The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Dude’s life is ripe for exploration. What was the dude
like in high school? How did he come to
meet Walter and Donny? Do the Dude and Walter get into any more zany adventures
after the movie? With today’s obsession with prequels and spin off’s studios
must be itching to cash in on that Lebowski nostalgia. The fact that The Big
Lebowski is a standalone film is what makes it so great. One does not need to
know the background of the characters in the movie because they fill in the
blanks themselves. The comedy falls into place with the script and how well
Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and others play their parts. The Dude is an enigma,
lets keep it that way.
The Truman Show (1998)
Arguably Jim Carrey’s best role to date saw him portray
Truman Burbank, a man who has lived his entire life in a television studio.
Truman’s whole world has been fabricated to be a TV show where everyone but him
is in on the act. His best friend, his co-workers, and even his wife must force Truman
to believe all the events going on around him to be true after he starts to
gain suspicion. Any attempt to force furthering the story of the original ruins
the ending completely. Studios who want to use more current lenses such as
social media to explore a newer version can go right ahead but leave any
connection to Truman out of it.
Gattaca (1997)
Gattaca certainly has its place in a long list of cult
classics from the period. The sci-fi thriller stands alone in its chilling
prediction of a future where society has created a new form of discrimination
based on genetic modification. It is also the story of a dream and how far one
is willing to go to achieve it when everything is plotting against them. Gattaca
is a warning for the future, one we may already be creating. Any modern
retelling lacks the foresight that was required when writing the original
screenplay. In other words, in 1997 nobody could see Gattaca coming. Today it
is expected.
Tombstone (1993)
Sporting an all star cast of Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam
Elliott and Bill Paxton, Tombstone takes real life events and gives them a
lively background. Following Wyatt Earp and his families fights with the Cowboy
outlaws, the film balances themes of age, addiction, and growth. Even though
Earp’s history was not at the forefront of theaters in ’93 it has found a
following thanks to the endearing tale told within. With the decline of the
genre it is doubtful any studio would take more than a seconds look at this
title but its place on many Top 10 Westerns lists may convince some otherwise.
American Beauty (1999)
American Beauty almost joined one of the most prestigious
clubs in movie history. There have only been three movies to win the “Big Five”
award at the Oscars, with Beauty winning out in Best Picture, Best Director,
Best Original Screenplay, Best Lead Actor, and then just almost taking Best
Lead Actress. Studios sure love winners and with controversial subject matter a
modern remake of the classic would sure get people talking. Having several
themes and subplots that come to a shocking conclusion, American Beauty has left
viewers speechless since the turn of the millennium. When a film that strikes
so many cords makes its way to the top, there is no way to surpass it.
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