The Movie Guys Top 10 Films of 1997

Friday, Jan. 2, 1998 | 8:46 a.m.

Jeff:

1. "Titanic"

2. "Good Will Hunting"

3. "The Wings of the Dove"

4. "Chasing Amy"

5. "Eve's Bayou"

6. "Boogie Nights"

7. "Wag The Dog"

8. "As Good As It Gets"

9. "Shall We Dance"

10. "Air Bud"

Dave:

1. "Titanic"

2. "L.A Confidential"

3. "Jackie Brown"

4. "Deconstructing Harry"

5. "Boogie Nights"

6. "The Wings of the Dove"

7. "Face-Off"

8. "Gross Point Blank"

9. "The Ice Storm"

10. "Wag the Dog"

Jeff:

1. "Titanic"

James Cameron's epic love story tops my list of the best films of 1997. Who would have thought a science fiction director could successfully pull off the most expensive love story of the decade? "Titanic" had love, suspense, comedy and the most incredible special effects ever put on film. This movie will move you to tears and deserves to be honored as the best film of the year.

2. "Good Will Hunting"

From first-time screenwriters Matt Damon and Ben Affleck comes the year's surprise drama. The performances are sound, the writing is remarkable and director Gus Van Sant perfectly executes this gem of a movie about a janitor Will Hunting (Matt Damon) with a remarkable gift for math, who must use it to reach for a better life. Robin Williams gives the performance of his career as a second-rate therapist who guides Hunting down the right path. This is the best.

3. "The Wings of the Dove"

From director Iain Softley comes the year's most memorable love story. Based on the Henry James novel, screenwriter Hossein Amini adapts perfectly the love triangle of a wealthy Englishwoman (Helena Bonham Carter) who falls for common journalist, all of which is set against a beautiful European backdrop. This has an array of emotions from greed and guilt to despair.

4. "Chasing Amy"

Writer and director Kevin Smith gives us the most original love story of the year. He asks the burning question, What happens when a man falls in love with a woman who happens to be a lesbian? What follows is an answer that has the most raw and honest dialogue in any film I've seen. Joey Lauren Adams is magnificent as Amy and Ben Affleck is remarkable as a confused lover who must change the lifestyle of the woman he loves. Is that possible?

5. "Eve's Bayou"

Yet another first-time writer and director, Kasi Lemmons, presents the dark drama of a Southern family facing family problems and struggling to keep their family name above water. All told through the eyes of 10-year-old Eve. It is a gloomy and eerie tale of murder and deceit, with outstanding performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Lynn Whitfield. Keep your eye on Lemmons.

6. "Boogie Nights"

Who could forget Paul Thomas Anderson's drama of a boy who becomes a man via the porno industry? Anderson creates a dysfunctional family of filmmakers who want to elevate the craft of porno films to an art form. The father of this family is Burt Reynolds, who sheds his nice guy image; the son is rapper-turned-actor Mark Whalberg, who proves there is more to life than rapping. This was a great movie, with an uncanny feel for the late 1970s.

7. "Wag The Dog"

Barry Levinson's political comedy about the president of the United States, who, in order to save his re-election campaign, orchestrates a phony war to boost his approval rating. He hires a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) who teams up with the president's special assistant (Robert De Niro); the two must get the American people to believe in a phony war the U.S. is "winning" abroad. Full of dark humor and contempt for politics, "Wag the Dog" is a hilarious spoof of government insanity.

8."As Good As It Gets"

Jack Nicholson is back to what he does best ... acting! He finally sheds the persona of "Jack Nicholson" and returns as the most original, annoying, dysfunctional character of his career, under the genius of director James L. Brooks. Helen Hunt is now an official movie star and Greg Kinnear holds his own against Nicholson in what has to be the breakout performance of the year. This is a charming, romantic, warped comedy about the thought of life: Is this as good as it gets? As a movie, yes.

