10 Best Written Movies of 2014

It’s time for my list of the ten best written movies of 2014! This year feels like a bit of a down year. There were plenty of fine movies, but nothing that really seems like it’s going to become a classic. It was not hard to come up with ten well-written movies, but it was difficult to order them. In other words, the distance between #1 and #10 was not great.

Keep in mind, this is a list of the best written movies, not necessarily the best movies or my favorite movies. Sometimes a film with a mediocre script will achieve greatness through the contributions of other artists. For example, Whiplash, though it made my list at #10 for the writing, was probably higher over all because of the amazing performance of J.K. Simons and the excellent music. And I probably enjoyed Lucy more than some of these movies on the list, though there were some script problems that kept it out of the top 10.

My usual disclaimers apply: I see a lot of movies, but I haven’t seen everything. I haven’t yet seen Birdman, though I’m anxious to correct that oversight. I also haven’t yet watched American Sniper, which was nominated for a Writers Guild Award so there’s a fair chance it has a good screenplay. I may in the future discover other movies from 2014 that would bump some of my selections off the list.

Also, some movies age better than others, and because many of these are awards season movies, I’ve seen most of them pretty recently. My opinions could cool over time (though looking back at last year’s selections, they all held up pretty well.) And though I’m happy to hear your opinions in the comments, this is my list. If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to make your own!

So without further ado, the 10 Best Written Movies of 2014:

1. The Theory of Everything (screenplay by Anthony McCarten) – This was an excellent, moving screenplay about a compelling subject that was tricky for several reasons: we know what happens, it would be easy to wallow in the tragedy of Hawking’s disease, and it would have been easy to lose the audience with the complexity of Hawking’s scientific ideas. The screenplay avoided all these traps. Neither character was overly idealized, I was caught up in the emotion and challenges of the relationship, and Hawking’s brilliance was portrayed in a way that made it accessible without reducing his ideas.

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel (story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guiness, screenplay by Wes Anderson) – I am not really a fan of Wes Anderson’s writing, but he nailed it here. His characters, as always, were original and indelible. But unlike most of his movies, this one also has a solid plot and real stakes. And the emotions were complex, the happy mixing with the sad in a way that ends up being truly profound – while at the same time ample humor and romance make the film very entertaining to watch.

3. Of Horses and Men (written by Benedikt Erlingsson) – You probably haven’t seen this movie. It’s from Iceland and I only saw it because it was in the LA Film Festival. Arguably it’s not even a 2014 movie – it was released in 2013 in Iceland and hasn’t yet been commercially released in the U.S. But I want to include it because it’s a wonderful movie, full of charm and rich drama, which gives us an insight into a very specific community. It also achieves most of its storytelling visually, with little dialogue. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t tightly scripted. It’s just that this script makes masterful use of the visual aspects of film.

4. The Imitation Game (screenplay by Graham Moore) – This is an excellent story and the writer does a great job drawing these characters and, like with Theory of Everything, dramatizing what is largely a mental process. Kudos, too, for not softening Turing’s rough edges yet making us care about him. The stakes here are huge, both on a personal and global level, and several scenes pack powerful emotional punches. It is only marred by a few clichéd moments.

5. Nightcrawler (written by Dan Gilroy) – This screenplay impresses on many levels. The characters are original and have distinctive voices. The plot is tense with several fantastic twists. And it explores cultural themes in a powerful way without being heavy handed.

6. Edge of Tomorrow (screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth) – Though it’s hard not to think of it as a science fiction Groundhog Day, this is really an excellent movie. It’s tight and taught, and has rich, dimensional, flawed characters. At the beginning of the story Tom Cruise’s character is a coward and Emily Blunt’s character is mean and heartless. And both change believably due to the events of the story. This and the brisk, clever storytelling leavened with just enough humor elevate it way above the average summer blockbuster – and makes it all the more tragic that it didn’t do well at the box office.

