Homework
Posted on Tuesday, September 19th, 2006 at 9:52.
My first homework assignment for my producing class was to list my top five favorite movies and why. This was not an easy task. I enjoyed the assignment (even though I forgot to print it before leaving for my internship and had to jot down a shorter version to hand in) and thought I’d share.
5. Gattaca
Science fiction, handsome actors, and social relevance: three important characteristics of a movie. What if the world were divided into biological classes, not sex or gender, but on if you were engineered or not? Gattaca explores questions that I find intriguing: the potential social implications of biological engineering of humans, the balance of should we as a society do something with technology just because we can, and man’s conquering the natural world.
4. Contact
Faith and science, the limited understanding we have of the universe, and the innate desire to explore: deep feelings that I often ponder when staring at stars. As a spiritual person and an amateur scientist, both interests have influenced and challenged me, yet provided insight to my understanding of Creation. Contact directly hits on this personal experience. And Jody Foster is amazing.
3. Tie: The Corporation and An Inconvenient Truth
Corporations are more powerful than governments and often have more impact on daily life than governments, though often they are equally corrupt. As an entrepreneur and someone politically active, this documentary angered, scared, and inspired me.
There isn’t much that I can say about An Inconvenient Truth that the documentary doesn’t already say. I saw it twice in theaters and I almost cried the second time during the credits. The use of varied data sources and fun illustrations helped argue a topic that some are vehemently opposed to acknowledging.
Both made me want to be an educator through media.
2. Minority Report
Much like the Precogs in Minority Report predicted future crimes, Minority Report predicted the world in which the government is allowed to spy on everyone without reason or accountability and detain anyone for any length of time for mere suspicion. Essentially, Minority Report predicted the PATRIOT Act a few years before 9/11. Shocking premise, beautiful futuristic imagery, and unpredictable plot make this hypothesis a thrilling two-hours. I hope to one day be able to craft a story around a powerful and relevant issue in order to spark discussion.
1. Moulin Rouge
Post modernism and magical realism, oh my! The classic love story has never been told so humorously and entertainingly. The music arrangement and visual effects perfectly complement the absurdity of the story, which is a difficult balance. If I could only create one movie, this is the one that I wish I could make. It’s art that gives me chills and sucks me into an imaginary world that I don’t want to leave.
Edit: So after handing the assignment in, I realized that two other movies had to be on this list.
6. Big Fish
Similar reasons for my love of Moulin Rouge, only with deeper themes. I’m a sucker for magical realism with meaning.
7. Finding Neverland
I was the little boy at the end of the movie (figuratively).
You spelled Gattaca two different ways, but I love you anyway.
I want to marry Matthew McConaughey in Contact. His character is one of my top ten cinematic romantic interests. Also have you read the book from which the movie was adapted? Carl Sagan is probably the most approachable science writer of this century (or, um, the twentieth century), followed closely by Richard Dawkins.
Minority Report scares the crap out of me. I have never been able to finish watching it, it creeps me out that much. And not because of Tom Cruise either.
Actually, now that I think of it, half the movies on your list are adaptations of books, and one (Moulin Rouge) is a loose interpretation of a Greek myth.
And here’s a fun piece of trivia: The protagonists of what are arguably Tim Burton’s most personal films – Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Big Fish – are all named a variation of the name Edward.
Thanks, fixed that.
I just love Minority Report ::jumps up on Oprah’s couch::
I don’t read books. I used to, but then I went to college and didn’t have time to read. This will make adapting a book or optioning material difficult.
That’s a great list and I have to agree with your logic for all the films. I haven’t seen An Inconvenient Truth but it’s on my Netflix queue.
Make sure to have a few shots of good vodka ready. You’ll want to delude yourself with something after watching it.