1. "Scarface"(1983)
It's the favorite film of countless rappers and athletes, but don't hold that against it. This explosive 'rise and fall' gangster epic is "The Godfather" on steroids, a blistering examination of the immigrant experience and the paradoxical pursuit of the American Dream. Pacino is dynamite in the role that cemented his legacy as one of the essential actors of the late 20th Century. Director Brian De Palma, working from an Oliver Stone screenplay, spares us none of Al's method madness, and also deserves a special thanks for bringing a beautiful young blonde named Michelle Pfeiffer to the masses as well. How many movies increase in popularity 20-30 years after their release? With Tony Montana's mug plastered on a million posters and t-shirts, it's not a stretch to say that this film's place in pop culture has reached "Star Wars" level proportions. Our grandchildren will say hello to this coke-snorting Cuban and his little friend.
2. "Terms of Endearment"(1983)
My respect and appreciation for the greatest comedy/drama ever made has grown over the years after seeing so many films fail miserably to strike that careful balance. It's usually one or the other, and many filmmakers can't even get one half of the equation right. Director James L. Brooks' classic tearjerker perfectly captures all the realities of life, and the laughs and the tears that come along with it. Aurora Greenway is an uptight, neurotic Houston matriarch and the most memorable role of Shirley MacLaine's decades-spanning career. The story chronicles her love-hate relationship with feisty, strong-willed daughter Debra Winger(I'm still searching for her), while Jack Nicholson steals his scenes as her boozing, womanizing next door neighbor and unlikely love interest. In addition to the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Actress(MacLaine), Supporting Actor(Nicholson) and Director(Brooks), "Terms" was a major box office hit.
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The thrilling conclusion to the original "SW" trilogy had all the action, humor, and creativity that one could hope for. It's not hyperbole to say that George Lucas' saga captured the imagination of an entire generation and there wasn't anybody in this galaxy that didn't line up to see his beloved cast of characters take their final bow, in the second highest grossing film of the decade(behind "E.T."). Director(?) Richard Marquand introduced us to slimy crime-lord Jabba the Hut, Ian McDiarmid's even-slimier Emperor, and those cuddly Ewoks. The triple-stranded climax was masterfully done, with out-of-this-world ILM FX that set a new standard. "Jedi" marked a beginning AND an end in retrospect- Lucas, no longer an indie rebel outsider, couldn't stop the commercialization of his once-scrappy creation. A long-awaited prequel trilogy would reset the industry all over again in 1999.
4. "The Right Stuff"(1983)
The early days of space exploration and subsequent formation of NASA is recalled in riveting fashion in director Philip Kaufman's crowning achievement. Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Scott Glenn, Lance Henriksen, Fred Ward and Charles Frank are the brave pilots that participated in the groundbreaking period between 1947 and '63 that saw America break the sound barrier and ultimately orbit the Earth in the Space Race against Russia. The thrilling exploits of these heroes should be common knowledge, and Kaufman deserves all the credit in the world for trying to make it that way in this epic retelling of recent U.S. history that is more than worthy of it's 3 hour and 12 minute running time.
5. "The King of Comedy"(1983)
It's an indisputable fact of life that you just can't go wrong when De Niro and Scorsese are on the same film set. With that being said, they didn't exactly set the world on fire with their fifth and least iconic collaboration this side of "New York, New York". Moviegoers probably didn't know what to make of Rupert Pupkin in 1983, a talentless, deluded wannabe stand-up comic hopelessly convinced that he's on the path to stardom. He eventually goes off the deep end and kidnaps acerbic late night host Jerry Lewis in a desperate bid for his fifteen minutes. "Comedy" will never be as celebrated as "Taxi Driver" or "Raging Bull"(perhaps fittingly), but there's no denying that this film makes a prophetic statement about celebrity worship and the pursuit of fame at any cost that was WAY ahead of it's time.