7. The Lego Movie (story by Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman and Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, screenplay by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller) – Pure fun. This is a great example of making the most out of a movie designed to entertain. It felt fresh and original, contained just enough emotional heft, and was thoroughly enjoyable. Oh, and it was very funny.

8. Inherent Vice (screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson) – I’ll admit I couldn’t follow the mystery, but that doesn’t really matter. This feels like Chinatown mixed with The Big Sleep and then filtered through Quentin Tarantino and the seventies hippie culture. The world of the story and the characters are fascinating and richly drawn. Dialogue is snappy and poetic if not exactly realistic. The plot is twisty and suspenseful. And it happens to contain one of the most erotic scenes ever put on film.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy (written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman) – Some people think big summer popcorn movies don’t require skilled scripting, but writing these things is incredibly challenging (just compare this movie to the ponderous Amazing Spider-Man 2). Guardians is fun, fast paced, charming and heartfelt – everything you could want out of a movie like this.

10. Whiplash (written by Damien Chazelle) – This is an intense, well-observed movie with two great characters and lots to say about excellence and mentorship. The scenes and dialogue crackle with tension. And it brings us into a fascinating world most of us are unlikely to be familiar with.

(Edited to Add:)

10B. A Most Violent Year (written by J.C. Chandor) – I had forgotten about this one when I made this list, so I'm adding it in a tie for tenth place. (As I said, the distinction between the 10 films - now 11 – is slim.) This is an excellent thriller set in a very grounded world with regular people. The characters are three dimensional, and it's interesting how the story explores the dangers and temptations of violence as a way to solve problems. It is set in 1981, and oddly it feels like it could have been made then. It may not be exactly groundbreaking, but J.C. Chandor is quickly becoming one of our best screenwriters.

There were also some honorable mentions, candidates I considered for this list: Big Hero 6, Snowpiercer, Lucy, and X-Men Days of Future Past all had writing worth noting for one reason or another. (I also thought my former student Rebecca Cremona did an excellent job with Simshar, though I’ll recuse myself from that one since I helped her develop it!)

Normally I also include a worst written movie of the year here, but I can’t really think of one I want to single out. Not that I liked everything I saw in 2014, but I try to reserve this slot for a movie with a truly misguided screenplay that could have been easily fixed, a film that makes you wonder how they ever green lit it. B-movies with low ambitions don’t really count, nor do merely pedestrian screenplays. And there were plenty of ambitious but flawed screenplays (Gone Girl, Interstellar, Foxcatcher), but it feels wrong to harp on someone who took a big swing and missed their target.

So that’s it for 2014… I’m looking forward to more great writing in 2015!

Best Written Films of 2011

It’s time for my annual “Best Written Movies” top 10 list. If you ask a group of screenwriters in any given year, they’ll generally say it was the worst year for movies in history. Screenwriters seem to love to be hypercritical. Of course, years later they may look back on that same year as a high water mark.

I try not to fall into that trap. That said, this seemed to be a pretty weak year for screenwriting. There are a bunch of movies that were enjoyable, but few that really wowed me. For the most part it seemed like we had to choose between interesting stories or quality craft – rarely were both found in the same film. Looking back at last year’s list, probably only two or three of this year’s movies would have cracked it. Still, I was able to come up with ten movies with reasonably good writing.

I have to give my usual disclaimers: This is the list of what I think are the best written movies, which is not the same as the movies I liked the best. Also, though I watch a lot of movies, I haven’t seen everything. So obviously if I didn’t see something it’s not on this list. And remember, this is my list… if you don’t like it you can make your own!

1. The Descendents (screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash) – Alexander Payne has the amazing ability to take subject matter that sounds dreary and bring out the humor and joy of life. His strength is charming, complex characters who feel completely real. The Descendents was an excellent, emotionally moving, thoroughly enjoyable movie.

