loaded with cash.My first Danny Boyle film. (I think his as well) I will never forget watching this film in a dark basement with my friends wondering what was so 'thrilling' about a tale around three friends. This film is so much more then thrilling. It is a story about money, betrayl, loyality, friendship and above all manipulation. The ending leaves you breathless in a good way- smiling at the irony.
- DirectorNicholas RayStarsJames DeanNatalie WoodSal MineoA rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.There is nothing cooler than James Dean- that is a fact. However, what is so cool about 'Rebel' is that no matter what your age, you can remember what first love, first friendship and what it means to tumble down the rabbit hole feels like. The cars aren't bad either.
- DirectorRoberto BenigniStarsRoberto BenigniNicoletta BraschiGiorgio CantariniWhen an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.There is nothing sweeter than the love between a father and a son. This film touches so many levels, but most importantly it touches the soul.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.Not many films have lasted for so long with such an impact on the daily lives of those that have watched the story of Luke Skywalker. Everything from lightsabers, epic battles and a love between a brother and sister as well as a a princess and a pilot. The impact of the Star Wars Saga lies in its ability to create characters that are at the most primal level just like the rest of us: seeking peace, finding truth, and realizing all that we need is already inside of us.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsGuy PearceCarrie-Anne MossJoe PantolianoA man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.Memories are all we have, they make up who we are and motivate us to become someone better. Memento takes the viewer on a wild ride- we find ourselves knowing the past, the present and unable to change the events of the future as Lenoard Shelby (Guy Pierce) spirals out of control with his obsession. There is nothing that we can do as we watch Lenoard, which reflects all too much on the reality of how sometimes we are powerless to alter the stars.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsKevin SpaceyAnnette BeningThora BirchA sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.The beauty of this film is the knowledge that not everything is as it appears- that behind the all-American painted red door lives the sadness, awareness and deception. This film was my 'coming of age' film, released when I was in high school- it spoke to me about the realities of life, how parents can let you down and surprise you, how first love can be found across the lawn and why best friends are necessary and just as scared as you are.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMatt DamonTom SizemoreFollowing the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.This is the first film I actually cried at. There is nothing more touching than the fact that men will risk everything for one man. I found that there really are no words for the emotion that is one Tom Hanks' face when he finally reaches his destination and fullfills his duty. The film challanges all- am I worth it? Have I honored their sacrafice? heavy indeed.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHenry ThomasDrew BarrymorePeter CoyoteA troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.Courage can be inside anyone. The tale of a boy, a bike and an extra-terrestrial will always define childhood innocence. There is something other-worldly about being a child- the belief that anything is possible. Such a simpler time.
- DirectorVictor FlemingKing VidorStarsJudy GarlandFrank MorganRay BolgerYoung Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.Witches. Wizards. Lions. Flying Monkeys. Red Shoes. All to tell the tale that Home is always the best place to be and teaches us no matter what have a basement if you live in Kansas.
- DirectorLewis MilestoneStarsLew AyresLouis WolheimJohn WrayA German youth eagerly enters World War I, but his enthusiasm wanes as he gets a firsthand view of the horror.'The War to End All Wars' is represented in fine form here. We learn so much about war, death and hate but more importantly we learn about what the true cost of war. There is nothing redemptive about loss- war, war what is it good for?
- DirectorBob ClarkStarsPeter BillingsleyMelinda DillonDarren McGavinIn the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.Being a kid and waiting for Santa to come, there are no words that describe that feeling. The Christiams of Ralphie is iconic, not because of his relentless quest for a Red-Rider BB gun, but because of the story surrounding him- everything from his father, his brother and the imfamous Scott Fargus, the local bully. There is a new found appreciation for parents inherited in this film, that rubs off on the audience.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartGrace KellyWendell CoreyA wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window and, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.The first tale about a creeper. I find that there are little things that can freak a person out, watching a neighbor murder and then cover up said murder is one of those things. The entire film focuses on watching those around you. It is an excellent portrait of human nature and obsession.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.Craziness follows this film from start to finish, but there is something so stimulating about this type of crazy. The chemistry between Norton and Pitt is amazing. The story- about a man in his Ikea life finds himself empty and alone, creating what he desires most: freedom. Of course this freedom comes at a high price and slowly begs the question: Are we ever truly free?
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.A film about dreams within a dream, sounds so out there that in a million years it could never make sense. Good thing for us, Chistopher Nolan was there to direct the chaos into something magical. Here is the place that makes a person wonder where do dreams come from and how do we make sure they come to pass.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsBrigitte HelmAlfred AbelGustav FröhlichIn a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.I watched this in film class and remember thinking- what did I just see? I was oddly fascinated by this film and watched it once more and I knew why I was attracted to it. Is the path that we are on? Are we to be trapped by cities, the mechanical life, what is next and how do we stop it from happening. Strange and alarming.
- DirectorFrank OzStarsBill MurrayRichard DreyfussJulie HagertyA successful psychotherapist loses his mind after one of his most dependent patients, an obsessive-compulsive neurotic, tracks him down during his family vacation.Seems silly- there are better comedies out there sure- but there is something so iconic about Bill Murray as Bob. Everything in this film clicks, from the fish, to the kids, to the old neighbors who have it out for Dr. Leo Marvin. It also speaks volumes: the lesson kids- being crazy is realitive.