I've listed here some of the films that I rated most highly in 2003. You'll find an interesting mix of adventure, science fiction and drama,
with a strong emphasis on films that have special relevance for a younger audience. If you see a film here that interests you and
you haven't already seen it, ask me and I'll arrange a special viewing for you (provided it is not rated higher than your age of course!).
| Secondhand Lions (2003) |
13 year old Walter has had a hard life, with his no good floozy of a mother getting together with many equally despicable men.
Before going on yet another husband-hunting trip, she drops him off at the house of his great-uncles Hub and Garth. They
disappeared for quite a while in their youth, and are rumored to have acquired a great fortune, which Walter's mother hopes
to get her hands on if he can ingratiate himself enough to the two cantankerous men. Though reluctant to put up with him at
first, Hub and Garth grow to accept Walter, and even tell him fantastic stories of what they were up to while they went missing.
When his mother returns, Walter must take charge of his own life, and decide what he's going to do with it.
Another excellent performance from Haley Joel Osment.
|
| About a Boy (2002) |
Will Lightman is a hip Londoner who one day realizes that his friends are
all involved with the responsibilities of married life and that
leaves him alone in the cold. Passing himself as a single father, he
starts to meet a string of single mums, confident in his ability to
leave them behind when they start to ask for a commitment. But
Will's hope of a continued bachelorhood is interrupted when he meets
12-year old Marcus, in many ways his complete opposite.
A comical but fascinating drama about serious
issues, starring Hugh Grant. |
| A.I. - Artificial Intelligence (2001) |
In this futuristic fairy tale, "David", a highly-advanced robotic boy, hopes to become
a real boy so that he can win back the affection of the human mother who abandoned him.
Like Pinocchio, he goes on a long journey hoping to find his "Blue Fairy" who can
make his dreams come true.
This has to be one of my favourite films of all time. Haley's acting is completely believable,
and Steven Spielberg brings his special magic to this touching tale.
|
| Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone (2001) |
On his 11th birthday, young Harry Potter discovers the life he never knew he had, the life of a
wizard. In his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he meets his two best
friends Ron Weasley, an expert at Wizard Chess, and Hermione Granger, a girl with non-magic
parents. Harry learns the game of Quiditch and Wizard Chess on his way to facing a Dark Arts
teacher who is bent on destroying him
A great story with good effects and superb acting from all concerned. I particularly
like Rupert Grint's portrayal of Ron in this first movie - he really steals the show.
|
| Unbreakable (2000) |
This suspense thriller unfolds as the audience is introduced to David Dunn, played by Willis. Not
only is he the sole survivor of a horrific train-crash that killed 131 people he doesn't have a
scratch on him. Samuel L Jackson plays an obscure character who approaches Dunn with a seemingly
far fetched theory behind it all rocketing off an enticing thriller with a sci fi twist.
Another exciting Bruce Willis thriller.
|
| Chicken Run (2000) |
Having been hopelessly repressed and facing eventual certain death at the chicken farm where they
are held, Rocky the rooster (Mel Gibson) and Ginger the chicken (Julia Sawahla) decide to rebel against
the evil Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy, the farm's owners. Rocky and Ginger lead their fellow chickens in a great
escape from the murderous farmers and their farm of doom.
Funny, action-packed British animation of the highest quality.
|
| Pay It Forward (2000) |
Young Trevor McKinney, troubled by his mother's alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father,
is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet. The assignment:
think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favor
not back, but forward--repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people.
Trevor's efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution not only in the lives of himself, his mother and
his physically and emotionally scarred teacher, but in those of an ever-widening circle of people completely
unknown to him.
A truly heart-warming film.
|
| Billy Elliot (2000) |
 Set against the background of the 1984 Miner's
Strike, Billy Elliot is an 11 year old boy who stumbles out of the
boxing ring and onto the ballet floor. He faces many trials and
triumphs as he strives to conquer his family's set ways, inner
conflict, and standing on his toes!
This is a
film that will inspire any youngster to strive to be who they want to
be regardless of what other people say. A very moving - and
comical - story. |
| The Sixth Sense
(1999) |
 Malcom Crowe is a child psychologist who receives an award on the
same night that he is visited by a very unhappy ex-patient. After this
encounter, Crowe takes on the task of curing a young boy with the same
ills as the ex-patient. This boy "sees dead people". Crowe spends a
lot of time with the boy (Cole) much to the dismay of his wife. Cole's
mom is at her wit's end with what to do about her son's increasing
problems. Crowe is the boy's only hope.An excellent and
intriguing drama / thriller. |
| Notting Hill (1999) |
 A leading American actress (Julia Roberts) accidentally meets an
attractive, but unassuming British travel book seller (Hugh Grant) and
love immediately blossoms. However, fame and her American actor
boyfriend (Alec Baldwin in an obnoxious cameo role) gets in the way.
