The Top 10 Films of the 1980's

Here is a continuing look at my picks of the best films of each decade. The 1980's were an interesting decade to be part of. All eyes were on the great directors of the 70's to see if they would continue their genius or fall on hard times. Steven Spielberg created 3 films worthy of making this list (E.T.; Raiders of the Lost Ark; The Color Purple) but also stumbled with Empire of the Sun and Always. Martin Scorsese created what was voted the best film of the decade (Raging Bull - not on my list) but also stumbled financially with The King of Comedy; After Hours; and The Last Temptation of Christ (all films I admire at varying degrees). Francis Coppola took the biggest tale spin after a great decade making some good films (The Cotton Club; The Outsiders; Peggy Sue Got Married; Gardens of Stone; Tucker) and some not so good films (One From The Heart; Rumblefish) and nary a box office hit among them.

Movie business increased causing twin or triple screens to be changed to up to eight or nine screens. The popularity of drive-ins waned so much that more screens closed per year then opened. As the decade wore on business began to drop some due to cable television and the rising popularity of videocassettes.

For the second decade in a row Clint Eastwood was the top box office star, making him and John Wayne the two top stars of the last four decades. Eddie Murphy and Burt Reynolds were second and third.

Here are my choices for the ten best films of the 1980's listed in alphabetical order.

BRAZIL - Monty Python alumnus Terry Gilliam directed this futuristic masterpiece that is part George Orwell and part Python. Set in a bleak futuristic society, the film stars Jonathan Pryce as an idealistic office clerk (with an office so small he has to share half his desk with the guy next door) who holds onto his dreams of a better life and love with a woman he cannot have. Robert DeNiro, Michael Palin, Kim Greist and Bob Hoskins co-star in this film that is alternately violent and hilariously funny. The film's imaginative effects and production design are spectacular.

CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS - Woody Allen had a terrific decade as he made one superior film after another (Broadway Danny Rose; Zelig; The Purple Rose of Cairo; Hannah and Her Sisters; Radio Days) and this one is the best as he tells two stories, one funny and one deadly serious, whose themes are revealed in the title that nicely come together at the end. In one story Martin Landau (Oscar nominated) plays a successful Orthodontist whose fairy tale life is about to spin wildly out of control when his mistress (Anjelica Huston) announces she is going to his wife if he doesn't leave her. He contacts his brother (Jerry Orbach), a thug and criminal who suggests the mistress can easily be gotten rid of. Story number two finds Woody as an unhappy documentary filmmaker who goes to work for his cocky but quite successful brother-in-law (Alan Alda), a top Hollywood man. Soon Woody finds himself falling for Alda's new assistant (Mia Farrow) while holding on to a loveless, lifeless marriage. Woody's writing is sometimes bitter and sometimes sweet but always dead on as the subjects of religion, monogamy, murder and loyalty are raised. It's one of Woody's few films that demands discussion. It is still one of his three best films.

FIELD OF DREAMS - One of the few films that most men admit to making them cry is this story of a down on his luck farmer who makes a baseball field on his land so the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) and other deceased baseball players can come play ball again. And that's just the beginning. Amy Madigan, Burt Lancaster, James Earl Jones and Timothy Busfield co-star in one of the greatest films ever made about baseball - especially because it is about so much more then baseball. The film also has one of the most beautiful musical scores ever created (by James Horner) and an ending that doesn't leave a dry eye in the house. Interestingly this is one of the few films where more men then women cry, no doubt thanks to its patriarchal themes.

GLORY - One of the greatest war movies ever made, certainly one of the two or three best of the last 40 years, is this tale of the first regime of all black soldiers during the Civil War and the inexperienced Northerner assigned to train and lead them into battle. Matthew Broderick plays their leader with the soldiers played by such fine actors as Denzel Washington (Oscar winner), Morgan Freeman and Andre Braugher. Spectacular battle sequences highlight a powerfully written story of a group of men who believed in the battle they were fighting and their staunch refusal to be denied because of their race. This is a must for any history buff though I truly believe even non-buffs will enjoy it just as much.

