Singin' in the Rain (1952)

#10 on Original, #5 on Anniversary, #16 on Laughs, #1 on Musicals, #16 on Passions

Recently thanks to TCM and Fathom Events, I was able to see this film on the big screen.  There is something so amazing about seeing a movie you love, in a theater full of people who also love that film.  I always forget how funny this film is. I’ve seen it so many times, that I know all the punch lines…and the dialogue….and some of the movements the actors make. Whatever. Don’t judge me.

 But being in the movie theater setting, I really paid attention to the dialogue, and little things, like props and the looks on some of the actors faces. It was like direct injecting the funny back into watching it. I hope never to lose it again, because the film is so enjoyable.

Plot recap if you don’t know:  Set in the late 1920s, a new menace is coming to Hollywood: talking pictures.  Will the silent film stars Lockwood and Lamont be able to make the transition successfully? 

The casting in this film is right on. Gene Kelly has a great balance of arrogance at the start of the film, and he can play humble by the end just as well; Jean Hagan is great as the dumb blond starlet; Donald O'Connor pulls off funnyman sidekick, without venturing off into goofy unbelievability. And Debbie Reynolds has a perfect amount of wide eyed innocence, while still being clever when she needs to be.

I think the only bad thing about this film is the editing. There are some really obvious cuts where the scene does not line up, or it repeats from a close up.  And in the middle of a gorgeous dance number, that annoys me every time.  Other than that? It is just an all around great film. 

I think this musical made so many lists, but particularly #1 on the Musicals list, because it is so accessible throughout the entire thing (and awesome).   “An American in Paris” (which is #9 on the musicals list, and often I hear from people could be #1) is fantastic, but the ballet at the end, I find, can turn people off.  But Singin in the Rain is so much easier for anyone to enjoy and understand, even if you don’t usually like musicals and dance.  There are places where you feel more like you are watching a comedy, or a romance, not a musical. And then the musical numbers come, and Bam! You can’t help but be in awe of strength and grace of Gene Kelly, or the commanding presence when Cyd Charisse comes on the screen for one dance number.  Or the ball of energy that is Donald O’Connor. How could a viewer not smile and enjoy it? 

(I  could do a whole post on just the musical numbers alone. I think I will. So, enjoy the overview post!)

Favorite Quote

Lina Lamont: What do they think I am? Dumb or something? Why, I make more money than - than - than Calvin Coolidge! Put together!

[Also, I had a really hard time picking a favorite quote for this one, there are too many great lines!]

Gone with the Wind (1939)

#4 on Original, #6 on Anniversary, #43 on Cheers, #4 on 10 Top 10: Epics, #2 on Passions

Any of the movies in the “10 Top 10: Epic” category are going to be a commitment.  You are committing time, and emotions to watch one movie, one story, for hours. In the case of Gone with the Wind, it is a 4 hour long commitment. Sometimes the movies marked as Epics feel like they take days to experience.  Luckily, with GWTW the time flies. 

But watching Gone with the Wind always makes me so conflicted. I can view it so many ways.  I can get lost in the romance of it all (big sweeping house, Clark Gable taking Vivien Leigh into his arms, etc). Or I can get turned off by the way certain groups of people are portrayed, and what a brat Scarlett O'Hara can be.  And sometimes she is being a brat because she is doing what has to be done to save her families property, and sometimes she is just being a brat because she can. 

Clark Gable gets one of the prettiest entrance shots in any movie, ever.  Standing at the bottom of the grand staircase, camera zooming in to his handsome face. Just a classic movie moment. Hattie McDaniel ties the story together for me, with her portrayal of Mammy. Mammy is an almost constant presence in the film, except when Scarlett goes to Atlanta. Olivia de Havilland as Melanie was great at playing sweet, with out venturing into saccharine. The character of Melanie really was considered to be almost a saint by everyone, so it would have been easy to go overboard, and almost mock the character, but de Havilland was able to walk that line with out going over. 