2. The Adventures of Tintin (screenplay by Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish) – The one word review of this film: fun. It’s the most fun movie of the year and Spielberg’s most fun since Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s not flawless – Tintin is pretty one dimensional, though Snowy and Captain Haddock compensate (in fact, it’s really more Haddock’s story than Tintin’s). And the set-up over relies on coincidences. But you’ll barely notice those problems because the imaginative set pieces and humor are so much fun.

3. Crazy, Stupid, Love (written by Dan Fogelman) – This is a surprisingly smart romantic comedy with complex characters, really funny character based humor, and great dialogue. And, it has the courage to be true to where the story wants to go. For example, the movie sticks with one subplot scene for an unusually long time because the interplay between the characters is interesting and important to the overall story. I wonder how many executives gave notes to shorten that scene? Both lighthearted and grown up – a rare combination.

4. The Help (screenplay by Tate Taylor) – I have to admit, this is a kind of movie I generally don’t like. But it really is fantastically executed. Again, dimensional characters help a lot. And they wisely found the subtle complexity hiding in the obvious social message. Southern racists are easy villains… much more interesting to show the shades of grey, the occasionally fine line between right and wrong, and the frailty that motivates prejudice. The characters, plot, dialogue and scenes are all top notch. And it also has a lot of humor – the spoonful of sugar to help the message go down.

5. Hugo (written by John Logan) – This movie is charming and imaginative. It is perhaps a little bloated, but most of what it’s bloated with is stuff I love, so I have a hard time complaining. There’s an extended pitch for film preservation, for example, that I can imagine might bore people who are not that into film history. And there is one chase scene that feels tacked on simply because we hadn’t had much action for a while. Overall, though, it’s a well-crafted story with lots of original scenes and a fair amount of emotional oomph.

6. Super 8 (written by J.J. Abrams) – Best first half of a movie of the year. Unfortunately the second half is a bit of a letdown. The strength is the young characters, who are both likeable and complex. And the concept is fantastic, especially the part about the kids making a zombie movie. I got the sense this was not just inspired by early Spielberg, as Abrams has said, but also from his own childhood. Unfortunately when it shifts into action/monster movie gear, it feels much less original and alive.

7. Midnight in Paris (written by Woody Allen) – Look, Woody can write witty dialogue. We know that by now. And his plots always make sense. Some of his movies sparkle, some less so. This one sparkles. But it’s also pretty lightweight (and a bit smug sometimes). Enjoyable but not vital.

8. Captain America (screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely) – The best superhero movie of the year, and not exactly an easy character to pull off in this day and age. But Markus and McFeely overcome the challenges. There’s enough going on emotionally and thematically to make us care and the set pieces are well done. The biggest problems are that the Red Skull is not a very interesting villain and the climatic battle is the least exciting in the film. But it’s still a solid summer popcorn pic.

9. Drive (written by Hossein Amini) – The story is not particularly original, but it stands above the average indie thriller by avoiding many of the usual clichés, especially with the minor characters, and by giving the action scenes a strong sense of reality.

10. Bridesmaids (written by Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo) – This one troubles me. It would have been much higher if I’d just seen it in the theater where I found it fresh and funny. But I watched it again on DVD and (having already heard the jokes) noticed that the plot logic is shaky and some of the characters are rather thin. It points up a truth about comedy: laughter can hide many sins. It also reminds me that the experience of watching a movie – in a crowded theater or on TV at home – affects your perception. So is it a great script? No, not really. But it is fresh and there’s something interesting and a little dangerous about the Annie character that I admire. So it makes the list, barely. (I also want to note that I certainly appreciate the impact the movie has had on the business by proving that women can do R rated comedy. And I really hope that Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo write a lot more movies. I just hope all of them are better than Bridesmaids.)

Honorable Mention: The Future (written by Miranda July) – this is the most original movie I saw this year. And it’s funny and charming and interesting. It’s also unevenly paced and some of the scenes fall painfully flat. With Miranda July, you get her unique mind spilled out on screen and you have to take the good with the bad. So in a way this might be the best script of the year, but in another way it doesn’t crack my top ten. What are you gonna do… we’re talking about art.