A typical romantic comedy from Hugh Grant - best of class! |
| City of Angels
(1998) |
 Seth, an angel watching over Los Angeles, begins finding his job
difficult as he falls in love with Maggie, a beautiful heart surgeon.
She becomes interested in Seth, and soon his not-quite-mortal state
seems a barrier rather than a gift. A choice must be made between
celestial duty and earthly love.A moving romantic drama with
many intriguing twists. |
| Meet Joe Black
(1998) |
 Bill Parrish, media tycoon, loving father and still a human being,
is about to celebrate his 65th birthday. One morning, he is contacted
by the Inevitable - by hallucination, as he thinks. Later, Death
itself enters his home and his life, personified in a man's body: Joe
Black has arrived. His intention was to take Bill with him, but
accidentally, Joe's former host and Bills beautiful daughter Susan
have already met. Joe begins to develop certain interest in life on
earth as well as in Susan, who has no clue who she's flirting with.
Superb acting performances from Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt in
this intriguing drama. |
| Seven Years in Tibet
(1997) |
 Heinrich Harrer is an Austrian national and a Nazi sympathizer. He
leaves Austria in 1939 to climb a mountain in the Himalayas. Through a
series of circumstances (including POW camp), he and fellow climber
Peter Aufschnaiter become the only two foreigners in the Tibetan Holy
City of Lhasa. There, Heinrich's life changes forever as he becomes a
close confidant to the Dalai Lama.This film describes clearly
the unique, spiritual society of Tibet. |
| Titanic (1997) |
 Its name stirs the imagination... Titanic. The unsinkable ship.
The unimaginable catastrophe. The untold stories that lay in mystery
two and a half miles beneath the waves of the North Atlantic. What
buried tale of love, bravery, treasure and treachery, hidden by time
and tragedy, waits here to be discovered? A beautiful socialite. A
penniless artist. A priceless diamond. A romance so passionate that
nothing on earth could stop it. A destiny so incredible that no one
could have imagined it. A collision of lives that could only have
happened on Titanic, the ship of dreams. The secrets are about to
unfold...A fabulous and deeply moving disaster movie, surely
one of the best of its kind. |
| Beautiful Thing
(1996) |
 A tender love story set during a hot summer on a South-East London
housing estate. Jamie, a relatively unpopular lad who bunks off school
to avoid football, lives next door to Ste, a more popular athletic lad
but who is frequently beaten up by his father and older brother. Such
an episode of violence brings Jamie and Ste together: Sandra (Jamie's
mum) offers refugee to Ste, who has to 'top-and-tail' with Jamie.
Hence, the story tells of their growing attraction for one another,
from initial lingering glances to their irrefutable love, which so
magnificently illustrated at the end of the film. In deals with the
tribulations of coming to terms with their sexuality and of others
finding out, in light of Sandra's unwavering loyalty and defence of
Jamie and the fear of repercussion should Ste's family find out. The
plot is set against sub-texts of Sandra's desire to manage her own
pub, and thus escape the estate, and of her new relationship with her
hippy boyfriend Tony; and of Leah, the brassy girl next door who has
been expelled from school and spends her time listening to Mama Cass
records and tripping on a variety of drugs.
It's so refreshing to
see a straightforward boy-meets-boy love story presented as naturally
as the boy-meets-girl equivalent. Being set in London the
background characters are a bit depressing, but the two leads are
excellent, so until something better comes along it will remain the
best there is. |
| Toy Story (1995) |
 Imagination runs rampant when toys become mobile when not watched.
Two toys, Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) despise
each other like no other. But, when the toys are separated from their
home, a truce is formed between them all in an effort to journey home.
The first and, arguably, the best of the new computer animations. |
| The Cure (1995) |
 Dexter, age 11, who has AIDS, and his next door neighbour Eric, a
little older and much bigger, become best friends. Eric also becomes
closer to Dexter's mother than to his own, who is neglectful and
bigoted and violently forbids their friendship upon learning of it.
When they read that a doctor in distant New Orleans claims to have
found a cure for AIDS, the boys leave home on their own, planning to
float down the Mississippi river and find him.
An excellent film that describes the reality of AIDS
and the importance of friendship. |
| Second Best (1994) |
 Graham Holt is a lonely middle-aged man who runs a postal
substation in a small village in England. He decides to adopt a son.
James is the troubled youth he gets with the assistance of social
worker Debbie. James has been in an orphanage for years since his
mother committed suicide. He adores his outlaw father John, sent to
prison not long after the mother's death. Can James learn to love
Graham? Can Graham settle for being second best?
