Top 5 1989 Films
By Austin Johnson
Recently, I made a list for my Top 5 films from 1999 to recognize some stuff that came out 20 years ago. After that, I did a Top 5 2009 films to talk about stuff from 10 years ago. Now, let's do a Top 5 1989 and talk about stuff from 30 years ago. I haven’t seen nearly as many '89 films as '99 and '09, but all five of these are very special to me, just like every list we put up here for you guys to enjoy. I haven’t included the Best Picture winner on the previous two lists (American Beauty and The Hurt Locker) and I sure as hell ain’t putting Driving Miss Daisy on this one. What a damn shame when plenty of quality films came out.
5.) When Harry Met Sally
“I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
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This 5th spot came down to two very different films. I was able to cut it down to a group of six that I definitely felt comfortable with, but that’s not in the rules for this exercise. Only five make it and I had to give Rob Reiner’s comedic masterpiece a spot on here. I was just watching The Wolf of Wall Street the other day and it always blows my mind that Reiner, who plays Leo’s dad in Wolfie, has directed some all time films. So, you got Rob directing and the lovely Nora Ephron providing a screenplay. Rest in peace, Nora. You were a wonderful member of the film community and we will continue to keep you there as we watch the great work you left behind. We have a male and a female working together with the script and directing. That combination fuckin' shows on the screen, because both genders are represented in equally funny and relatable ways. They placed dialogue in there that applies to relationships for the rest of time. When I was a kid, I knew Billy Crystal as my favorite round little monster. When I was in middle school, I knew Billy Crystal as Dr. Ben Sobel. These days, I know Billy Crystal as Harry Burns and that shit ain’t changing. Meg Ryan is in the rom-com Hall of Fame. First ballot for sure, and this is my favorite work she’s ever done. Is it weird that Carrie Fisher is better in this than Star Wars? The only problem with this film is the lack of diversity in its New York setting. It just doesn’t feel like the New York any of us know. Sure, When Harry Met Sally uses some Woody Allen-like tropes, but if it’s executed well, then it will be memorable, which is the best word to describe this film.
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4.) Batman
“Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance
with the devil in the pale moonlight?” |
I have done a Top 5 Batman films and I’ll be honest, I messed that one up. I should’ve included Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker instead of The Dark Knight Rises. I don’t feel any regret about having this Batman from '89 at number 3 on that list though. Tim Burton’s Batman dominated the box office and won the Oscar for Best Art Direction. When you’re Jack Nicholson in '89 with nine Oscar nominations, it’s going to be hard to get that nomination when playing a comic book character. Jack changed the game though. Over time, the strangeness that he brought to the big screen as Jack Napier aka Joker has influenced numerous ambitious actors to give the Clown Prince of Crime a go at it. Michael Keaton plays a very interesting and sympathetic Bruce Wayne that I like more and more as I rewatch this film. Kim Basinger was all time beautiful as Vicki Vale. Michael Gough gave us an extremely elegant Alfred. It’s Tim Burton’s Gotham that I remember most fondly about this Batman though. A huge part of watching films is being taken away from your everyday life, and Batman does just that with endless style.
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3.) My Left Foot
“I've had nothing but platonic love all me life. Do you know what I say? FUCK PLATO! And fuck all love that's not a hundred percent commitment!”
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This film contains quite possibly the most impressive individual performance I have ever seen. It was nominated five times at the Oscars altogether, including a Best Picture nod. Brenda Fricker and Daniel Day-Lewis both won for playing Mrs. Brown and Christy Brown. The screenplay written by writer/director Jim Sheridan is based on the novel of the same name by Christy Brown. Christy was a wonderful artist with cerebral palsy and that’s really what the film is about. He grew up with a huge family that had very little money and a disease that causes all sorts of dysfunction. It’s an extremely strong display of acting in a contained but very humane plot. DDL is shining bright as a man who is greatly gifted and cursed at the same time. He’s worth every second of the film and definitely deserved the Oscar.
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2.) Do the Right Thing
“My people, my people, what can I say; say what I can. I saw it but didn't believe it; I didn't believe what I saw. Are we gonna live together? Together are we gonna live?”
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How in the entire fuck was Do the Right Thing not even nominated?!? Spike Lee was up for Best Screenplay and Danny Aiello up for Best Supporting Actor, but no Best Picture nod. Hmm, no wonder Spike has problems with the Academy. Do the Right Thing is one of the most important and creative films to ever exist and I’m honored to even talk about it. Spike didn’t just write and direct this masterpiece, but he also plays the main character, Mookie. We are given a glimpse into one hot summer day in Brooklyn with Mookie heavily involved as the story unfolds. We are introduced to a slew of characters including Buggin Out played by Giancarlo Esposito, Danny Aiello as Sal, John Turturro as Pino, Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem, Rosie Perez as Tina, Ossie Davis as Da Mayor, Ruby Dee as Mother Sister, Richard Edson as Vito, Frankie Faison as Coconut Sid, and Samuel L. Mother Fucking Jackson as Mister Senor Love Daddy! Do the Right Thing has embedded itself into pop culture because of its themes that remain relevant and the sheer skill that Spike brought to the screen in '89. It was just his third film as a director and he made some of the most ballsy decisions anyone has ever made in film history. After the film ends, we are shown a couple of quotes. One from MLK and one from Malcolm X. Talk about brain food… Every person should experience Do the Right Thing and that statement can’t truly be said about too many films.
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1.) Dead Poets Society
“They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you. Their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because you see, gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen. You hear it?... Carpe... Hear it?... Carpe. Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”
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This is the perfect example of a personal Top 5. I think it’s pretty clear that Do the Right Thing is the most complete and moving film from 1989, but I’ve never done best of lists. I’ve always listed each film in order of how much I personally enjoy them. Dead Poets Society has been and always will be a massive influence in my love of writing and reading. It stirred me so much that I felt confident in my decision to drop out of high school during my sophomore year. It gave me the encouragement I needed to share writings with my girlfriend when we first started dating. Anytime I hear the film mentioned, I am reminded to suck the marrow out of life. Dead Poets was written by Tom Schulman who won the Oscar for Best Screenplay. Peter Weir directed and received a nomination, and the film itself got a Best Picture nomination. Now, Robin Williams was also nominated for Best Actor and he lost to DDL who I raved about earlier. This is the most courageous runner-up performance of all time in my opinion. DDL won and might be the best actor to ever live, but we will remember the name John Keating forever. Robin fucking broke through the barriers that are between actor and audience, leaving it all out there for us to see. We often praise actors for immersing themselves deeply in a role, which Robin did often and did in Dead Poets, but he also represents something way bigger than one person. When Todd stands on that desk, he is recognizing the philosophy that Keating taught us: Seize the day.
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