The Year in Review- 1983

   It was the year audiences discovered Darth Vader's helmetless head was whiter than the powder that fueled the insane reign of foul-mouthed force of nature Tony Montana. Shirley MacLaine was a pain in Debra Winger's ass(they still loved each other), seven pilots broke the sound barrier while Mel Gibson broke hearts. The Griswolds hit the road, Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy actually filled theater seats, and Meryl Streep took a near permanent seat at the Academy Awards. Here are the ten best films in order for 1983.

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.

3. "Return of the Jedi"(1983)
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)
Here's two more SNL greats that had plenty to smile about. Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy both shined in this hip comedy about a pompous commodities trader and a glib street hustler that experience a hilarious reversal of fortune in Philly. Director John Landis, a frequent collaborator of both funnymen, makes the most of a sharp script from Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod and a supporting cast that includes Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche as the billionaire brothers settling their nature vs. nuture debate for $1. Oh, and Jamie Lee Curtis, officially graduating from her scream queen origins, 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.

Honorable Mentions- "10 to Midnight"(1983) Charles Bronson chases a serial killer. "Without a Trace"(1983) Kidnapping drama with Judd Hirsch and Kate Nelligan. "The Outsiders"(1983) Frances Ford Coppola assembles a cast of future superstars for this Midwestern-set 1960s coming-of-age story. "Flashdance"(1983) We can't talk about 1983 without mentioning Jennifer Beals and her male body double. "Bad Boys"(1983) Sean Penn belonged in prison. "Max Dugan Returns"(1983) Jason Robards jousts with Marsha Mason in this Neil Simon-scripted comedy. "Twilight Zone: The Movie"(1983) Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and John Landis update the fabled '60s spook show. "Breathless"(1983) Richard Gere in an American remake of Jean-Luc Godard.

"Mr. Mom"(1983) Michael Keaton takes care of the kids. "Risky Business"(1983) Tom Cruise slides into the zeitgeist. "The Star Chamber"(1983) Michael Douglas as a vengeful judge. "Zelig"(1983) Woody Allen's mockumentary was once 100% on RT. "Cross Creek"(1983) Mary Steenburgen is author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in this Martin Ritt Oscar bait. "The Big Chill"(1983) Lawrence Kasdan's huge ensemble was a hit with critics. "Rumble Fish"(1983) Frances Coppola pulled double duty with this black-and-white tale of wayward youths. "Never Say Never Again"(1983) Sean Connery plays Bond for the last time. "Octopussy"(1983) Roger Moore plays Bond for the second-to-last time. "All the Right Moves"(1983) Cruise plays high school football. "Romantic Comedy"(1983) Does Dudley Moore love Mary Steenburgen? I know I do. "Under Fire"(1983) Gene Hackman and Nick Nolte in Nicaragua. "Uncommon Valor"(1983) Gene Hackman saves his son in Laos. "Star 80"(1983) Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts star in the tragic tale of fallen Playmate Dorothy Stratten. "Yentl"(1983) Barbra Streisand Oscar bait. "A Christmas Story"(1983) A blonde, bespectacled BB gun enthusiast becomes a holiday staple. "Sudden Impact"(1983) Dirty Harry is back by popular demand. "Gorky Park"(1983) William Hurt is a Soviet cop in this wintry thriller.

Biggest Oscar Blunders- Best Picture

   The Oscars are tonight and every movie buff knows that it's the only award show that really matters. Careers and reputations are made and anybody in the biz that says they don't want to win one is lying through their teeth. The stakes are high, you can cut the pretentiousness with a knife, and the choices that get made in that stuffy auditorium year after year have always been the source of endless debate and discussion.  A lot of people will tell you that "Apocalypse Now" should have beat "Kramer vs. Kramer" in '79 and "Pulp Fiction" should have beat "Forrest Gump" in '94. I'm going to leave these arguments alone and just say that those are ALL great movies and so is "Titanic" which deservedly won in '97 as well. I'm only zeroing in on the films that have no business being called the best of anything. Below you will read about those 'winners' that leave the average Joe shaking his head in disbelief. Or at least they would if he had any recollection of them in the first place("The Last Emperor", anyone?) thus proving my point exactly. So enjoy, but remember that this is the type of blog that is never going to be complete. Like I said, the Oscars are tonight.