And finally, my Worst Written Movie of the Year: Bad Teacher (written by Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg) – Bad on every level. First of all, nothing the characters do makes any sense. From the trailer you might think Cameron Diaz’s Elizabeth wants a boob job because she thinks it will get her Justin Timberlake’s Scott. But in fact she decides she wants the boob job before she even meets him because her fiancée dumps her. His reason for dumping her? She’s a gold-digger. So how is getting a boob job going to solve that problem? And she actually succeeds in seducing Scott half way through the movie yet still wants the boob job for reasons never explained. It’s all just horribly contrived because, well, I guess boobs are supposed to be funny.

But it gets worse. Virtually every scene fails to live up to its promise. When Elizabeth agrees to go to a students’ house for Christmas dinner (why?) we expect a hilarious comic set piece. Instead we get a tedious scene free of jokes that leaves us wondering why it’s even in the movie. What’s really tragic is there’s a great movie lurking in here somewhere. The premise is fantastic and Diaz is perfectly cast. Unfortunately none of that matters when the writing is so bad.

So there you have it… let’s hope for a better year in 2012.

Must See Movies: Action Adventure & Animated

And now the final (at least for now) lists of my Must See Movies. That key again for why they made the list: HS – Historical Significance, PF – Personal Favorite, AF – Art of Filmmaking

ACTION/ADVENTURE
Die Hard (screenplay by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza) – HS, AF, PF
Raiders of the Lost Ark (story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan) – HS, AF, PF
French Connection (screenplay by Ernest Tidyman) – AF, PF
Lethal Weapon (written by Shane Black) – AF
The Road Warrior (written by Terry Hayes & George Miller & Brian Hannant) – AF, PF
Beverly Hills Cop (story by Danilo Bach & Daniel Petrie Jr., screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr.) – AF, PF
48 Hours (written by Roger Spottiswoode and Walter Hill & Larry Gross and Steven E. De Souza) – HS, AF, PF

ANIMATED (or partly animated)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (Disney – story adaptation by Ted Sears, Richard Creedon, Otto Englander, Dick Rickard, Earl Hurd, Merrill De Maris, Dorothy Ann Blank & Webb Smith) – HS, AF
Pinocchio (Disney – story by Collodi, story and adaptation by Ted Sears, Otto Englander, Webb Smith, William Cottrell, Joseph Sabo, Erdman Penner & Aurelius Battaglia) – HS, AF, PF
Fantasia (Disney - too many to list) – HS, AF
Toy Story (Pixar - story by John Lasseter & Pete Docter & Andrew Stanton and Joe Ranft, screenplay by Joss Whedon & Andrew Stanton & Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow) – HS, AF, PF
Toy Story 2 (Pixar - story by John Lasseter & Pete Docter & Ash Brannon and Andrew Stanton, screenplay by Andrew Stanton & Rita Hsiao & Doug Chamberlin and Chris Webb) – AF, PF
Aladdin (Disney - screenplay by Ron Clements & John Musker and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio) – AF, PF
Beauty and the Beast (Disney – screenplay by Linda Woolverton) – AF, PF
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (screenplay by Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman) – HS, AF, PF
The Little Mermaid (Disney – written by John Musker and Ron Clements) – HS, AF, PF
Shrek (written by Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Joe Stillman and Roger S.H. Schulman) – AF, PF
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (written by Trey Parker & Matt Stone and Pam Brady) – AF, PF

