Thursday, November 25, 2010 at 7:04PM 5 Things I'm Thankful for This Year in Film (2010)
Anyone that really knows me, can tell you one thing: I love lists. Grocery lists, packing lists, Christmas lists, fantasy football lists, you name it and I've probably got a list for it. And being that Thanksgiving, like any holiday, is as slow of a news day as you'll find in Hollywood, I got to putting together a list of my own. My favorite five things that have happened in the film industry this year.
So while your drunk uncle rambles on about the things he's thankful for (i.e. that new bottle of Johnny Walker your brother-in-law just brought in), check out my top five after the jump.
Now I tried to stay away from rumors or the gossip world and stick to either moments in films, the films themselves, or solid news stories. But really anything that occurred from the first of the year through today was fair game. So without further ado...
1. Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 was released less than two weeks before I packed my entire life into a 6x12 U-Haul and moved from my home to Los Angeles. As part of my last hurrah, a good friend of mine and I went to the Toy Story marathon before a midnight screening of the final installment. And, as I sat back in awe of all that is Pixar, something hit me. I literally grew up with Andy. I was 8 when the first Toy Story was released, 12 when the second, and now 22. There was something about seeing Andy say good-bye to Buzz and Woody before moving on with his life that made taking the next step in mine a little easier.
2. Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim Adaptation
This next step led me right to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Edgar Wright's adaptation of the comic series was the first film I saw after making the move to LA. And man was the high price of admission worth it. As a fan of the original comic before the film, I can say from the bottom of my heart Scott Pilgrim is the most true to form adaptation I have EVER seen on film. And when I say EVER, I mean it. Book, comic, video game, you name it. Edgar Wright put those books on screen in a way I never thought possible. And for that I will be forever grateful. It's just too bad most of the world didn't go see it.
3. Inception's Hallway Fight
I don't think a lot of explanation is necessary here. I mean who didn't see this sequence a say (out loud in my case, or to themselves) "Holy Sh*t!"? This third spot could really be used as a "thank you" to Christopher Nolan for all of his incredible practical effect sequences in Inception, but I'm singling this one out because it included Joseph Gordon-Levitt. JGL is one of the best actors working in Hollywood today, and the amount of buzz this sequence created gave him the rightfully deserved star status.
4. Ben Affleck The Director
In full disclosure, I was a fan of Ben Affleck even when he was Ben the actor. I always thought he was a very capable talent that didn't deserve the bad wrap he got. Plus, I've got a soft spot for Good Will Hunting ("No, f*ck you. You don't owe it to yourself, man. You owe it to me."... I mean come on!). And, I thought Ben did a comendable job on his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone. But what Ben did this summer in The Town was truly great. He framed the action like he'd been directing for decades, kept the story flowing, and got some of the best performances from his cast I'd seen this year. So while I do enjoy seeing his face on the big screen, I'm more excited now to see his name on the back of a director's chair. Oh, and if he doesn't get a Best Director nomination from the Academy this year, something is very very wrong.
5. The Rise of Andrew Garfield
From virtual unknown to superhero in the course of twelve months, 2010 was truly the year of Garfield (not the cat, the spider... man). In all honesty, this time last year if you would have asked me who Andrew Garfield was I probably would have made some smart assed remark about the 20th President of the United States. But after seeing his presence in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, I knew this guy was going to be big. What I love most about Garfield's rise to stardom, is the fact that he really deserves it. Dude can act his ass off, and after seeing him on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, can charm your pants off too.
*Honorable Mention: The End of Lost
Seeing as how this website is devoted to film, I couldn't really put this in my top five. But it was too big a part of my life, and pop culture in general, to keep off the list completely. There really hasn't been a more polarizing show in the history of television than Lost. You either loved to hate it or hated that you loved it, and there really was no in between. Well I fell into the love camp, and spent the last six years of my life tuning in each week hoping to get answers. Some questions were in fact answered, while most weren't. But that wasn't the point of the show. This show was about the people who effect your life everyday. Some you notice, others you don't, but in the end it's the people that matter. And as Jack finally learned to let go, so did I, moving on to the next phase in my life while remembing all the people who have made a difference in it everyday.
So there you go. The five (or six) things on film this year I'm most thankful for. If you've got a list of your own I really hope you'll comment with it below. But as for me, it's time for pumpkin pie.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Reader Comments (4)
good list. i love lists too lol. cant wait for the best of the year lists
Inception and The Town were two of my favorite movies this year. I too share the fondness of JGL. Man, Inception had an incredible cast, which reminds me that I need to see it again.
I loved Lost for many years, but the finale was an epic letdown.
LOST. BEST. SERIES. EVER.