This list is not in order of like #1 best, #2 best etc., but if you rent any of these, you can't go wrong!
FORREST GUMP: Encompasses everything great you could put into a movie. Superb acting, wonderful story and characters, awesome fx, perfect music, deep meaning beyond the surface. Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Robin Wright Penn, Sally Field.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS I & II: The best on-screen fantasy epic every made! If you loved the books, you'll love the movies even more. Fellowship introduces Middle Earth, the characters and the situation, and the quest begins. The Two Towers is continuous action as the war of the Ring spreads and Frodo moves along with Sam (and Gollum) towards Mordor. Battle at Helm's Deep is the best monster battle ever! Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Orlando Bloom.
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION: Set in a prison, and has some gritty scenes, but a timeless story of friendship, hope, and the human spirit. An amazingly ingenious plot by the ever-awesome Stephen King. Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman.
JERRY MAGUIRE: A sports agent has an epiphony, realizing that he actually has values that have been buried. He writes a mission statement that changes everything; Jerry is reborn but it's a rocky ride. Breakout performances by Renee Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr.; Tom Cruise is flawless. Also features Bonnie Hunt and cute kid Jonathan Lipnicki. Written and directed by (genius) Cameron Crowe.
FIELD OF DREAMS: A deeply metaphysical story that coined the term "Build it and they will come". An Iowa farmer has a calling to mow down his cornfields and build a baseball field. For those who believe, the blackballed baseball players of the past come out and play. We also meet other characters searching their own souls as Ray 'goes the distance'. Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta.
FANDANGO: An odd indie film that started out as a short, then was discovered by Stephen Spielberg and expanded into a full-length movie. A road trip film about bonding, youth, regrets and dreams. More of a guy movie but recommended for everyone. Great music too! Kevin Costner.
THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE: A surprisingly incredible movie that's not about golf: it's about a much bigger game, called life. Based upon the Hindu text known as the Bhagivad-Gita, this deeply spiritual story is about a golfer (a man) searching for his authentic swing (soul) as he plays a golf match (his life) with the help of a gifted caddy (God). Beautifully filmed, perfectly acted. Matt Damon, Will Smith, Jack Lemmon, Charlize Theron.
THE GREEN MILE: Another Stephen King story set in a prison, this time death row. A compassionate warden believes that a slow-witted, huge but gentle man is innocent of the heinous crime for which he has been convicted. Supernatural elements create a very interesting twist. Tom Hanks.
BREAKING AWAY: It didn't win Best Picture for nothing! Might've been the first of the great feelgood movies of the 80's. A young cyclist from a working-class town realizes that who you already are is much better than trying to be something you're not. Relationships with his 3 friends and his father are central to the film as well. Culminates in the famed Bloomington, Indiana bike race.
BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON: Franco Zeferelli recounts the story of St. Francis of Assisi. The son of a wealthy merchant, Francis one day decides to relinquish all earthly possessions to become a beggar and an enlightened being. A gripping story and sharp-tongued criticism of the medieval Church.
VANILLA SKY: Another Cameron Crowe masterpiece! This suspense thriller is a re-interpretation of the Spanish film Abre Los Ojos, loaded with pop culture references and beautiful people. It is a study in love and lies, beauty and ugliness, truth and deception, dreams and reality. Great to watch over and over again. Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Jason Lee.
CLERKS: The first film by Kevin Smith, the Jersey Shore filmmaker who made it into the echelons of Hollywood simply because he's smart, funny and clever (pretty vulgar too). Clerks is the tale of a convenience store counter monkey and his sarcastic friend from the video store having a really long and terrible day. We meet Jay and Silent Bob and are introduced to the greater Red Bank area's fictional universe, as created by Smith. Brian O'Halloran, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith.
CHASING AMY: Third in Kevin Smith's Jersey trilogy (follow up to Clerks and Mall Rats). A geeky comic book artist falls in love with a girl who's perfect....except she's a lesbian. Raunchy sex talk abounds, but the situation is inherently funny. Jason Lee (ever the best friend) is hilarious. Ben Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams play their parts with genuine emotion. Show-stealer is Silent Bob (Kevin Smith)'s rant that explains the movie title.
STAR WARS (trilogy): If you haven't seen the first trilogy, what can we say? You've missed out on the closest thing we have to American mythology. A classic battle of good vs. evil, including the typical cast of characters: reluctant, innocent hero-by-destiny; swaggering glory-seeking hero; villains cloaked in pure evil; heroic damsel; comic relief characters; etc. The fx were state of the art at the time, but of course look funny now. Still the best science fiction movies ever. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher.
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