Must See Films: Foreign Language, Cult and Documentary

This week's installment of Must See Films are Foreign Language (in other words, not English), Cult and Documentary. It was hard to narrow these categories down, but these are the highlights for me. Remember, the key for inclusion is: HS – Historical Significance, PF – Personal Favorite, AF – Art of Filmmaking.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE (NON-ENGLISH) FILMS
Cinema Paradiso (story by Giuseppe Tornatore, screenplay by Giuseppe Tornatore, collaborating writer Vanna Paoli) - PF, AF
Delicatessen (screenplay by Gilles Adrien, Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet) - PF, AF
Amelie (scenario by Guillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, dialogue by Guillaume Laurant) - PF, AF, HS
400 Blows (story by Francois Truffaut, screenplay by Marcel Moussy & Francois Truffaut) - AF, HS
Bicycle Thief (written by Cesare Zavattini & Suso D’Amico & Vittorio De Sica & Oreste Biancoli & Adolfo Franci & Gerardo Guerrieri) - AF, HS
Eat Drink Man Woman (written by Ang Lee, James Schamus and Hui-Ling Wang) - PF
Hardboiled (story by John Woo, screenplay by Barry Wong) - PF, AF
City of God (screenplay by Braulio Mantovani) - PF, AF

CULT FILMS
Rocky Horror Picture Show (screenplay by Jim Sharman and Richard O’Brien) – HS, PF
American Astronaut (written by Cory McAbee) – PF, AF
Cry Baby (written by John Waters) – PF
Trainspotting (screenplay by John Hodge) – PF, AF
Edward Scissorhands (story by Tim Burton & Caroline Thompson, screenplay by Caroline Thompson) – PF, AF, HS

DOCUMENTARIES
The Thin Blue Line (written by Errol Morris) – HS, PF, AF
Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (by Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky) – PF, AF
Roger and Me (written by Michael Moore) – HS, AF
Spellbound (by Jeffrey Blitz) – PF, AF

Must See Films: Comedy

This week’s must-see films are comedies from 1970 onward. This might be worthy of a little explanation. First, I’ve heard that comedies make up half of all movies made. I can’t source that but it sounds about right. Because of that one would expect a list of great comedies to be quite long. In many cases I’ve included comedies on other lists – Studio Films from the 1940’s or American Independent Films for example. These comedies are ones that didn’t fall naturally on any other lists which keeps these two lists manageable in length.

Also, why since the 1970’s? Well, as I said, many earlier comedies fall on other lists. But my lists are biased toward comedies after 1970. This is partly because I’ve seen more movies made after 1970. But it also has to do, I think, with the fact that comedies don’t always age as well as other types of movies. In fact, the more “high brow” forms such as satire don’t tend to age as well as the more “low brow” forms such as physical comedy or romantic comedy. This is because the former usually deals with the socio-political conditions of their times and once those times pass they become less relevant, while the latter deal with human nature which is unchanging.

Comedy is often called a genre though I think of it more as a tone. I do think there are some comedy-specific genres like romantic comedy, satire, parody, broad comedy, screwball, etc. I’ve divided my comedy lists into two broad categories: Romantic Comedy (including lighter character comedy and “dramedy”) and Broad Comedy (including parody).

As always, the reason for inclusion key is HS – Historical Significance, PF – Personal Favorite, AF – Art of Filmmaking

ROMANTIC COMEDIES & DRAMEDIES AFTER 1970
When Harry Met Sally… (written by Nora Ephron) – PF, AF, HS
Princess Bride (screenplay by William Goldman) – PF, AF
Splash (story by Brian Grazer, screen story by Bruce Jay Friedman, screenplay by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel and Bruce Jay Friedman) – PF
Arthur (written by Steve Gordon) – PF, AF
Annie Hall (written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman) – AF, HS
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth, screenplay by Charlie Kaufman) – PF, AF

BROAD COMEDIES AFTER 1970
This is Spinal Tap (written by Christopher Guest & Michael McKean & Harry Shearer & Rob Reiner) – PF, AF, HS
Raising Arizona (written by Joel & Ethan Coen) – PF, AF, HS
Shaun of the Dead (written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright) – PF, AF
Ghostbusters (written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis) – PF, AF
Fargo (written by Joel & Ethan Coen) – PF, AF
Blazing Saddles (story by Andrew Bergman, screenplay by Mel Brooks & Norman Steinberg & Andrew Bergman & Richard Pryor & Alan Uger) – PF, HS
Borat (story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips, screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Dan Mazer) – PF, AF, HS
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (written by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Eric Idle & Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones & Michael Palin) – PF, AF, HS

