Last year I posted a list of quality films celebrating the American Experience. I thought I Might attempt
the same quality performance this year. So in no particular order; here we go.
1.) Yankee Doodle Dandy This is Jimmy Cagney's academy Award film. It purports to be a biopic of George
M. Cohan. He wrote: "It's a Grand Old Flag", "Over There" and my personal favorite "Give My Regards to Broadway."
2. "The Producers" Lists like these are generally comedy deficient. That's what Mel Brooks would claim.
I am recommending his first take not the later full on musical. This laugh out loud funny film offers
great performances by Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, and celebrates the con. It seems to me that con
games are particularly American crimes dating back to P.T. Barnum.
3. "Drums Along the Mohawk" There are few films which document the early years of the republic. This is
one of the finest. John Ford was pretty much a total dick, but he was a great director. This is the story
of a young couple who venture out West in this case, Oriskany Falls, New York. Indians, Tories, very early
Technicolor make this worth watching. Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert star in this classic.
4. "Moscow on the Hudson" is an immigrant comedy by Lawrence Kasdan. When the Moscow Circus
comes to the US, a saxaphone player defects in Bloomingdales. Robin Williams as the defector gives for him a nuanced performance. The film does a very good job depicting a mosaic of urban America. The
difficulties of making it in the USA are not downplayed, but it is very positive about the immigrants contributions and how they become Americans. Kasdan's "Grand Canyon" is worth a look.
5. "Glory" has gone up and down in critic's estimation; I've always liked the film. This is a fictionalized
bit of US history. It tells the story of the 55th Massachucetts regiment in the Civil War. The "colored"
regiment was commanded by white officers. The film doesn't back away from many clear issues of
unequal treatment, yet, the tone not angry, but hopeful. The sacrifices made by these soldiers were not in vain.
6. "Dances with Wolves" I wanted a film about the West which was respectful about Indians. That is hard to
find. This is a good, but not great film. It also is a bit of a downer, the Indians and their culture are crushed.
I will return with part II of the list.
the same quality performance this year. So in no particular order; here we go.
1.) Yankee Doodle Dandy This is Jimmy Cagney's academy Award film. It purports to be a biopic of George
M. Cohan. He wrote: "It's a Grand Old Flag", "Over There" and my personal favorite "Give My Regards to Broadway."
2. "The Producers" Lists like these are generally comedy deficient. That's what Mel Brooks would claim.
I am recommending his first take not the later full on musical. This laugh out loud funny film offers
great performances by Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, and celebrates the con. It seems to me that con
games are particularly American crimes dating back to P.T. Barnum.
3. "Drums Along the Mohawk" There are few films which document the early years of the republic. This is
one of the finest. John Ford was pretty much a total dick, but he was a great director. This is the story
of a young couple who venture out West in this case, Oriskany Falls, New York. Indians, Tories, very early
Technicolor make this worth watching. Henry Fonda and Claudette Colbert star in this classic.
4. "Moscow on the Hudson" is an immigrant comedy by Lawrence Kasdan. When the Moscow Circus
comes to the US, a saxaphone player defects in Bloomingdales. Robin Williams as the defector gives for him a nuanced performance. The film does a very good job depicting a mosaic of urban America. The
difficulties of making it in the USA are not downplayed, but it is very positive about the immigrants contributions and how they become Americans. Kasdan's "Grand Canyon" is worth a look.
5. "Glory" has gone up and down in critic's estimation; I've always liked the film. This is a fictionalized
bit of US history. It tells the story of the 55th Massachucetts regiment in the Civil War. The "colored"
regiment was commanded by white officers. The film doesn't back away from many clear issues of
unequal treatment, yet, the tone not angry, but hopeful. The sacrifices made by these soldiers were not in vain.
6. "Dances with Wolves" I wanted a film about the West which was respectful about Indians. That is hard to
find. This is a good, but not great film. It also is a bit of a downer, the Indians and their culture are crushed.
I will return with part II of the list.