1968's winner- "Oliver!"
Also nominated- "Funny Girl", "The Lion in Winter", "Rachel, Rachel" and "Romeo and Juliet"

The problem with writing an article like this is that you inevitably end up downgrading a film that doesn't deserve it. I get no pleasure out of punishing "Oliver!". It's a spirited musical(if a tad too long) produced at the tail end of the genre's heyday that every kid should have a look at by age ten. Judging by this field, it would seem like the Academy got it right. But look closer and you'll find that the best films of the year weren't even nominated. "2001: A Space Odyssey" is the most frequently cited example of Stanley Kubrick's genius, influencing everyone from Spielberg and Lucas to Ridley Scott and Chris Nolan. If you erased it from history, we might still be singing and dancing in the streets instead of exploring the vast universe of infinite possibilities the medium of film offers. "Planet of the Apes" and "Rosemary's Baby" are both holding up pretty damn well, while "Once Upon a Time in the West" is winning new admirers to this day. I'm reviewing the situation, and finding that "Oliver!" stole this one.

1973's winner- "The Sting"
Also nominated- "American Graffiti", "Cries and Whispers", "The Exorcist" and "A Touch of Class"

"The Sting" was an enjoyably old-fashioned caper starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman and there wasn't anybody in America that didn't want to see these two handsome matinee idols share the screen again after "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". The venerable duo, along with director George Roy Hill, were basically riding the coattails of their hugely popular Western and forty years later, "The Sting" just doesn't feel like an essential piece of work. "The Exorcist" however, is still regularly called the scariest movie of all time, but the Academy has always shied away from controversy and Linda Blair's crucifix and potty mouth certainly generated plenty of it. Then there's the little matter of "Badlands" and "Last Tango in Paris". Yep, we definitely got conned.

1980's winner- "Ordinary People"
Also nominated- "Coal Miner's Daughter", "The Elephant Man", "Raging Bull" and "Tess"

This well-acted family drama marked the directorial debut of Robert Redford. He got impressive performances from his entire cast with Mary Tyler Moore receiving widespread acclaim for breaking out of her likable sitcom persona to play the cold matriarch of a family dealing with trauma. She was rewarded with a Best Actress nomination and Timothy Hutton became the youngest recipient of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at age 20. The problem is that I'm pretty sure I'm the only person I know that has seen or even heard of this movie. It's faded from the public's memory. That doesn't automatically make it unworthy of the top prize, but let's talk about some of 1980's other offerings. "Coal Miner's Daughter" contains an outstanding performance from Sissy Spacek and "Raging Bull" is heavily praised to this day as one of Martin Scorsese's best films thanks to Robert De Niro's electrifying portrayal of 1940s middleweight champ Jake LaMotta. But we're not limiting this discussion to films that were nominated. "Empire Strikes Back" is widely considered the best "Star Wars" movie and "The Shining" was another Stanley Kubrick masterpiece. When compared to these undisputed classics, Redford's film seems very, well, ordinary.

1985's winner- "Out of Africa"
Also nominated- "The Color Purple", "Kiss of the Spider Woman", Prizzi's Honor" and "Witness"

I know it really seems like I hate Robert Redford, but that's honestly not the case. The blonde icon has just been a part of a lot of undeserved Best Picture winners. Meryl Streep continued her mastery of accents in this lush period romance, but good luck finding me somebody willing to sit through it's 2 hour and 40 minute running time today. This is what most people are referring to when they say they don't give a damn about awards. "Witness" is definitely the most watchable film in this bunch, but the undisputed best movie of 1985 wasn't even nominated. You know I'm talking about "Back to the Future". The Michael J. Fox time travel classic has kept on delighting viewers in the 28 years since it's release while "Out of Africa" doesn't even get the chance to bore a new generation because it's probably been that long since anyone has watched it.

1990's winner- "Dances with Wolves"
Also nominated- "Awakenings", "Ghost", "The Godfather Part III", and "Goodfellas"

I'm not here to pick on Kevin Costner's sweeping frontier epic or the man himself for that matter. "Dances with Wolves" is a very good movie that I could watch every five years or so. But I could watch "Goodfellas" every damn day for five years straight and that's only a slight exaggeration. Would you rather watch Costner's Civil War soldier sitting in a cabin writing in his diary for 40 minutes or Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci beating made man Billy Batts to near death? There's no need to get into any other 1990 movies because it's common knowledge that Scorsese's wiseguys rule and this may have been the biggest robbery since the Lufthansa heist. This is why Best Picture just can't be accurately determined the year the movies in question are released because the passage of time is the only real test of a film's worth. Hollywood has always had a thing for A-list leading men who step behind the camera and Costner's popularity at the time played no small part in the decision, but if we could vote for the Oscars twenty years after the fact, nobody outside of Kevin's immediate family is handing him the statue.