Must See Films: Hollywood 60's - 2000, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

This week's installment of Must See Films are Hollywood Films from the late 60's to 2000 and Sci-Fi/Fantasy films. As always, the key for reason of inclusion is: HS – Historical Significance, PF – Personal Favorite, AF – Art of Filmmaking.

HOLLYWOOD LATE ‘60’s TO 2000
Bonnie and Clyde (written by David Newman & Robert Benton) – HS, PF, AF
The Graduate (screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry) – HS, AF
Rosemary’s Baby (screenplay by Roman Polanski) – PF, AF
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (written by William Goldman) – PF, AF
Apocalypse Now (screenplay by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola) – HS, PF, AF
Taxi Driver (written by Paul Schrader) – PF, AF
The Conversation (written by Francis Ford Coppola) – PF, AF
Jaws (screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb) – HS, PF, AF
The Shining (screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson) – AF, PF
E.T. (written by Melissa Mathison) – AF, PF
Back to the Future (written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale) – AF, PF
The Sixth Sense (written by M. Night Shyamalan) – AF, PF
Schindler’s List (screenplay by Steve Zaillian) – AF, PF
Saving Private Ryan (written by Robert Rodat) – AF, PF
Silence of the Lambs (screenplay by Ted Tally) – AF, PF


SCI-FI/FANTASY
Star Wars (written by George Lucas) – HS, PF, AF
Alien (story by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, screenplay by Dan O’Bannon) – AF, PF
Aliens (story by James Cameron and David Giler & Walter Hill, screenplay by James Cameron) – AF, PF
Terminator (written by James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd) - PF
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (written by James Cameron & William Wisher Jr.) – HS, PF, AF
Blade Runner (screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples) – AF, HS, PF
The Matrix (written by Andy & Larry Wachowski) – AF, HS, PF
Children of Men (screenplay by Alfonso Cuaron & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby) – AF, PF
2001: A Space Odyssey (screenplay by Stanley Kubrick & Arthur C. Clarke) – AF, HS
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (screenplays by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Stephen Sinclair & Peter Jackson) – AF, HS, PF

Must See Films: 50's & early 60's studio; American Independent

This week's "Must See" film lists are studio films from the 50's and early 60's (ending before the culture change hit hollywood) and American Independent Films (most of which are 1980 to the present). As a reminder, the key for reason of inclusion is: PF = Personal Favorite, AF = Art of Filmmaking, and HS = Historical Significance.

BEST STUDIO FILMS OF THE 50’S & EARLY 60’S
The Apartment (written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond) – PF, AF
Sunset Boulevard (written by Charles Brackett & Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond) – PF, AF, HS
Singing in the Rain (written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden) – PF, AF, HS
The African Queen (adapted by James Agee & John Huston) – PF, AF, HS
Some Like It Hot (story by R. Thoeren and M. Logan, screenplay by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond) – PF, HS
The Bridge on the River Kwai (screenplay by Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman) – PF, AF, HS
Lawrence of Arabia (screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson) – PF, AF, HS
To Kill a Mockingbird (screenplay by Horton Foote) – PF, AF, HS
Dr. Strangelove (screenplay and adaptation by Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern & Peter George) – AF, HS
Sound of Music (screenplay by Ernest Lehman) – PF, HS

