2004 Movie List

Top 5 Movies of 2004:
(1) Garden State -> As soon as I left my seat at the theater, I began to talk ad nauseum about my favorite film of the year to anyone who was kind/dumb enough to give me the time of day . It affected me on so many different levels and so it goes without saying that it's easily my top 1 and 2 favorite movie of the year. Granted, the movie wasn't the most original. It borrowed bits and pieces from other well-known coming of age flicks such as The Graduate, but still managed to roll them up into a story that all of us could relate to in one simple way or another. It's about going back to the place you grew up and realizing that you don't quite feel like you are "home" anymore. It dawns on you that you're developing your own identity and sense of place. A new adventure has begun - destination unknown. The perfectly chosen, killer soundtrack was a character in and of itself -- icing on the cake. The music takes you on a well-staged up and down ride that forces you to feel each of Large's emotions.

(2) P.S. -> Laura Linney plays a lonely Columbia University admissions officer who meets a graudate student applicant whom she thinks might be her first love, re-incarnated. Not nearly as hokie as it sounds. What if you had the chance to get answers to questions that have lingered for years and experience, once again, what falling in love for the first time feels like? Yep, that's what I thought.

(3) The Door in the Floor -> Kim Bassinger and Jeff Bridges star in this melodramatic movie adapted from John Irving's 'A Widow for One Year' about a marriage that is strained by tragedy. The audience can't help but feel badly for each one of the characters, all of whom seem to live complicated lives that only get more complicated as they begin to interact with each other. If you're an Irving fan, this has all the touchstone elements that make him one of the best American writers. If you're a Bridges fan, it's one of his best turns in recent memory. I realize this isn't a feel-good review that's going to get you to throw this on your NetFlix Queue right away, but trust me ... it's worth checking out!

(4) Friday Night Lights -> I've seen my share of sports flicks and this was definitely one of the most poignant ones ever made. A story about a football team in a small Texas town that spotlights race, class/economic status. Interesting characters, awesome cinematography (gritty documentary-style, almost s.soderberg-style-like) and most importantly, it wasn't your formulaic hollywood screenplay, right down to the ending. Peter Berg didn't bastardize what is considered to be one of the better sports books ever written.

(5) Mean Girls -> Tiny Fey wrote an amazingly vivid and accurate screenplay about social cliques in high school which one can draw parallels with to other important stages of life. I'll spare you my infatuation with the lovely Lindsay Lohan, which you've all heard before. Genius.

Honorable Mention:
(6) Spanglish -> I want to own a restaurant, too.

(7) Maria Full of Grace -> These girls will do anything to escape the hell that is their life, but quickly realize that the other side isn't all roses.

(8) Before Sunset -> Perfectly played 2 hour conversation. Not as good as 'Before Sunrise', but a damn good sequel, nonetheless.

(9) Step into Liquid -> If you've never surfed, this will make you want to quit your job, buy a new board and surf the world.

(10) Born Rich -> Life is tough at the top. Real tough.

Most Overrated:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -> A great dramatic turn by Jim Carrey, but it lost my attention at its mid-point.