The Seven Best Dramas: #1

1. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Directed by Billy Wilder
Starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson
Winner of 3 Academy Awards, Including Best Original Screenplay. Nominated for 11.

We conclude the "Seven Best" series with something that would seem odd to most. But I truly do think that Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder's masterpiece, is the greatest drama ever made. The characters are so original and developed through very little dialogue, the story is original and always changing and the performances are...wow. All these things contribute into making Sunset Blvd. the greatest movie of all time.




Well, that does it for the series. Any comments or suggestions?

The Seven Best Dramas: #2

2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Directed by Frank Darabont
Starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman
Nominated for 7 Academy Awards, Including Best Picture and Best Actor (Freeman).

The Shawshank Redemption will someday go down as the best film of all time. Why? Because for many people under 30, it is their favorite movie of all time. It was mine for a while, too. Now it's second. But technically, it's tied with #1, which will be revealed tomorrow (of course, you could always go to my profile and find out what it is, but where's the fun in that?). Everything about this movie just plain works. It's a movie that, no matter how long, you will never, ever be bored with.

The Seven Best Dramas: #3

After a very crappy trip, I'm ready to start up again.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird
Directed by Robert Mulligan
Starring Gregory Peck and Mary Badham
Winner orf 3 Academy Awards. Nominated for 8, Including Best Picture.

Bet you didn't see THIS one coming! To Kill a Mockingbird is often referred to as one of the...maybe 50?...best movies of all time, but it's rarely in even the top 25. I just don't understand that. Lawrence of Arabia, the film that beat this for Best Picture at the Oscars, is thought to be one of the best of all time (as in top 10), when I found it decent, at best. This is one of those movies where whenever it is mentioned in conversation, I can't help but scream I LOVE THAT MOVIE! Glad it was able to do my favorite book justice.

The Seven Best Dramas: #4

4. The Godfather (1972)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Starring Marlon Brando and Al Pachino
Winner of 3 Academy Awards, Including Best Picture. Nominated for 10, Including 3 in the Best Supporting Actor category (originally 11, but disqualified in the Best Original Score category).

I am often criticized for not thinking The Godfather is the best film of all time. Instead, I think it's the fourth best film of all time. It's really just splitting hairs. The Godfather is, again, one of those movies you think can't live up to the hype everyone has created for it, and in the end, it soars above and beyond it all. A downright masterpiece for so many reasons.

The Seven Best Dramas: #5

Before I write this, I need to warn everyone that I'm going to Mexico for Spring Break on Wednesday, so we'll be continuing the Seven Best Dramas #3-1 on Saturday or Sunday, depending on when I get back.

5. Schindler's List (1993)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Liam Neeson and Ben Kingsley
Winner of 7 Academy Awards, Including Best Picture. Nominated for 12.

Easily one of the best movies of all time, Schindler's List is possibly the most powerful film ever made. Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes help give it that title with their incredible performances. I truly think that this is the best made, best directed movie of all time, and reminds why Spielberg is the legend that he has become.

The Seven Best Dramas: #6

6. Gone With the Wind (1939)
Directed by Victor Fleming
Starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh
Winner of 10 Academy Awards, Including Best Picture and an Honorary Oscar. Nominated for 14 (not including Honorary).

Gone With the Wind IS class. It's the novel that writers strive to write and it's the film that filmmakers strive to create. It's subtle, yet it's out there. It's quiet, yet it's bold. Basically, it's a masterpiece. In every sense of the word...

The Seven Best Dramas: #7

7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Directed by Milos Forman
Starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher
Winner of the 5 Major Academy Awards (Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Screenplay). Nominated for 9.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of the best films of all time. Duh. The performance by Louise Fletcher alone makes this a classic. The fact that it had a great performance by Jack Nicholson, great direction and, above all, outstanding writing, didn't hurt either...