This list gives me a chance to highlight films that I feel the whole family might enjoy remembering when they look back at this year in film.
In many respects, family-friendly films not only ruled the box office in 2004 but won over the hearts of the critics as well, especially SpiderMan 2, Shrek 2, The Incredibles, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
(Speaking of critics and their accolades, all three of the sequels I just mentioned were reviewed as being the best of their series, especially SpiderMan 2, which not only appeared on Roger Ebert's top ten best of film list but was reviewed by Ebert as being the best comic book film of all time.)
I'm torn between three films -- Shrek 2, The Incredibles, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I've written this introduction so many times I've lost count. In each writing, I have picked a different film as my top choice. In one writing, I even determined that they all deserved the top spot for some reason or another. So after nearly two weeks of writing this, I'm simply tired of bleeding over it. Here is my final list, understanding that the difference in ranking of the top three films is minute.
1. Shrek 2
Shrek is king.
The clever little tale of Shrek and Fiona going to meet her parents in Far Far Away brought out the families to the cineplexes across the land to the amazing tune of $436.47 million. That folks translates into the biggest grossing animated film of all time and the fifth biggest grossing film of all time! Phenominal achievement, especially for a sequel. (Not even SpiderMan 2 can claim such success.)
In a year of high-octane-grossing-type films such The Passion of the Christ, SpiderMan 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Incredibles, Shrek 2 jumped past Gibson's violent film (which by the way became the top grossing "R" rated film of all time-- a fact I find most ironic since the Christians are so at odds of supporting them) after six short weeks and not one film has come close to knocking it off. The Incredibles, in contrast, has only made $240 million dollars, nearly $200 million dollars less.
Shrek 2 also reigned atop Billboards as the top-selling soundtrack of the year, selling over 708,000 units. And in fifteen short days after being released on DVD, Shrek 2 made $212 million dollars in sales to top the overall list of yearly sales for DVD's as of 11/20, beating out the Star Wars Trilogy and The Return of the King (not the extended version).
What most impressed me about Shrek 2 was the clever and ingenious script that reels us in by mimicking famous movie scenes (a.k.a, Pinochio's attempt at saving Shrek and Donkey mimicks Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible or the Giant GingerBread Man as a play off the Giant Marshmallow man from Ghostbusters); by cleverly satirizing current social satire (a.k.a, consider the scene in which Shrek and Donkey are captured by the LAPD in a complete rip-off the TV super show COPS, or the scene in which the giant Gingerbread man rips off the latte cup from the top of Starbucks and the patrons run out of the store and across the street to the other Starbucks store). And the sub-plot developed through the character Fairy Godmother represents our overly-fascinated mindset that we are not truly happy or capable of being loved until we look like a Hollywood superstar gives Shrek 2 more of a realistic or historical edge to it than The Incredibles.
And that is where the strength of this film lies--in the message that beauty is not what one can see but what is in a person's heart. It's about falling in love with someone for who they are and not what you want them or expect them to be. The Shrek franchise make us feel good about who we are and inspire us to treat others a bit better too because it teaches us to see them through real glasses.
2. The Incredibles
Brad Bird's film about a super hero who decides to come out of government-protected seclusion in order to give his life meaning again, but, who gets into trouble and has to have his family (who are also super heroes) rescue him is a pure delight from beginning to end. Where Shrek 2 used the same winning formula of the first film as a template for their script, The Incredibles script seemed fresh and down-right clever, even from the opening scenes showing retired superheros being interviewed about life. Crisp and dazzling animation, ingenious weapons, and the most delightfully entertaining character of the year (Edna, the fashion designer), make The Incredibles one of the best animated films of all time.
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Three films into the world-renowned series and this is the best of them all, thanks to one of the most admired directors of our time, Alfonso Cuaron. Cuaron's interpretation of Hogwarts and the surrounding landscape is richer; his direction graduates the young roles into more complex and psychological intriguing characters, something even adults can sink their teeth into. And the cinematography not only lends a psychological element to the story but is beautifully alluring. Azkaban is one of the most artistic films of the year and simply one of the best.