9. "Shall We Dance"

This touching film about the rigors of edict in Japanese society. A man who is unhappy with his home life takes up ballroom dancing in order to meet a woman who inspires him and gives him life. A breathtaking movie filled with passion, humor and peek inside a different world.

10. "Air Bud"

Ok, I had to have a family film in my Top 10. I loved "Air Bud." I know I'm opening myself up to ridicule, but this was such a uplifting and inspiring movie -- about a little boy and his basketball-playing dog -- that I'll take the punches. "Air Bud" is the feel-good movie of the year. I knew you would agree.

Honorable mentions: "In the Company of Men"; "Soul Food"; "The Full Monty"; "The Pillow Book"; "The Ice Storm."

Dave:

1. "Titanic"

As overly dramatic as this may sound, I was truly speechless after seeing James Cameron's highly-anticipated romantic epic. With the astounding special effects and sincere performances by stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, the film's three-hour-plus running time becomes incidental. Cameron has truly made one of the best films of our generation!

2. "L.A. Confidential"

So few movies flow with so little effort as director Curtis Hanson's film of murder and corruption in the 1950s. The cast includes Russel Crowe, Kevin Spacey and Kim Bassinger in an intriguing and complicating plot that unfolds much like the book by James Ellroy on which the film is based. Superb direction and an impressive script by Brian Helgeland are reminiscent of Roman Polanski's "Chinatown."

3. "Jackie Brown"

The '90s wunderkid Quentin Tarantino sheds any criticism that he's a hack filmmaker with his return to the director's chair. Pam Grier stars as the title character, who scams both her gun-smuggling boss and federal agents for a bag full of cash. Laced with a killer '70s soundtrack, an impressive cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro, and Michael Keaton to name a few) and Tarantino's innovative style behind the camera and use of pop-culture dialogue, one should expect nothing less.

4. "Deconstructing Harry"

As a Woody Allen aficionado, let me just say that this is not only the most personally revealing film the old Woodster has made, but definitely the most raunchy. Writer-director-star Allen plays author Harry Block, a "sex-crazed, pathological narcissist" who turns every intimate encounter into a successful fictional story. Comedic-dramatic performances by Kirstie Alley, Judy Davis, Elisabeth Shue, and the entire supporting cast make for a memorable Woody Allen movie.

5. "Boogie Nights"

Here is a film that takes an audacious look into the world of 1970s porn. True, its topic is a bit seedy and the characters may not be ideal role models, but its sincerity and tasteful approach are a few of the outstanding qualities writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has graced his film with. Oscar-worthy performances by Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore and a breakthrough role for Mark Walberg.

6. "The Wings of the Dove"

Cinematically rich and filled with lavish costumes and sets, the impressive direction by Iain Softly delivers a magnificent tale based on the 1902 novel by Henry James. Helena Bonham-Carter gives the performance of the year as a young, upper-class woman who struggles with her compulsion for her lover to reluctantly seduce a wealthy and ill-fated heiress in order to receive her money. A sad romance that has emotional drive.

7. "Face/Off"

This action-thriller has two of today's hottest actors in John Travolta and Nicolas Cage swapping faces and characters and playing out their opposites in grand fashion! The film's concept, however outlandish it may seem, cleverly allows director John Woo to orchestrate brilliant action sequences and make violence a choreographed art form. By far the best movie the summer of 1997 had to offer -- and one of the best films of the year.

8. "Grosse Pointe Blank"

As far as the best comedy of 1997, John Cusask as a professional hit man attending his 10-year high school reunion makes the list. Complete with a hip '80s soundtrack, pop-cultural references and a feel for the campiness that made the Reagan era so memorable, the tongue-in-cheek humor is played to perfection by Cusack (also co-writer and co-producer) and the entire ensemble cast, including Minnie Driver, Joan Cusack, and, in rare comedic form, Dan Aykroyd.

