Memorable Movie Dads

Since Father's Day is tomorrow, I thought I would make a list of memorable dads in movies:

• Larry Miller as Walter Stratford in "10 Things I Hate About You"




• Gary Lewis as Jackie Elliot in "Billy Elliot"




• Laurence Fishburne as Furious Styles in "Boyz N The Hood"




• Burl Ives as Big Daddy Pollitt in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof"




• Dan Hedaya as Mel Horowitz in "Clueless"




• Michael Cote as Gervais Beaulieu in "C.R.A.Z.Y."




• Alfred Molina as Jack in "An Education"




• Spencer Tracy (1950 version) and Steve Martin (1991 version) as Stanley Banks in "Father Of The Bride"




• Robert Carlyle as Gaz in "The Full Monty"




• Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather"




• Spencer Tracy as Matt Drayton in "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"




• Paddy Considine as Johnny in "In America"




• Ben Affleck as Ollie Trinke in "Jersey Girl"




• J.K. Simmons as Mac MacGuff in "Juno"




• Christopher Cazenove as John Thatcher in "A Knight's Tale"




• Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer in "Kramer vs. Kramer"




• Roberto Benigni as Guido Orefice in "Life Is Beautiful (La Vita E Bella)"




• Greg Kinnear as Richard Hoover in "Little Miss Sunshine"




• David Tomlinson as Mr. Banks in "Mary Poppins"




• Robert DeNiro as Jack Byrnes in "Meet The Parents"




• Michael Constantine as Gus Portokalos in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"




• Ryan O'Neal as Moses Pray in "Paper Moon"




• Steve Martin as Gil Buckman in "Parenthood"




• Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet in "Pride & Predjudice"




• Will Smith as Chris Gardner in "The Pursuit Of Happyness"




• Gene Hackman as Royal Tenenbaum in "The Royal Tenenbaums"




• Christopher Plummer as Captain Von Trapp in "The Sound Of Music"




• Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird"

Movie Review-The Royal Tenenbaums

Title-"The Royal Tenenbaums"

Rating-R

Director-Wes Anderson

Actors-Gene Hackman, Angelica Huston, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson

Genre-Comedy/Drama

Year-2001





"The Royal Tenenbaums" is a great movie and one of my favorites of 2001. It is about a very eccentric family in New York City. The children in the family, Chas, Margot, and Ritchie, were all prodigies and were very sucessful, until their parents, Royal (Gene Hackman) and Etheline (Angelica Huston) separated. As adults, Chas (Ben Stiller), Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Ritchie (Luke Wilson) have been estranged from their father, and are shocked when Royal suddenly wants contact with them again. I don't want to give anything else away about this movie. It has an imaginative story and terrific acting, especially by Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Luke Wilson. I really recommend watching "The Royal Tenenbaums".

Movie Review-My Own Private Idaho

Title-"My Own Private Idaho"

Rating-R

Director-Gus Van Sant

Actors-Keanu Reeves, River Phoenix, William Richert

Genre-Drama

Year-1991

"My Own Private Idaho" is a quirky, well-acted movie that is probably the most interesting movie I've seen in a while. It is about two best friends named Scott (Keanu Reeves) and Mike (River Phoenix) who are living on the street in Portland, Oregon. Mike was abandoned by his mother and suffers from narcolepsy. Scott has been living on the street in an attempt to spite his rich father, who wants him to inherit his business. Scott ends up accompanying Mike as he travels across the country searching for his mother. Scott and Mike run into many interesting and odd characters along the way, including a Fagin-like thief named Bob (William Richert). This movie has great acting, especially by River Phoenix, who gives an amazing performance. Keanu Reeves and William Richert were also impressive in their roles. If you want to see a well-acted and unconventional movie, I recommend watching "My Own Private Idaho".

Movie Review-Fish Tank

Title-"Fish Tank"

Rating-R

Director-Andrea Arnold

Actors-Katie Jarvis, Kierston Wareing, Rebecca Griffiths, Michael Fassbender

Genre-Drama

Year-2010

"Fish Tank" is an amazing movie and one of my favorites of 2010. It is about a fifteen-year-old girl named Mia (Katie Jarvis) who lives in a poor section of London with her mother Joanne (Kierston Wareing) and little sister Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths). Mia does not get along well with her family. Since being expelled from school, Mia spends most of her time practicing her hip-hop dancing and dreams of becoming a professional dancer. When Joanne starts dating a man named Colin (Michael Fassbender), Mia is not happy. I don't want to give too much away about the story, because it's interesting and doesn't go where you might expect. The acting in this movie is great, especially by Katie Jarvis, who had never acted before. I think that she should have been nominated for Best Actress for her performance. Kierston Wareing and Michael Fassbender are also memorable. I really recommend watching "Fish Tank".

Movie Review-The 400 Blows

Title-"The 400 Blows"

Rating-Not Rated

Director-Francois Truffaut

Actors- Jean-Pierre Leaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Remy, Guy Decomble, Patrick Auffay

Genre-Drama/Foreign (French with English subtitles)

Year-1959

"The 400 Blows" is one of my favorite movies. I watched it for the first time three years ago, and it completely blew me away. What I noticed most about the movie was how modern it seemed compared to Hollywood movies made around the same time. It looked like it could have been made at any time, not just in the 1950's. "The 400 Blows" is about a thirteen-year-old boy from Paris named Antoine (Jean-Pierre Leaud) who is very smart and creative, but misunderstood by everyone around him. His parents (Claire Maurier and Albert Remy) barely notice him at home, and his teacher (Guy Decomble) is always convinced Antoine is up to something. Feeling alone, Antoine starts committing petty crimes with his best friend Rene (Patrick Auffay). I don't want to give too much away about the story. One of the best things about this movie is the acting, especially by Jean-Pierre Leaud. His performance as Antoine is probably one of the best performances of all-time by a child actor, definitely one of the best I've ever seen. I don't think I've seen a movie that has a more natural and moving portrayal of a kid. If the ending doesn't make you feel something, you don't have a heart. You'll probably have to look for it, but I really recommend watching "The 400 Blows".