Prisoner of Azkaban has some of my favorite scenes in film this year:
1) When Harry runs away from the Dursley's, reeling mad after hearing Aunt Madge insult the character of Harry's dad and mom, he runs out into the damp and dark night. As he is walking down the street, we hear the sound of his rolling suitcase echo off the houses, concrete, and asphalt. We see him walking off into a distance that is crowded with homes with lighted windows, but we know, as does Harry, that none of those homes are his. There is a moment when this dawns on him and he stops and sits down on a dimly lit curb. The park behind him is as empty as it is dark. The scene added a visually symbolic exclamation point that Harry was not just alone, he was lost and empty. Knowing his circumstance, we knew this emptiness was the void left from not knowing his parents, not having them.
2) When Harry encounters the Dementors, whether that be on the train, in the Quidditch match, when Lupin trained Harry to dispell attacking Dementers, and when Harry and Black were attacked in the forest. The Dementors added a touch of horror to Harry Potter as assuredly as the Ringwraith's did in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkein. Yet, the Dementors were even more horrific because of how they could kill you, by sucking out your goodness, or your soul (if you received the "kiss"). The visual effects depicting the Dementors sucking the goodness out of you were masterfully realized, cleverly accomplished, bone-chilling, and horrific.
3) The time transition in which Harry's owl flies from the forest toward Hogwarts.
4. SpiderMan 2
The didactic story of Peter Parker's struggle to live a normal life won over audiences and critics, capturing $373.38 million in receipts, the second top-grossing film of the year. SpiderMan 2 gave us the best villain, Dr. Octopus, who was more intriguing, intellectually developed. The script was much better. It had more heart to it. The visual effects were better. And the acting was better. One of the most memorable scenes from this film is when Peter reveals to his Aunt that he was the reason why her husband (his uncle) died. It's a scene that shows the strength of the script and the great acting.
Roger Ebert penned it the best comic book hero film ever made. I'm not sold on this--I'm a bit impartial still to the first Batman film with the masterful Jack Nicholson as The Joker and the soundtrack supplied by Prince.
5. Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow
Kerry Conran's eight-year project is technologically an impressive cinematic achievement.
The visual concept for Sky Captain is ingenious. Conran sets his story in a time and place reminiscent of how the cartoonists and science fiction writers and artists of the late 1930's and 40's viewed the future-- Zeppelin passenger airships (e.g. Hindenberg) dock on the tops of skyscrapers; and flying robots and saucers (like those featured in Orson Welles terror-inducing War of the Worlds) invade and try to take over the world; and heros of the land and air (i.e. Flash Gordon) fight the forces of evil to save the world. Intriguing and dazzling.
I think the genius lies in how the film looks. Everything is done in a scepia-like wash that has the lighting and shadows of the old black-and-white films. The effect makes you feel like you are watching an old film; and a classic one at that. (Speaking of old films, what endeared me to the film was Conran's references to the film The Wizard of Oz.)
The script itself is a delightful surprise, including a cleverly written love story in which Perkins and Sky Captain spar over their broken relationship with the same type of caustic enthusiasm as Princess Leia and Han Solo..
I applaud the performances of all the actors, especially Jude Law, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Angelina Jolie. They gave believable performances despite acting solely in front of a blue screen. I like to believe that good performances are fashioned by the director, like putty on a mason's wheel. In this light, Conran does a noteworthy job.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is one of the best surprises of the year. It's fun, it's smart; and it's one hell of an action ride.
6. Napoleon Dynamite
Sure, many of you will question why on God’s green earth I chose this film for my list. Let me assure you it is not because I enjoy laughing at nerds. After all, Jared Hess’ surprise dark-horse hit Napoleon Dynamite isn’t about that. Somewhere behind a basic high school plotline about a nerd who attempts to 1) survive being picked on in high school on a daily basis; 2) get a date to prom; and 3) get his friend Pedro nominated as school president is a discomfortingly insightful film about small town life and (more importantly) about the people who live there -- how they are stuck there for some reason or another and attempt to make a living the best way they can.
Costing approximately $440,00 dollars to shoot, it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last January, was purchased for $3 million, and has gone on to gross nearly $45 million at the box office.
