The most amazing Best Ever Challenges are the ones that stretch us to our near breaking point. What could be a more specific topic than “Movies made about books that are 50 years or older?” This might be our most specific BEC yet. In honor of the many decades old book/movie, Call of the Wild, we have this week’s super specific BEC for you here!
Steven Spielberg has given us some of the best movies within the science-fiction genre, such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park,” and “Minority Report.” Following “Minority Report,” his next venture into the genre was with 2005’s “War of the Worlds,” which is loosely based on H.G. Wells’ 1898 novel. This version of the story follows Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) who must protect his children, Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin) when aliens bring destruction upon Earth. Despite the noticeable flaws, there isn’t any doubt that this is still a chilling alien-invasion movie. The performances by Cruise and Fanning offer an emotional father-daughter relationship (the bond between Cruise and Chatwin’s characters isn’t as poignant) that keeps us invested in the perilous situations in which they find themselves, leaving us on the edge of our seats as they escape one danger, only to fall into another. With the first scene of the aliens as their ships rise up from the underground, Spielberg establishes a perfectly ominous tone. Given the images of devastation that we see throughout the film, the story has a layer of relevancy underneath because with this movie being released almost four years after the September 11 attacks, some of the imagery evokes the palpable fear of terrorism that was felt during that time, showing this movie as being very in the moment and doing well in trying to engage audiences on a much deeper level. With this, “War of the Worlds” is a big-budget film that remains memorable, due to its special effects, unsettling story, subtext, and Cruise and Fanning’s performances. (Vincent Abbatecola)
Michael Cain is Scrooge, period. And I will fight anyone that sees it different, George C. Scott be damned! But since I have a minimum line count, let’s talk about the simple joy this movie brings to screen! Dozens of movies have been crafted from Dicken’s work, and this one rises above them all. This movie should have annoyed me: I am not a Christmas-movie person, I don’t like musicals, and after a misguided babysitter showed me “The Dark Crystal” at age six, anytime I saw Jim Henson’s name in the opening credits I screamed/died a little inside. I did not even like Gonzo as a Muppet… but trying to imagine this movie without him and Rizzo narrating through the 4th wall is just not worth considering. The music is simple and straightforward but intoxicating (I dare anyone who has seen this movie to resist bobbing their head along with “Scrooge”). A lot has been made of Michael Caine’s exceptional acting against the Muppets (“How would the bookkeeping staff like to suddenly find themselves… UNEMPLOYED!?!?”), but let’s be honest, the Muppet voice cast is what makes this movie work. It could have been goofy and light and played for laughs, but it legit hits hard! But really, what it comes down to is that Michael Caine himself told GQ that he loved making this movie, and he enjoys watching it every year with his family and grandchildren. And who are you to tell Michael Caine that he is wrong?? (Donald Skidmore)
A modern day telling of William Shakespheare’s Taming of the Shrew, 10 Things I hate of You is one of the very best that the Teen Movie Genre has to offer. Bianca Stratford is one of the most popular girls in school and is ready to start dating, the only problem being the only way that is going to happen is if her prickly sister Kat dates as well. With an intriguing premise and excellent execution, the film does a great job of balancing humor with romance. Every character has entertaining personality quirks that keep you hooked from scene to scene. The cast offers some of the brightest actors of their generation which includes Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The lengths Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Michael (David Krumholtz) go to get Kat a date without her knowledge are hilarious. Patrick, played by Heath Ledger steals every scene that he is in and it only gets better when he shares scenes with Julia Stiles. Their push and pull relationship is enjoyable to watch unfold with every “chance encounter”. One of the very best scenes involving an impromptu performance by Patrick on the Football Field is both hysterical and endearing. Even after several watches I can’t help but chuckle at the jokes and line delivery. (Joseph Vargas)
A classic both on and off the screen, Little Women is a book that helped many girls realise who they are as they enter adulthood. It’s a story about dreams, expectations, romanticism and the limitations that can come with being a woman. With a story so beautifully written, it’s not hard to see why the two tent-pole adaptations (1994, and 2019) are both film’s that helped define their time. The same story, told in very different ways, allows the audience to meet their favourite characters all over again. It’s magic in the form of pure literary genius, paired with filmmaking greatness. My favourite being Greta Gerwig’s most recent adaptation, the story was taken and given new life with a great amount of care. With incredible acting by some of Hollywood’s most impressive young women such as Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh, and masterful directing by Gerwig herself, it allowed me to fall in love with my favourite story all over again. Beautiful, touching, evocative and simply scintillating it’s ageless and will no doubt continue to stand the test of time. (Alice-Ginevra Micheli)