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT FILM
Easy Rider (written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper & Terry Southern) – HS
Return of the Secaucus Seven (written by John Sayles) – PF, HS, AF
To Die For (screenplay by Buck Henry) – PF, AF
Sex, lies and videotape (written by Steven Soderbergh) – PF, HS, AF
Clerks (written by Kevin Smith) – PF, HS
Reservoir Dogs (written by Quentin Tarantino) – PF, HS, AF
Pulp Fiction (stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary, written by Quentin Tarantino) – PF, HS, AF
Chasing Amy (written by Kevin Smith) – PF, AF
Drugstore Cowboy (screenplay by Gus Van Sant Jr. and Daniel Yost) – PF, AF
The Usual Suspects (written by Christopher McQuarrie) – PF, AF
Memento (screenplay by Christopher Nolan) – PF, AF
Ghost World (written by Daniel Clowes & Terry Zwigoff) – PF, AF
One False Move (written by Billy Bob Thornton & Tom Epperson) – PF, AF
Lars and the Real Girl (written by Nancy Oliver) – PF, AF

Must See: Silent Film, 30's & 40's, Noir & Gangster

Several of my students have recently asked me if I have a list of recommended films. I didn't, but it sounded like a great idea so I thought I'd compile one. I immediately became consumed with doubt and confusion. How many films should be on the list? Should I limit the number of films from any one filmmaker? Is the list supposed to be my favorite films, the films I think are most historically significant, the best written films or simply the best films?

I decided I was overthinking it.

What I am going to do from time to time over the next several weeks is posts lists of films under various headings relating to subject matter, time period or type of film. I am calling these my "Must See" lists.

I will use a code to indicate whether the film made the list because of Historical Significance (HS), Artistic Filmmaking (AF) or because they are a Personal Favorite (PF). I haven't set any arbitrary number of films for each list, but I am trying to break them down into groups of between five and fifteen. And I am trying to pick the best representative samples for each heading so many fine films will not make the cut. I figure this approach will help anyone inclined to follow my recommendations prioritize their viewing.

And a couple of disclaimers: My knowledge of films is good but not encyclopedic. And my memory isn't perfect. So I may very well leave deserving films off the lists due to oversight. And I reserve the right to update the lists later. In other words, these are my lists and that's all they are.

So with all that out of the way, here are the first three lists I've compiled:

SILENT FILM
The General (written by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, adaptation by Al Boasberg & Charles Smith) – HS, PF, AF
The Kid (written by Charles Chaplin) – HS, PF, AF
Nosferatu (written by Henrik Galeen) – HS, AF
The Birth of a Nation (written by D.W. Griffith & Frank E. Woods) – HS
Battleship Potemkin (script by N.F. Agadzhanova-Shutko) – HS, AF


BEST OF THE STUDIO SYSTEM 30’S AND 40’S
Notorious (written by Ben Hecht) – PF, AF
Rebecca (screenplay by Philip MacDonald, Michael Hogan, Robert E. Sherwoon and Joan Harrison) – PF, AF
The Thin Man (screenplay by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich) – PF
Citizen Kane (screenplay by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles) – HS, AF
Bringing Up Baby (story by Hagar Wilde, screenplay by Dudley Nichols & Hagar Wilde) – PF, HS
Casablanca (screenplay by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch) – PF, AF, HS
Gone with the Wind (screenplay by Margaret Mitchell) – HS
The Philadelphia Story (screenplay by Donald Ogden Steward) – HS, PF, AF
The Wizard of Oz (screenplay by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf, adaptation by Noel Langley) – HS, PF, AF


FILM NOIR & GANGSTERS
The Third Man (written by Graham Greene) – PF, HS, AF
The Maltese Falcon (screenplay by John Huston) – HS, PF, AF
Key Largo (written by Richard Brooks and John Huston) – PF, AF
Little Caesar (screenplay by Francis Edwards Faragoh) – HS
Chinatown (written by Robert Towne) – HS, AF
Body Heat (written by Lawrence Kasdan) – PF
The Godfather (screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola) – PF, AF, HS
The Godfather II (screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola) – PF, AF, HS
Goodfellas (screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese) – PF, AF