This is the only
film I've seen about single male adoption. It is British, well
acted and sensitively directed, and provides a fascinating insight
into the pros and cons of this intriguing subject. |
| The Man without a Face
(1993) |
 Justin McLeod has been living the life of a recluse for seven
years, ever since his face was horribly disfigured. Known as
"Hamburger Head" to the locals, he's the subject of many rumours and
wild stories. Chuck is a young boy determined to get into the same
military as his father, despite his mother's protests and his
half-sisters' mocking, even if it means studying all through the
summer. Desperate for a tutor, Chuck encounters the reclusive McLeod,
and together they begin to help each other deal with a world that has
shunned them both.This excellent drama, starring and directed by
Mel Gibson, perfectly illustrates how a genuine friendship can develop
between adult and child, and how that friendship can change the course
of a child's life for the better. It also graphically
illustrates the harm that can be caused by society's prejudice. |
| Jurassic Park
(1993) |
 On a remote island, a wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a
theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA.
Before opening the attraction to the public, he invites a top
paleontologist, a paleobotanist, a mathematician/theorist, and his two
eager grandchildren to experience the park -- and help calm anxious
investors. However, their park visit is anything but tranquil as the
park's security system breaks down, the prehistoric creatures break
out, and the excitement builds to surprising results. Based on Michael
Crichton's best-selling novel.An exciting adventure from the
Master of direction, Steven Spielberg. This must rate as one of
the best adventure movies ever produced. |
| Schindler's List
(1993) |
 The true story of Czech born Oskar Schindler, a businessman who
tried to make his fortune during the Second World War by exploiting
cheap Jewish labour, but ended up penniless having saved over 1000
Polish Jews from almost certain death during the holocaust.
Essential viewing for everyone, so they will never forget the horror
of Nazi Germany. |
| Forever Young
(1992) |
 A 1939 test pilot asks his best friend to use him
as a guinea pig for a cryogenics experiment. Daniel McCormick wants to
be frozen for a year so that he doesn't have to watch his love lying
in a coma. The next thing Daniel knows is that he's been awoken in
1992. Another Mel Gibson feature, also starring
Elijah Wood in his younger days. A heart-warming movie that you
cannot fail to enjoy. |
| For a Lost Soldier
(1992) |
 Set in the Netherlands near the end of WWII, the film is a
flashback recalling an adolescent relationship between Jeroen (Maarten
Smit) and a Canadian Soldier (Andrew Kelley). A difficult subject
handled with style and feeling.A unique film of a true story
that challenges some of society's fixed ideas about teenagers. |
| Driving me Crazy
(1991) |
 Volunteering to drive his girl friend's son home
for Thanksgiving to Chicago from his boarding school in Georgia,
little does Dutch expect the picaresque adventures in store for him.
When a blunt, down-to-earth construction worker takes to the road with
an insufferable twelve-year-old snob (desperately insecure under the
surface) who doesn't approve of him in the least, quite a bit must
happen before they can reach their destination as friends-- or, for
that matter, get home at all.
Slightly off-beat
comedy that's really very entertaining. |
| Indiana Jones & the
Last Crusade (1989) |
 Renowned archaeologist and expert in the occult, Dr. Indiana Jones,
returns for the 3rd and final Indy film. Teaming up with his father,
Indiana sets out to try and find the Holy Grail. Once again, the Nazis
are after the same prize, and try to foil Indiana's plans.
Another great Spielberg adventure and another contender for the
greatest adventure movie of all time. |
|
The Challengers
(1989) |
 After her father dies and she moves to a new town, Mackie wants to
join a certain gang/band. But they've got this boys-only rule. So
Mackie comes up with an audacious plan...only it begins to backfire.
I like Canadian films, and this one is very special. The
clear message is to accept who and what you are and be proud of it. |
| Empire of the Sun
(1987) |
 Based on J. G. Ballard's autobiographical novel, tells the story
of a boy, James Graham, whose privileged life is upturned by the
Japanese invasion of Shanghai, December 8, 1941. Separated from his
parents, he is eventually captured, and taken to Soo Chow confinement
camp, next to a captured Chinese airfield. Amidst the sickness and
food shortages in the camp, Jim attempts to reconstruct his former
life, all the while bringing spirit and dignity to those around him.
A well-told Spielberg drama that tells the story of the time so
well. |
| Stand by Me
(1986) |
 Based on Stephen
King's Short story "The Body", "Stand By Me" tells the tale of
Gordie Lachance, a writer who looks back on his preteen days when he
and three close friends went on their own adventure to find the body
of a kid their age who had gone missing and presumed dead. The
stakes are upped when the bad kids in town are closely tailing - and
it becomes a race to see who'll be able to recover the body first.
