Oh, the 80s. Heyday of new wave, Reagan, and embarrassingly large hair. Despite there being some truly great audience favorites during this decade (Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones etc.), stuff at the Academy wasn’t as great. Let’s take a look.
1980-1989
“Really? This was ‘the Best?’”
Out of Africa (1985)
I know I’ve talked about how awesome Meryl is in the 70s post, but really she is the only reason to watch this. She gives one of her best performances in an overlong, well-shot, but very dull film about a love affair on an African farm. Redford is good too, but he doesn’t make the film anymore interesting. I’ve joked about there being an “Academy Award” genre, and I think this held the top title of said genre for a bit. Grade: C+
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
This movie isn’t awful, which a lot of folks may lead you to believe. It is extremely schmaltzy and frankly too nice. When you consider that was against other nominees like Dead Poet’s Society and Born on the Fourth of July it seems a weird choice. Even stranger when you consider that this was nominated and Do the Right Thing and Glory weren’t. It’s mostly just okay, a movie you’d watch with your grandmother on a Sunday afternoon. Grade: B-
The Good
Ordinary People (1980)
Folks tend to dislike this flick due to the fact it beat Raging Bull. True, Marty’s pugilist drama is superior in a lot of ways and is probably the better film, but Redford’s family drama doesn’t deserve all the hate. Mary Tyler Moore plays amazingly against type, and that alone I think is worth watching. It has an ending that bothers people, but I think its what makes the film work. Grade: B
Terms of Endearment (1983)
Another family drama, though also pretty funny. Weirdly, I think the best way to describe this is “a Texas Mother/Daughter story about searching for love.” That doesn’t quite do it justice, but you get the idea. Jack Nicholson plays a retired astronaut. Not something you see everyday there either. I liked it a lot actually, though I felt it could be tightened up editing wise. Furthermore, I don’t know if it is a better film than the also nominated The Big Chill. Grade: B
Rain Man (1988)
Another Sunday afternoon with your grandma kind of flick. This is one of those films that penetrated the culture so much it got parodied to death. Tom Cruise discovers he has a long lost autistic brother in Dustin Hoffman and they travel across the country. It is fun and hits all the right notes, but I can’t help but feel it isn’t quite great. Grade: B
The Great
Platoon (1986)
Maybe not the greatest Vietnam movie, but certainly up there. Oliver Stone’s tale does not let us forget that war is Hell. Said Hell is not just the regular horrors of war, but also the other soldiers in your unit. Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger are so good that I think people forget Charlie Sheen is in the flick. Johnny Depp too. I’m still not much for war pics, so I probably will never need to see this again, but I’m glad I did. Grade: B+
The Last Emperor (1987)
Actually filmed in the Forbidden City, Bernardo Bertolucci tells the story of Puyi, China’s last emperor. It’s an interesting story both biographically and politically. The film's cinematography is examplary and the performances are outstanding. I really dug the score too. It might be a bit long, and a even longer version exists. Grade: A-
The Essential
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Cards on the table, I ran track in high school, so this might mean more to me than others. I imagine for some it’s just a stuffy flick about Brits running. Okay, it is that, but it's amazing how engaging and interesting it is considering all that. Inspiring and legendarily scored (you know the theme even if you don't realize). If this film doesn't make you wanna get up and do something- you might be dead. Grade: A-
Gandhi (1982)
The biopic to end all biopics. Ben Kingsley gives a performance I don’t think he has quite topped. This is one of the few 3 hour films that I don’t mind being 3 hours. Though I am a bigger fan of the also nominated Tootsie, this was clearly the better film. Grade: A
Amadeus (1984)
Perhaps not the most accurate period drama, Amadeus makes Mozart seem cool. Part of this is Tom Hulce’s superbly manic performance, the rest is the story itself. In one of the most bizarre and strange acts of revenge ever, F. Murray Abraham as rival Salieri attempts to drive Mozart insane. This might be the most entertaining film of the Academy Award genre. It's trailer is one of my favorites. Grade: A
See you on Tuesday for the 90s!