Good Will Hunting (1997)

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won a pair of Oscars for their original screenplay about a lower-class mathematical genius in Boston. The picture can get overly sentimental at times, but Gus Van Sant's sensitive direction, his admiration for beautiful faces and his excellent use of the city make it a hugely entertaining and effective film. Robin Williams also won an Oscar for his portrayal of a helpful psychologist/teacher. Minnie Driver co-stars as Will's love interest and gets to keep her English accent, and Ben Affleck turns in an efficient and streetwise supporting performance as Will's pal. read more...

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• Sympathetic ▶ I want to know or care about the characters
• Comfort Level ▶ Settled, reassured, comforted or resolved

The Right Stuff (1983)

It was the film that had everything going for it. It was three hours long, featured an outstanding cast of up-and-coming stars, great special effects, a great script, jaw-dropping cinematography, chest-thumping American patriotism, and just a little subversiveness thrown in to keep the cynics happy. (It beautifully mixes playfulness and heroism.) It earned eight Oscar nominations and took four awards home. But somehow Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff was a bitter, crippling flop, earning only about $21 million against its approximate $27 million budget. read more...

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• Moralistic ▶ Yes please
• Production Level ▶ Polished
• Comfort Level ▶ Settled, reassured, comforted or resolved
• Overall Depth ▶ Deep or penetrating
• Originality ▶ Stories I know and love

Moneyball (2011)

We already have lots of inspirational sports movies, many of them based on true stories. There's even a successful formula in place, used to mold the stories into a traditional three-act Hollywood structure. The new Moneyball has all of that, but more -- so much more. Director Bennett Miller makes this movie pulse. It avoids a kind of historical importance, or looking back with a godlike omniscience, and somehow makes it seem as if it's a great story, just happening. read more...

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• Moralistic ▶ Yes please
• Production Level ▶ Polished
• How Things Happen ▶ By cause and effect, mechanics, rules or facts

The King's Speech (2010)

Does he actually deserve to win? At this point, I don't see why not. It hasn't been a groundbreaking movie year, and I haven't seen any other performances this year that really blew me away. James Franco could get a nomination for his one-man show in 127 Hours, but to my eyes, his work is no better or no worse than Ryan Reynolds' work in his one-man show Buried. Hell, for my money, Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in Iron Man 2 is still one of the year's best. Firth is very good and quite likeable, and he's been reliable for a long time; it'd be nice to see him win. read more...

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• Optimistic ▶ Yes please
• Sympathetic ▶ I want to know or care about the characters
• Realism ▶ Magical, Futuristic, Fantastic
• Comfort Level ▶ Settled, reassured, comforted or resolved

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

The music business has a lot of great stories, but there may be none quite as great as this one. The documentary Searching for Sugar Man begins with an obscure Detroit singer called Rodriguez, once compared to Bob Dylan, but could not sell any records. That might be the end, but -- somehow -- bootleg tapes of Rodriguez's albums made it all the way to South Africa, where they became part of the rallying cry against apartheid. His music was accompanied by a legend that he had committed suicide on stage. Several journalists tried to find out more, but were stymied. read more...

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• Realism ▶ Magical, Futuristic, Fantastic
• How Things Happen ▶ By cause and effect, mechanics, rules or facts
• Comfort Level ▶ Settled, reassured, comforted or resolved