It is interesting to see history interwoven into Scarlett's story. Make no mistake, this is not a film about the Civil War. It is a film about Scarlett O’Hara; the war just happened to coincide with her life. 

Overall, GWTW really is a story of survival. Life will always have ups and downs and hardships. But no matter what happens, you have to get up and keep on living, one day at a time. Or as Scarlett says "After all, tomorrow is another day."

Favorite Quote:

Scarlett: Sir, you are no gentleman.
Rhett Butler: And you, Miss, are no lady.  Don't think I hold that against you. Ladies have never held any appeal for me.

Working Girl (1988)

#91 on Passions, #87 on Cheers

Oh the 80s.  The shoulder pads.  The overly big hair. So ugly, yet so endearing.  Working Girl is a good example of the fashions of this time, plus it highlights a woman trying to make it in the workforce, and having a brain in her head while still being able to have some fun.

Seriously. Just look at the trailer to see what we are dealing with:

Melanie Griffith plays Tess, a secretary who is taking business classes trying to work her way up in the world. After leaving her job with her pigheaded male coworkers, she is assigned to work for Katharine Parker (played ever so snottily by Sigourney Weaver) who presents herself not as a boss, but as a sort of peer. Of course, Katharine says this, and then treats Tess like a servant. When Katharine tries to steal a business idea that Tess has, Tess gets in touch with Jack Trainer (Harrison Ford in one of my favorite roles of his. Seriously, if you only know him as an action star, watch this.) to help her pull off the idea.  Deception and some hijinks ensue (like crashing an ugly 80s wedding!), and of course there is tons and tons of horrendous 80s fashion and hairstyles. Note: its not all bad, but it is just SO 80s.  Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack help to round out the cast, and give us some of the typical 80s looks that we would all expect. 

Random: The main song in the film is "Let the River Run" by Carly Simon.  The womens choir sang this when I was in high school. I kind of hated that song then.  I kind of still hate it now. I don't find it to be that thrilling as songs go, but it won all kinds of awards, so maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about. But I really do hate it. Mind you, this does not stop me from singing along if I can recall the words….

Favorite Quote:

Cyn: Sometimes I sing and dance around the house in my underwear. Doesn't make me Madonna. Never will.

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

#22 on Musicals, #34 on Passions, #7 on 10 Top 10: Animated

Yes, this is the Disney movie.   Having recently seen the 3D release of Beauty and the Beast, it is on my mind.  I was excited to see it on the big screen. That sweeping ballroom shot is spectacular on any screen, but having it be on a screen the size of a wall made it that much more impressive. 

The danger with watching a movie you loved as a kid when you are an adult is that you have a hard time being objective about whether or not the film is actually good.  Luckily, Beauty and the Beast is good no matter what. By setting it in no time in particular, it can easily translate to any day, and be relatable: Being an outcast and finding someone else who understands you.  Whether you are the bookish smart girl, or the ill-tempered beast being judged by appearance (...and your angry outbursts).

I really love the voice acting that was done in this film.  Paige O'Hara gave Belle such intelligence and heart.   Jerry Orbach as Lumiere was hilarious and I had no idea it was him until a few years ago.  Robby Benson's voice was altered with growls and roars by animals, but through that his performance as the Beast really shines through.  Richard White had the perfect mixture of smarmy arrogance in his voice for Gaston. It made my skin crawl a little bit.

The songs are so much a part of the story that it is no wonder they were able to make this into a Broadway show. These are songs that help to carry the story forward, while still being catchy, and memorable.  Unlike some musicals, where a song seems to be stuck in there just for the sake of having a song.

Beauty and the Beast is also notable because it is one of 6 animated films to make The List, that is on lists besides the 10 Top 10: Animated list. Animation and voice acting is such a huge part of the film industry. It is nice to see that AFI recognizes that just because a movie is animated, or marketed towards a younger audience, does not mean that it is not a worthwhile contribution to the film industry.

Favorite Quote:

Beast: I want to do something for her... but what?
Cogsworth: Well, there's the usual things: flowers... chocolates... promises you don't intend to keep...