9. "The Ice Storm"

Capturing the incredible sensation of one's own isolation and exposing the vulnerability of every individual, director Ang Lee pulls off an awesome re-creation -- almost an incriminating look -- of the early 1970s. Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver star as swinging neighbors in the suburbs who deal with their believed misery and learn nothing from it. A very intelligent and curious film that possess an incredible sense of "coldness."

10. "Wag the Dog"

From director Barry Levinson comes a political satire that has Dustin Hoffman as a Hollywood producer saving the image of the President of the United States before re-election. Robert De Niro plays the spin doctor who throws out metaphors to either help or confuse the situation. A smart comedy that works on every level.

Honorable mentions: "As Good As It Gets"; "Copland"; "Donnie Brasco"; "Eve's Bayou"; "In the Company of Men."

MOVIE BUZZ

* Score one for the Constitution: The seizure by Oklahoma City police last June of videos of the award-winning German film "The Tin Drum" (1979) was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge last week. A local judge had ordered that copies of the movie be seized after receiving complaints that a scene suggested that a young boy and an underage girl engaged in a sex act. A separate hearing on whether the film is pornographic has been set for April.

* Riker recalled: The long-awaited sequel to Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Total Recall" is being readied for the big-screen. "Star Trek" star Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. Riker) has said he will direct the film after he completes work on the latest "Star Trek" flick. Producers hope to lure the entire "Total Recall" cast back, including Arnold.

* The man in the green 'Mask': Jim Carrey was apparently offered $10 million to reprise his role as the manic madman of "The Mask." However, Carrey has bailed out of the project, so producers are going with a different angle. Carrey's character, Stanley, is killed, and his girlfriend and best friend have to go to Paris. The villain from the first film also shows up. Without Carrey, though, the film will most likely flop.

VIEWPOINT

Well, it's a brand new year, and everyone has either made or already broken their New Year's resolutions. We, The Movie Guys, have our own personal resolutions, which we won't get into (trust us -- you don't want to know), but we would like to suggest a simple one for Hollywood moviemakers: Make better movies.

That can't be too hard, can it? Find a good script, a good director and good actors and you have a good movie, right? Now, we realize it's not quite that easy. However, given the amount of garbage that Hollywood releases each year, you'd think that making good movies was next to impossible. The real problem lies in trying to balance art with business. Movies are made for two reasons. One is to fulfill the vision of a writer and/or director. The second is to make a profit for the company that financed and distributed the movie.

Sadly, the two sides rarely get along, and when they do, what you get is art by committee. It's a losing proposition. Call it "too many cooks spoil the broth." Strangely enough, the "creator" and the "financier" actually need each other to survive. One example of a "creator" left to his own devices is Kevin Costner. His dismal "The Postman" is a bloated epic that collapsed under the weight of Costner's huge ego. Long before a single frame of film was shot for "The Postman," a studio exec should have just pulled the plug.

On the other side of the coin, "Mr. Magoo" was a film (a term used loosely) that was conceived, plotted and executed for the express purpose of making money -- period. And it is failing miserably. Thankfully, though, there are times when the Hollywood system works just fine. We just wish it worked more often than not. Mabye this year.

NAME THAT FLICK Great response to last week's trivia quote: "You can suck on 'em and suck on 'em and they never get any smaller. At least I think they won't. A few more tests." Our winner was Janelle Schroeder, via e-mail, who correctly guessed it was "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Thanks, Janelle. Have a malt ball on us.

See if you can identify who said this and in what movie: "Bye-bye, California. Hello New West Coast... my West Coast." Do you know it?If you do, call us at 225-9026 or e-mail us at movieguys5@aol.com. Be sure to spell your name and leave a daytime phone number. Be the first to get it right and we'll we'll print your name right here in our column. Happy New Year from The Movie Guys!

THE MOVIE GUYS, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears every Friday in the SUN (additional material provided Thomas Feeney). You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Scope magazine; listen to their reviews and commentary every Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. on their radio show "Quiet on the Set" on KVBC 105.1-FM; and watch their reviews every Friday on Channel 3's 11 p.m. newscast. Plus, check them out online at: www.lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/ movies.

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