Say what you want about the person Mel Gibson, but the actor and director Mel Gibson is one of the most talented actors and directors to ever grace the silver screen. While I’m a religious person myself, I often find myself frustrated with faith-based films. They’re often poorly acted, preachy, and melodramatic. The Passion, however, is one of the more accurate depictions of everything in The Bible. It’s a beautiful tale of sacrifice, resurrection, and forgiveness. Jim Caviezel’s performance of Jesus Christ is incredible. You feel every crack of the whip, every fall, and every type of beating Jesus must have felt when he was crucified. The Passion isn’t for the faint of heart; it pulls no punches when it comes to the crucification of Jesus and is a very violent and difficult watch. The Passion is Mel Gibson’s love letter to faith and is an excellently crafted masterpiece that blows most faith-based films out of the water. (Ben Davis)
Is everything all right? It sounds like you’re having sex in here, which I know can’t be true due to the fact that you have a homosexual boyfriend. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, hopefully that intrigued you. Also, please see this movie ASAP because it is charming, original, and incredibly funny. And thank God that it’s original because who really wants to see a Scarlet Letter adaptation? And we also need to get one other thing mentioned quickly: this movie doesn’t work as well as it does if they cast anyone except Emma Stone. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, Emma Stone gets paid by high school guys to pretend to have sex with them, for various reasons. I know what you’re thinking and yes, that would have made high school much easier for most of us. Also, yes, this leads to some wild and hilarious scenes of high schoolers pretending to have sex. Who knew sex could be so funny? Anyways, there is also layers of complexity and social issues that Olive encounters including, dealing with the Christians, homosexual guys who want to cover their image, high school staff, and family dynamics. I think this movie has been forgotten by crowds and other great high school movies such as Mean Girls and Edge of Seventeen are the go-to’s but I assure you, Easy A is on the same caliber with those modern-classics. (Aaron Schweitzer)
What if I were to tell you that a famous Depression era romp infused with the best of bluegrass music was actually a loose adaptation of a famous Greek poem? You would probably be very confused. But the reality is that the quirky fraternal duo of Joel and Ethan Coen did just that. George Clooney plays the Dapper Dan man with the gift of gab as he and two friends slip out of a chain gang and go on a wonderful little adventure filled with sirens, Klansmen, and bank robbers. What else could you want from a film? How about revolutionary cinematography that Roger Deakins saturated the whole film in post? Or maybe the fact that the soundtrack single-handedly revived bluegrass music for the nation? Or it could just be the fact that this film is hilarious, charming, powerful, and engrossing. One of the Coen Brothers best works that 2000 years later still is an absolute joy to experience. (Shane Conto)
You are Francis Ford Coppola and just made two of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, and are looking to create another masterpiece. What do you do? Take a novella written by Joseph Conrad in 1899 about an AWOL ship captain who creates his own society out in the jungle and place the story structure in Vietnam. Sounds like a great time! Heart of Darkness is a beloved novella but also a crazy documentary that recounts the insane set environment and different “cursed” aspects of the filmmaking process. What do you do when a documentary film comes in and tells you that this big effort and sacrifice will turn into a crazy rollercoaster ride of mayhem and misfortune? Coppola took the lemons of the filmmaking process and created one of the most powerful and epic war dramas ever that features a unique voice and tone that captures the horrors of Vietnam. The horror…the horror. What could have gone wrong on this set? The lead actor leaves the production and the new guy almost dies. One of the biggest names in the history of cinema shows up a few dozen pounds overweight and doesn’t remember his lines. Yeah…this all happened. But in the end, you replace the AWOL captain with an AWOL colonel played with a mysterious aura by Marlon Brando and drop the story into the middle of the moral ambiguity of the Vietnam conflict. The final product is considered on of the greatest films ever created. (Shane Conto)
The Lord of the Rings movies are my favorite movies of all time. I was 5 years old when The Fellowship of the Ring came out. I remember the first scene of the movie I watched – the nine people from different walks of life coming together to become the titular Fellowship. From that moment, I knew I was watching something special. Since that moment, I’ve seen each one of these movies more times than I can count. I can turn them on in any situation and have my eyes glued to the screen, all while quoting nearly every line, sound, and musical cue. These movies are important to who I am. I’ve read the books once each and appreciate them for what they are, but the movies are what I really love. I grew up with them, and in many ways, they shaped the person I have become. Whether its the simple message of, “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future,” the unforgettable characters, the mind blowing action sequences, or some combination of all of these and more (this is probably the right answer), there is something inherent in these movies that I am completely drawn to. To say they are my favorite movies would be an understatement. It wouldn’t do them justice. They are a part of who I am. (Robert Bouffard)
In 1994’s The Lion King, Roger Allen and Rob Minkoff, showcased something called The Circle of Life. You may have heard of the song, but it showcases a larger sense of the philosophy of life in the savannah. There are animals big and small bowing to future king Simba when Rafiki presents him atop Pride Rock. Life in the savannah might be great for some, but not for Scar. Scar has his birthright taken from a cub who doesn’t even appreciate his power. So, he finally takes action and rights some wrongs (in his mind) and in the process forgets his role in The Circle of Life. If you are in for some Broadway tunes and are ready to cry, stream The Lion King on Disney+. (Austin Belzer)