6. "The Year of Living Dangerously"(1983)
Director Peter Weir should really be one of those household name auteurs considering his largely superior output("Witness", "Dead Poet's Society", "The Truman Show"). An untarnished, 27 year old Mel Gibson is in full heartthrob mode as an Australian correspondent in 1965 Indonesia, and I can't say that Sigourney Weaver has ever looked lovelier as his Brit love interest. But Riggs and Ripley were both overshadowed by pint-sized Linda Hunt's oddly compelling turn as an ultra-serious MALE dwarf/diplomat, a transformation rightly rewarded with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
7. "Silkwood"(1983)
A white-hot Meryl Streep followed her incomparable work in "Sophie's Choice" with another tragic heroine that kept her safely atop the leading lady hierarchy. Karen Silkwood was a chemical technician and labor union activist who died mysteriously in 1974 after raising concerns about the health and safety of workers in an Oklahoma nuclear facility. Many forget that Cher was once a rather prominent actress(this is where that started) and Kurt Russell also provides strong support as Streep's blue collar boyfriend. Director Mike Nichols("The Graduate") paints an authentic portrait of working-class, small town drudgery to end a lengthy hiatus that put him back on the shortlist of Hollywood's most dependable directors.
8. "National Lampoon's Vacation"(1983)
The first and best film in the "Vacation" franchise is easily one of the most popular comedies of the 1980s. Chevy Chase has a bad rep and it isn't entirely undeserved("Cops & Robbersons", anyone?) but he had his share of hits as well and Clark Griswold, that lovably square middle-class American Dad, is the role he'll be best remembered for. John Hughes' screenplay proved to be his big break and "Caddyshack" director Harold Ramis furthered his comedic credentials with a little help from a Wagon Queen Family Truckster, Randy Quaid's flaky rural relative, Imogene Cocoa's Aunt Edna(and her dog), Christie Brinkley's Ferrari-driving bombshell, and of course Walley World. Add it all up and you've got a hilarious trip that generations of film lovers have enjoyed again and again.
9. "Trading Places"(1983)
The '80s was indeed a VERY good decade for many comedic performers and these two SNL graduates had plenty to smile about. Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy were two of this era's premier funny-men and they both shined in this hip comedy about a prissy commodities trader who switches lives with a glib street hustler. Director John Landis(a frequent Murphy collaborator also enjoying his Hollywood heyday) really couldn't go wrong with a script this sharp, and a supporting roster that included Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche as the billionaire brothers who set up the switch, and Jamie Lee Curtis as the hooker with a heart of gold responsible for wearing out the pause/rewind buttons of more than a few VCRs.
10(tie). "The Dead Zone"(1983)
Christopher Walken makes a rare benevolent turn in his best role since "The Deer Hunter", as a quiet small-town schoolteacher who awakens from a five-year car crash-induced coma with powerful psychic powers that enable him to see the future of nearly every person he comes into contact with. That includes Martin Sheen's shady, warmongering Presidential candidate. Director David Cronenberg of "The Fly" fame, turned this tense Stephen King adaptation into his most mainstream and accessible piece of work, and not even Johnny Smith himself could have predicted that the lasting appeal of "Zone" would lead to a respectable run on television in the 2000s for grown-up child star Anthony Michael Hall.
10(tie). "Tender Mercies"(1983)
The legend of Robert Duvall began when he appeared as "Boo" Radley in 1962's "To Kill a Mockingbird". That's over FIVE decades in front of the camera, for those keeping score. Coppola cemented our devotion to Duvall in the 70's, but it's a slight shame that his sole Academy Award win came for a movie that most people have never seen or heard of. That doesn't mean you should continue to neglect his melancholy former country music star Mac Sledge, as he rebuilds his life with a single mother and her son in rural Texas. Mac doesn't trust happiness. That makes two of us, but you can trust this sobering drama from "Driving Miss Daisy" director Bruce Beresford, because it also took the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
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