THE TEST OF TIME

Of the two Star Wars prequels, Episode II appeared to be more reviled by critics than the first one. My personal theory behind this is that because Episode I satisfied everyone’s sixteen-year Star Wars withdrawal, people were willing to forgive its shortcomings. When Episode II neared its opening date, however, everyone from Newsweek to local internet geeks all promised that George Lucas had returned to form, without having actually watched the film, of course. As it turned out, however, in what felt like an attempt to make Titanic money, Lucas built his movie around the clunkiest love story since James Cameron’s Oscar-winning opus but nonetheless failed to achieve similar box-office or critical results.

Anyway, more to the point, one of those scathing reviews of Episode II featured an interesting little anecdote about the making of Raiders of the Lost Ark. As most film freaks know, Raiders was Spielberg and Lucas’ homage to the adventure serials they had loved as kids. To get into the feel of things before shooting, they both sat down in a private viewing room and watched some of their favorite serials over again, only to be so depressed that shooting almost didn’t push through. I don’t remember which of them did, but one of them reportedly said: “These things don’t really hold up that well after twenty years, do they?” The reviewer’s point in sharing the anecdote was to predict that, twenty years from its original release, people would probably be saying the exact same thing about Episode II.

And this got me thinking. Our love for movies really flourished in high school, particularly after Paul Daza’s film theory class. It’s been nearly fifteen years since we took that class, and twelve years since we finished high school. It hasn’t exactly been twenty years yet, but the movies we loved then must have inevitably aged, what with changes in technology, storytelling techniques, acting styles and sometimes even geopolitics. I gave it some thought and came up with a list of movies, some of which were favorites of mine, others of which were the ones I feel were most influential for us as a class/batch, and my assessment of how well they stand up to scrutiny today. They are arranged by year, but other than that, in no particular order.

BATMAN (1989)

After Superman IV nearly killed the comic book movie genre, this film gave it some much-needed CPR, or electroshock therapy, depending on how you want to look at it. Batman was the first movie to gross $250 million in the United States alone since The Return of the Jedi (1983) and sold obscene amounts of merchandise as well. Although Batman’s rubber muscles looked and still look ridiculous, this movie was and remains a cultural phenomenon. Of course, Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale still kind of has an 80’s look to her, but the late, great, Oscar-winning Anton Furst’s haunting vision of Gotham City is timeless, and has yet to be equaled by anything designed for the subsequent Bat-films. And Danny Elfman’s theme is one for the ages. I don’t think even Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, who team up for Batman Begins, will ever measure up to that music score.

DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989)

The nice thing about period pieces is that the filmmakers never have to worry about the characters looking dated because in this case, they’re supposed to. But this movie goes beyond such a simplistic concern. It is, in my humble estimation, to this day the ultimate coming-of-age movie. Its themes of expressing oneself and being true to one’s own heart will never get old. Proof enough of this is the fact that Julia Roberts attempted her own version of it just recently with Mona Lisa Smile. Although Robin Williams anchors the cast, for me the stars of Dead Poets were Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard. It’s just a pity that the last time I saw the latter was in the Sylvester Stallone disaster Driven. I’m glad Ethan Hawke is still around, if only as some kind of assurance that the brilliant cast of that movie didn’t all just fade away upon reaching the age of 20. This is Peter Weir’s best movie ever, which says a lot considering he only just helmed the brilliant Master and Commander.

THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989)

Personally, I hated this movie. I hated the characterization of Ariel, who would have been named Air-head. I hated her song numbers, and I hated the way Gail Vitug always loved to sing them. In acknowledgement of its popularity, however, I have included it. This movie basically revived the animated musical which Disney had popularized many years before with hits like Sleeping Beauty. That well ran dry soon enough; it had its last gasp with Mulan. You didn’t see any of the main characters in Tarzan singing five-minute musical numbers, did you? The culprit, in my opinion: the CG cartoon. Yes, both Pixar’s and Dreamworks’ box-office and critical sensations have killed and buried the hand-drawn cartoon, with few exceptions. I think the durability of The Little Mermaid is best illustrated by the scene in Shrek 2 where Princess/Ogress Fiona tosses a somewhat familiar-looking redheaded mermaid to hungry sharks in the opening scene (which, incidentally, I loved).

