Here’s the latest batch of mini movie reviews as I check my way through movie lists by watching a lot of “classic” films. This week's films are all from the crime and thriller genre.
Gregory's Girl | Breaking Away | Diner
Gregory's Girl | DVD
In this Scottish film, written and directed by Bill Forsyth, John Gordon Sinclair is Gregory, a gawky teenager on a losing football team. His coach moves Gregory to goalkeeper and searches for new players. The newest addition to the team, Dorothy, quickly becomes a star player and garners the attention of most of the schoolboys, including Gregory. As he tries to win her over with his congenial and entertaining spirit, he begins to learn some truths about attractions and love.
This film was nominated for 4 BAFTA Awards and won for Best Screenplay. Forsyth’s film is a fantastic and humorous look at adolescent adoration.
Wheels in Spin:
Breaking Away | DVD
Dennis Christopher is Dave Stoller, a Bloomington, IN, resident obsessed with bicycle racing. In an attempt to be more like the Italian race team, Dave tries to assimilate himself into an Italian by speaking with an accent and listening to opera. He even flirts with a sorority girl by telling her he is an Italian exchange student. Dave and his friends, played by Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, and Jackie Earle Haley, are at a point where they begin their lives after high school. There is conflict between these locals and the Indiana University students, leading to a race between the quartet of friends and the college intramural teams.
The great cast is rounded out by Paul Dooley and Barbara Barrie as Dave’s parents. Like Gregory’s Girl, above, this film was nominated to a handful of awards and has a strong script. It took home the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Wheels in Spin:
Diner | DVD
On Demand
This is Barry Levinson’s directorial debut. Set in Baltimore, like many of his films, Diner boasts an ensemble cast with young performances from Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg, Paul Reiser, Mickey Rourke, and Daniel Stern. We get to know this group of friends through scenarios surrounding the wedding of one of them. They still cling to their adolescence and the camaraderie of their friendship as they begin their adult lives. This is an amusing film with a great cast that gives the film a natural kinship.
Wheels in Spin:
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