1998's winner- "Shakespeare In Love"
Also nominated- "Elizabeth", "Life Is Beautiful", "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Thin Red Line"

This is a big one. A romantic comedy starring Gwyneth Paltrow beat out Steven Spielberg's searing tribute to real life heroism. How on Earth did this happen?! Tinseltown was clearly in the process of turning the young blonde starlet into a household name, but this was just downright offensive. "Ryan" was a huge critical and commercial success and I would have bet everything I own on it picking up the most prestigious award in the motion picture industry. Spielberg did win Best Director which indicates that his WWII drama came VERY close to winning and it's been alleged many times that Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein ran an aggressive campaign and essentially bought the Academy Award for Best Picture. These loud claims caused the Oscar telecast to be moved up one month from late March to the end of February to shorten the amount of shameless politicking that takes place. Perhaps a jealous pocket of voters were simply tired of patting the backs of Spielberg and Tom Hanks. They certainly didn't need any more accolades, but it doesn't take a film scholar to notice an error as egregious as "Shakespeare" coming out on top.

2000's winner- "Gladiator"
Also nominated- "Chocolat", "Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Erin Brockovich" and "Traffic"

Was I not entertained? Of course not. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Ridley Scott's swords and sandals epic as much as the next guy but is it REALLY the best film of 2000? Anybody that thinks so probably missed Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic", a realistic examination into the nation's largely fruitless and never-ending 'War On Drugs'. It's a war that can never really be won which is a stance that was probably too controversial for the conservative Academy. Soderbergh assembled an impressive ensemble cast and skillfully weaved multiple storylines to earn Best Director, yet his absorbing drama got slayed by Maximus at the end of the night. Like I pointed out earlier, Picture and Director almost always go hand in hand but the deck was stacked even further by the fact that "Gladiator" was a big box office hit that planted Russell Crowe firmly on the A-list. Sometimes it just turns into a popularity contest.

2002's winner- "Chicago"
Also nominated- "Gangs of New York", The Hours", "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and "The Pianist"

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Rene Zellweger sure threw themselves into scenes like the one pictured above, but there is NO WAY IN HELL Rob Marshall's musical was the best film of 2002. The Academy surely got carried away with their enthusiasm for this lively adaptation of the Broadway hit believing it would mark the full fledged comeback of the venerable song and dance genre after nearly a quarter century(thank God that didn't happen, "Hairspray" and "High School Musical" notwithstanding). This isn't the '60s and "Chicago" isn't "West Side Story" or "The Sound of Music". It's not even "Grease". Roman Polanski won Best Director for his infinitely superior Holocaust drama "The Pianist" indicating another very close race. It was only one of at least a dozen movies more deserving than the one that got Queen Latifah inexplicably nominated as well in the Best Supporting Actress category. What were they trying to pull here?!

2005's winner- "Crash"
Also nominated- "Brokeback Mountain", "Capote", "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Munich"

Paul Haggis' heavy-handed parable on racism may be the worst movie to ever win Best Picture. Matt Dillon did some nice work as a bigoted member of the LAPD, but one good scene does not a great movie make. "Brokeback" is obviously better, but homophobia likely kept the cast and crew of Ang Lee's 'gay cowboy movie' in their seats at the Kodak Theater that night. Lee did win Best Director which means this was another horse race. We either need a recount or an investigation into how many times Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges was allowed to vote. "Munich" was another solid dose of serious Spielberg, but I explained how we feel about him and his overcrowded mantle a little earlier. "Syriana" was a topical, socially relevant film that wasn't even nominated. Neither was Terrence Malick's epic "The New World". Thandie Newton wasn't the only one that got degraded in 2005.

2008's winner- "Slumdog Millionaire"
Also nominated- "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Frost/Nixon", "Milk" and "The Reader"

I may have spoke too soon when I damned "Crash" as the least impressive film ever celebrated on Hollywood's biggest night. The Oscars really started losing credibility over the past decade. At this rate, any future discussions about the awards won't be about the times they got it wrong, it will be about the rare instances when they got it right. This is another example of the Academy going against the grain. The nomination alone was a stretch, but  Danny Boyle's film winning is absolutely ridiculous. The other four nominees were all better. "The Wrestler" was much better. It wasn't even nominated. Neither was "The Dark Knight". Many felt it should have been. Rewarding Chris Nolan's massively successful, genre-defying sequel would have been more appropriate than acknowledging a passing fad. Bollywood my ass. Nobody will remember this movie in ten years.