A touching coming-of-age story set in 1950s America. |
| Indiana Jones & the
Temple of Doom (1984) |
 Renowned archaeologist and expert in the occult, Dr. Indiana Jones,
is back in action in the 2nd Indy film. He teams up with a night club
singer and a 12 year old named Short Round. They end up in an Indian
village, where the people believe evil spirits have taken their
children away after a sacred stone was stolen. Indiana agrees to try
and retrieve the stone for the villagers.Possibly the best of
the three Indiana Jones films - action packed adventure from start to
finish. |
| E.T. the
Extra-Terrestrial (1982) |
 A group of aliens visit earth and one of them is
lost and left behind stranded on this planet. The alien is found by a
10 year old boy, Elliot. Soon the two begin to communicate, and start
a different kind of friendship in which E.T learns about life on earth
and Elliot learns about some new values for the true meaning of
friendship. E.T. wants to go home, but if Elliot helps him, he'll lose
a friend... Still one of my favourite films, ET
clearly demonstrated Spielberg's natural talent for directing
children. |
| Raiders of the Lost Ark
(1981) |
 Renowned archaeologist and expert in the occult, Dr. Indiana Jones,
is hired by the U.S. Government to find the Ark of the Covenant, which
is believed to still hold the ten commandments. Unfortunately, agents
of Hitler are also after the Ark. Indy, and his ex-flame Marion,
escape from various close scrapes in a quest that takes them from
Nepal to Cairo.Surely one of the best adventure films of all
time. Directed by .. of course .. Steven Spielberg. |
| The Earthling
(1980) |
 Patrick Foley has been on the move all his live.
Tired of drifting, he wants to spend his last days in an isolated
Australian valley where he grew up. On his difficult journey he meets
Shawn, a little desperate city-boy whose parents were killed in an
accident in this remote inhospitable territory. Being unable to
accompany the boy back to the civilized world he reluctantly takes him
with him on his trip to that valley and teaches him in a rugged way
how to survive ... This film strikes a chord
within me, because I agree with so many of the sentiments expressed by
Patrick Foley. It's a very special film with a wonderfully
moving ending - see it if you can! |
| The Champ (1979) |
 Billy Flynn, an ex box champion, is now horse trainer in Hialeah.
He makes just enough money to raise his little boy T.J. over which he
got custody after his wife Annie left him seven years ago. T.J.
warships The Champ who is now working on his come-back in order to
give his boy a better future. But suddenly Annie shows up again ...
See this outstanding film and you'll instantly understand so much
more about the needs of youngsters. |
| The Orphan Train
(1979) |
 Based on a true story, the film tells how inner city orphans in
the USA were taken out west on the back of a train to find new
families.A true story of courage and compassion, leaving a warm
fuzzy feeling in your heart by the end. |
| Kramer vs Kramer
(1979) |
 Ted
Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family.
His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave
him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care
of himself and their young son Billy. When he has learned to adjust
his life to these new responsibilities, Joanna resurfaces and wants
Billy back. Ted however refuses to give him up, so they go to court
to fight for the custody of their son.This film reveals the
true pain of divorce. |
| Storm Boy (1977) |
 The touching story of a father and son living alone in an isolated
coastal region of South Australia.A very moving insight into
life on the South Australian coast. |
| Ode to Billy Joe
(1976) |
 At last, we're given the answers to the questions raised by the
haunting 1967 Bobbie Gentry song of the same title. Eighteen- year-old
Billy Joe McAllister is in love with Bobbie Lee, but her father
refuses to allow her to receive gentlemen callers before she's
sixteen. In the Mississippi Delta, in a time before the boondocks had
seen television and indoor plumbing, a young man's fancy turns
constantly to thoughts of love. Billy Joe is no different in this
regard and his persistence is making it difficult for Bobbie Lee to
maintain her virtue (the dog-earred issues of "Torrid Romance" don't
help either). Perhaps an indictment of the artificial conventions of
society, the film demonstrates the tragic consequences of a young
couple's first awkward grapplings with love and sex. As Bobbie Lee
says shortly after Billy Joe's lifeless body is dragged from the
Chattahoochee River, "What do I know of love... I'm only a child."
Yet, there seems little doubt that what she feels for the dead boy is
love. Could he have loved her so well?There are many lessons
learned by the main characters in this film, not least of which is the
critical importance of being true to your own sexuality. |
| To Kill a Mockingbird
(1962) |
 Based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize winning book
of 1960. Atticus Finch is a lawyer in a racially divided Alabama town
in the 1930s. He agrees to defend a young black man who is accused of
raping a white woman. Many of the townspeople try to get Atticus to
pull out of the trial, but he decides to go ahead. How will the trial
turn out - and will it change any of the racial tension in the town ?
I first read the book at school, when its strong stance against
prejudice haunted me for years to come. This film version is
excellent and should make you keen to read the book. |
| It's a Wonderful Life
(1946) |
 George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking
about ending it all - and it's Christmas ! As the angels discuss
George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from
a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence
then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn't
been for all his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to
convince George to return to his family and forget about suicide ?
This is the oldest film on my list, but arguably one of the best.
It has such a positive, heart-warming theme that it really is a
must-see. |