Movies Came Out In (1988)
Winner:
Rain Man – A masterpiece, both in story and acting. Brilliant and stands the test of time (as I’ve rewatched fairly recently). The story is about a self-absorbed 20-something year old that finds out he has an older autistic brother that he is challenged with caring for. This is a must-watch for any serious movie goer.
The Accidental Tourist – Never saw in the theater, just watched it recently. Found this movie incredibly boring and uninteresting. Was not impressed with any aspect of the film. The film’s basic plot is about a travel guide write who’s life falls apart after the death of his son.
Dangerous Liaisons – I just watched this recently, and never saw it before. I liked this film. I think the acting by John Malkovich and Glenn Close is superb. The acting by Keanu Reeves (who I had no idea was in the film) was like watching him in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, i.e. not very good. Plot was pretty good and had some pretty funny moments/scenes, as the 2 main characters engage in a series of wagers to corrupt a newly married lady.
Mississippi Burning – Never saw in the theater, just watched it recently. Great film, powerful and important as it depicts the true story of the 1964 disappearance and murders of 3 civil rights activists in the Deep South of Mississippi.
Working Girl – Since this is a Harrison Ford film, I was surprised that I had never seen prior to my Oscar quest. Well, now I know why I never saw as a kid: lots of language/nudity, so I wouldn’t have been allowed to watch it. And I now know why I never sought to watch it as an adult: It sucked. Remove the language and nudity, and this film would be a movie of the week on Lifetime. I’m super surprised it was nominated, it was not very good, both in plot (a secretary seeks revenge after her business idea is stolen) and acting. So cliche in every way. The best part was seeing Alec Baldwin’s Trump hair in 1988, just that it was black.
Brian’s Winner:
#BrianWatchesOscarMovies
#1999
Ceremony Year (2000) – Movies Came Out In (1999)