GLORY (1989)

Okay, I loved this movie when it came out here early in 1990. I know I’m not the only one. For a while it was my all-time favorite movie. It is a multiple Oscar-winner as well, albeit for mere technical awards and Denzel Washington’s acting, but does that mean it holds up today? Well, its battle sequences, while gripping at the time it came out, have since been utterly dwarfed by films like Braveheart (aye lad!) and Saving Private Ryan (trust Spielberg to show everyone how it’s done). Its Oscar-winning cinematography by Freddie Francis is still nice to look at, but there have of late been a number of epic battle films since whose DPs are able to shoot grittier (Janusz Kaminski, Private Ryan) and prettier (Andrew Lesnie, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) scenes. What about the narrative? Well, it’s a true story, so you can’t really pick on that, but I was kind of disgusted when director Edward Zwick recycled the whole “valiant suicide rush” thing just a couple of years ago with the sumptuously shot but otherwise ridiculous The Last Samurai. So nowadays, I think it’s an okay film, and nothing much more than that.

GHOST (1990)

This movie actually started the whole ball rolling when I first conceived of this trip down memory lane. The fascination with the thought of love beyond death is capable of transcending time, so is this movie? Well, there is nothing about the actors’ attire or hair that places them in a specific period (although I’m sure everyone remembers how Demi Moore’s hair set a trend). The script holds up just fine. The only weakness I can think of would be the special effects, which even then kind of had a B-movie quality to them. However, the other elements still work to this day. Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore’s chemistry, pottery fetish or not, is still quite palpable, even though they’re only actually touching each other for the first quarter of the movie or so. Whoopi Goldberg’s Oscar-winning, semi-comedic performance still cracks me up. Maurice Jarre’s original score (and not the freaking Righteous Brothers’ song) is as haunting and powerful as anything that we hear in the movies today and that scene with the coin moving up the wall and then floating towards Demi still has genuine power to it.

DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)

I really loved The Untouchables but I did not particularly care for this piece, for all its millions and its Oscars. That said, however, it still benefits from the period piece vibe, glowing cinematography and heartfelt performances by its Native American cast. This is a movie that can definitely stand up to a contemporary viewing, the same way that David Lean’s epics like Dr. Zhivago and Laurence of Arabia are still hailed by critics born after they were made. The only problem with watching this movie again is one can’t help but remember how lousy at dramatic acting Kevin Costner can be after having seen all of his subsequent disasters, most notably The Postman.

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990)

I don’t know what kind of impression this movie left on everyone else, but it was probably my favorite movie of that year. To me, this was Tim Burton at his best: telling a compassionate story about a misshapen outcast. Stan Winston’s prosthetics perfectly realized Burton’s vision of a man with scissors for hands, and complemented Tim’s patented quirky direction, as did Bo Welch’s set pieces. Danny Elfman’s largely choral music soars and actually still serves as the cue for a lot of movie trailers today, the most recent being Burton’s Big Fish. Johnny Depp’s performance is absolutely heartbreaking, and for years after that movie I felt that Hollywood just wasn’t giving the guy a fair shake. And, of course, then-19-year-old Winona Ryder was a total hottie. Although there wasn’t a specific intent to do so, this movie almost plays like one set in 1950s suburbia, thus freeing it a bit from the “dated” trap. Anyway, longtime fans of Johnny Depp like myself can watch this movie again and feel vindicated and rewarded by the knowledge that our boy has starred in one of the biggest blockbusters of the millennium (Pirates of the Caribbean) and has not just one but two Oscar nominations under his belt.