PRINCE OF THE CITY - Director Sidney Lumet continued his storied streak of exceptional movies about law enforcement (Serpico; Dog Day Afternoon) with his best movie yet telling the long (three hours) and powerful story of a special investigative unit detective who decides to blow the whistle on corruption in his department provided his friends are untouched, and soon finds he is more a victim then hero. Treat Williams has never been better then he is here and Lumet provides him with a nice supporting cast and a strong script that keeps the story moving. The film is a fascinating look at right and wrong in the department and how some heroes can become pariahs. This is a powerful film.

RAGTIME - No director may have been as hot at the time (critically speaking) then Milos Forman, whose 1975 film "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" swept the major Oscars and his 1979 follow-up "Hair," based on the hit Broadway musical, was one of the best musicals ever put on film. It should also be mentioned that the film after this was 1984's "Amadeus," which would earn Forman his second Best Director Oscar. "Ragtime," based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow, is an epic look at American life in the early 1900's with the story finally settling on the character of one Coalhouse Walker, Jr., a piano player who fights for justice after his falls victim to racism by a sadistic fire chief. The film is filled with elegant sets and beautiful music (by Randy Newman) and terrific performances by Howard Rollins, Jr., Mandy Patinkin, James Olson, Mary Steenburgen, Elizabeth Mc Govern and James Cagney making his first appearance in films in 20 years.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - Steven Spielberg and George Lucas teamed to pay homage to Saturday morning serials with this exhilarating action adventure film that introduced the world to archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford). Here Jones goes globetrotting for the Lost Ark of the Covenant and comes across villains and love with an old girlfriend (the wonderful Karen Allen). The film is an absolute rollercoaster ride of adventure with an opening sequence so terrific it makes most movies concluding chases seem pale by comparison. And it only gets better from there. The film has inspired two filmed sequels and a third that is preparing production now. Let's hope Spielberg can recapture the magic.

THE RIGHT STUFF - My choice as the best film of the decade is Philip Kaufman's exhilarating look at the birth of the American space program and the astronauts chosen to man these first missions. We meet these men as they are chosen and then have to go through the harrowing training right up until the flights begin. We also meet pilot Chuck Yeager (Oscar nominee Sam Sheppard) who wasn't chosen but is considered the best of the bunch and continually tries to break the sound barrier. A cast of mostly (then) unknowns including Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Fred Ward, Dennis Quaid and Lance Henricksen play the astronauts beautifully and are ably supported by Kim Stanley, Barbara Hershey, Jeff Goldblum, Kathy Baker, Veronica Cartwright, Pamela Reed and Scott Wilson. The film's centerpiece is an amazing flying sequence with John Glenn (Harris) that soon turns from magical to horrifying as it becomes quickly clear he is in trouble. The three plus hour epic is never boring and has a handful of simply amazing scenes. This is a must see for everyone whether the subject is of initial interest or not.

THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING - Philip Kaufman followed up "The Right Stuff" with another epic drama that is just as masterful and compelling. Here he tells the erotic and thrilling tale of a Czech doctor (Daniel Day-Lewis) in the 1960's who deplores politics and loves women, lots of women, and soon finds himself caught up in political turmoil and the crisis of trying to commit to his lovely wife and very sensual mistress. The film is sexy, interesting and very intriguing as we get caught up in this cocky man's life. The film is long but never boring as it unfolds its story and themes knowing a mater filmmaker is leading us along.

THE VERDICT - One of the most intelligent courtroom dramas ever made comes from Sidney Lumet, who mastered the genre with "12 Angry Men." Here Paul Newman stars as an alcoholic lawyer who takes on the only case that comes his way, that of medical negligence, that could bring him back to the top. Taking on two of the top doctors in their field with the best defense attorney (James Mason) money can buy, Newman foolishly turns down a settlement offer without telling the family simply because he still believes in justice and truth. David Mamet's perceptive script features rich dialogue and Lumet's direction keeps the story flowing freely. Newman gives the best performance of his career and is ably supported by Mason, Jack Warden, Milo O'Shea and Charlotte Rampling as another alcoholic loser who infects Newman's life. This is a terrific drama that must be heard as well as viewed.