AWAKENINGS (1990)

Another true story, this was a pretty darned powerful movie. Robin Williams and Robert De Niro play against type to Penny (Big) Marshall’s deft direction, with unforgettable results. De Niro’s performance here holds up well against both his previous and his subsequent stuff. If ever there was a time that Robin Williams should have felt cheated for not getting an Oscar nomination, this was it. It was amazing what these two guys came up with. It’s a pairing of two sublime actors that had not been done before and has not really been done since.

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)

Those of you unfortunate enough to have only seen Hannibal (2001) and/or Red Dragon (2002) should make it a point to watch this movie. This movie is pure, taut storytelling, and not only does it hold up well against its sequel and prequel but it stands head and shoulders above them. This is, by my estimation, the finest performances of both Jodie Foster’s and Anthony Hopkins’ careers. Anyone depressed by the thought that Hopkins, like a whore, revisited this character twice and seemed to be parodying himself as he did so should just watch this movie again. Incidentally, watching this movie again, one is likely to note composer Howard Shore’s amazing versatility; who would have thought someone who composed something as grim as the this movie’s score could compose the music for not just one but three Lord of the Rings movies, for which he would win just as many Oscars? I honestly remember being terrified after the first time I saw this movie, only to see it four or five more times afterwards. While I don’t exactly feel that this movie deserved to win Best Picture of 1991 (an honor I personally reserve for another movie on this list), there’s no denying how powerful it was and still is.

ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES (1991)

Well, I included this movie because of that insanely popular Bryan Adams song. I don’t know that it was that well-loved by anyone among us. I know I didn’t care for it much. It was really goofy actually, given Kevin Costner’s refusal to even try to speak with a British accent. In the age of British actors starring in larger-than-life fantasy epics, with their American counterparts striving mightily to put on British/Irish accents, I don’t really think this movie amounts to much today. Whenever I catch it on Star Movies or HBO I can’t help but think what junk it is.

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)

You would think that in this day and age of digital men swinging through Manhattan or decimating each other on the battlefields of Middle-Earth, this movie would look embarrassingly dated. Surprisingly, even today James Cameron’s REAL magnum opus plays pretty well owing to its riveting storytelling, self-deterministic theme (no fate but what we make for ourselves), ass-kicking stunts and an appropriately (for once) robotic performance by Governor Ah-nuld. Fortunately, there’s an immediate point of comparison, namely the third Terminator movie, which, while competent at best, does not hold a candle to this action epic.

THE FISHER KING (1991)

Okay, I know two people who loved and still love this movie: myself, and Jay Tan. I don’t know if it was particularly influential, but I honestly hope it was. I loved Robin Williams’ crazed corporate zombie-turned-bum Parry, which incidentally earned him an Oscar nomination, and Jeff Bridges’ self-absorbed talk-radio host/disc jockey. This is a truly classic story of two men’s fall from grace and their subsequent redemption. Richard LaGravanese’s Oscar-nominated script was and remains brilliant, just like Terry Gilliam’s haunting visuals, such as the Red Knight, and George Fenton’s lively and touching score. I just find it a shame that Mercedes Ruehl, who won a supporting actress Oscar for her performance here, appears to have dropped off the planet. I have to say, I didn’t much care for her fake boobs, though.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)

Hands down, this was my favorite movie of that year, although none of us got to see it till 1992. I was just…so…utterly…moved by it. The chemistry between the romantic leads was absolutely amazing, even if they didn’t exist except on the animation cels on which they had been painted. I fell in love with Belle even though she was only so many lines of ink and paint. Paul Daza was right when he said that this film was Disney’s crowning achievement. Nothing they had done before or have done since this movie has had such emotional resonance. The proof? To date, it remains the only animated movie ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, an honor I feel it should have WON. This is an achievement neither Pixar nor Dreamworks Animation has been able to best, especially since the Academy introduced a category just for animated features. I would say this is a movie I could watch over and over again, except that I already have, over twenty times by now.

HOOK (1991)

I loved this movie when it came out. I loved Dustin Hoffman’s campy, flamboyant portrayal of J.M. Barrie’s timeless villain, Captain Hook. I loved John Williams’ music, which soared at some points and whispered at others. I loved Robin Williams’ gradual transition from stuffy lawyer to manic man-child. I even loved Glenn Close’s cameo as a pirate who gets stuffed into a chest filled with scorpions. I saw this before Beauty and the Beast, and so this was originally my favorite of that year’s crop of movies. How does it stand up now, though? I’ve seen it enough times on HBO and AXN to make a fair judgment, I think. The problem with this movie is that is largely dependent on the technology of the time given that majority of its set pieces and backdrops are fantastical places. The wide shots of Never Never Land look hopelessly like matte paintings, and ILM’s flying sequences were, with the exception of the first one, surprisingly clunky. I still like the bit where Peter Pan flies through the Lost Boys’ lair and does a bit of a mid-air dance. Robin Williams’s energy and Steven Spielberg’s inner Peter Pan really shine through here.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992)

Then and now, one word describes this movie: visceral. I remember hearing Constantino Manahan spout out random dialogue from this movie when we were in fourth year. I didn’t go quite that far, but I’ll admit that Michael Mann’s most violent film ever (a big thing, considering his resume includes Heat and Collateral) left quite an impact. Glory may have taken my breath away with its battle sequences, but this movie…this movie grabbed me by the hair and bludgeoned me with each stabbing, with each slashing, with each scalping, with each…well, I think you get the picture. I think I held my breath for majority of this film. Wes Studi (Mystery Men) played the evil Huron Magua as one of the biggest badasses I have ever seen. Although he admittedly doesn’t have much range, I still submit that this guy is one seriously underrated actor. Another period piece, this movie is similarly insulated from feeling dated.

ALADDIN (1992)

This movie was a lot of fun. Beauty and the Beast had already warmed me up to the Disney musical by the time this came out, and so I appreciated the songs, but I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the movie provided a hell of an action-adventure ride as well. Alan Menken seemed to channel John Williams in his fast-paced music. Sadly, he seems to have disappeared along with the hand-drawn musical (although with eight Oscars under his belt and millions upon millions from all the records he sold, I have sneaking suspicion he’ll be okay). I’ve honestly had a hankering for this movie since I heard the DVD was coming out, so I don’t know how or if I can assess it objectively, but I will say this; that technique Disney used to do in the 1990s of melding computer graphics with their hand-drawn stuff will undoubtedly look silly and half-baked nowadays, now that animated movies have gone 100% CG.

A FEW GOOD MEN (1992)

I feel that this was the last truly memorable movie to come out before we graduated from high school. It was truly brilliant back then, and although what people remember most from this movie is the line “You can’t handle the truth” (which ironically enough seems to ring true for a significant portion of the American people today) for my part, I loved the courtroom banter as a whole. I actually conceived of making a list of good courtroom dramas that really utilized legal wizardry to maximum dramatic effect, but this movie kind of eclipsed all the others. I actually appreciate this movie now more, having gone through law school. In goading Jack Nicholson’s evil Col. Jessup into giving his “you can’t handle the truth” speech, Tom Cruise’s Danny Kaffee uses a two-step technique known as “laying the predicate” and “impeaching the witness” which is another way of saying he got Jessup to contradict himself and then confronted him with his conflicting statements. I read on the jacket notes of the Laser Disc (yes, we’re that old) how the play on which this movie was based gave Kaffee and his litigation team an ace-in-the-hole piece of evidence, a witness, that enabled them to win the case, but I think that was rightly excised from the screenplay because…well…it was just more exciting this way. Even today this movie’s screenplay and performances just shine (which is the best part about movies that aren’t effects or technology-driven). One disappointing this about it, though, is to watch Tom Cruise acting at 30 and to realize that, at 42, he still acts pretty much the same way, without any real subtlety.

Well, as with my last list of movies, I only listed movies that I actually watched, but I honestly believe that a good percentage of this selection left quite an impression on most of us (especially Dead Poets). Maybe in another few years I’ll come up with the list of stuff we enjoyed back in college. Hmm…