Don’t be surprised to learn that teens these days from L.A. to Manhattan are dressing like Napoleon. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly hear these new phrases flying from their lips in anger or mocking glee-- "frickin’ idiot" , "Gosh!" , "flip" , "heck", "you fat lard!", or these one liners:
"Why don't you go eat a decroded piece of crap!"
"I could make that much money in, like, five seconds!"
"What the heck are you even talking about!?"
"What ever I feel like doing--GOSH!"
This would be the influence of Napoleon Dynamite. From the way he gazes out of that ugly mop of a hair-do to the way he dresses; from his passive-aggressive replies and mannerisms to his chicken-liver attempts at courage, Napoleon has come to be the Everyman of teen angst.
Yes, folks, get past how the characters look and you’ll find an oddly endearing and meaningful Everyman’s-type tale with heart and a decent message, one about coping with the pain of losing chances and opportunities and developing future dreams by going after them now. As Napoleon said to Pedro (when Pedro confided in him that he doesn't know what to say to the student body): "Just tell 'em you'll make their wildest dreams come true."
7. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Despite its flaws, primarily Jim Carrey’s too-much-like-Jim-Carrey performance as Count Olaf, this Burtonesque film of three children (Violet, Klaus, and Sunny) orphaned after their parents die in a fire is a dark yet fascinating and at times heartwarming delight. It shines especially when the kids are on the screen. The script is clever; the narration by Jude Law is superb. The set design and art direction for the film, and especially the closing credits, should be recognized by the Academy come January.
One of the most memorable scenes (besides the masterful closing credits) this year occurs in this very film. Before the children are to be driven to another one of their relatives’ homes, the caretaker drops them off at the place that used to be their home. They get out of the car, walk up the stairs, and walk into a beautiful entry hall. Then, before our eyes, and theirs, the beautiful hall slowly transforms itself into the ruins left by the devastating fire. It’s a scene in which the whole of the heart of the film rests -- this is the visual representation of the children’s passage from innocence into reality. Masterfully done.
8. Mean Girls
Sometimes when we talk of family films we think solely of kid-friendly fare and forget that teenagers belong to the demographic as well. IN 2004, we witnessed the release of teen-targeted (especially young women) films such as Princess Diaries 2, 13 Going on 30, A Cinderella Story, Sleepover, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, New York Minute, and Chasing Liberty. Well, let me introduce you to the best teen comedy of the year -- the nasty-mean film Mean Girls.
Tina Fey's masterful script portrays high school dynamics in all of it clique-ish ugliness, often comparing the social interactions between students to those not any more developed than the wild animals of the Serengeti, the place in which her heroine, Cady Heron, grew up.
Mean Girls shows through Cady's journey to becoming friends with the most popular girls clique that there are consequences to what comments flow from our mouths, who we choose to hang out with, the path we chose to follow. It's about friendship --that it takes effort to procure and sustain -- and understanding that in order to sustain social harmony we must get along with others, no matter which clique they belong to. Mean Girls, directed by Mark Waters, is the smartest teen film to come along in a long time.
9. The Polar Express
Though three elements of this film deeply troubled me -- (1. that a stranger is going around picking up kids and telling them he's going to take them to see Santa; 2. that there were no women incorporated into the vision of Christmas this story depicted; and 3. that their depiction of Christmas is completely exclusionary to the children of North America) -- no Christmas film has made the child in me come alive like this film did. That ecstatic, longing feeling that accompanied the days leading up to Christmas Eve all came rushing back. I wasn't expecting it. Whether critics liked the animation in this film or not (I was not bothered by it), The Polar Express will become a Christmas classic.
10. Ella Enchanted
Laugh if you must, but this remodeled story of Cinderella, written by Laurie Craig and directed by Tommy O'Haver, is fun and delightful. Ella, since an infant, was blessed with the gift of obedience, (something we wish all of our children were implanted with at birth). But being incapable of thinking for herself, she becomes victim to anyone's spurious whims. She sets out on a journey to find her fairy aunt and have the spell undone, along her way befriending the outcasts of society. References to Monty Python’s The Search for the Holy Grail add to the fun.
Note: Give me a couple more weeks to prepare the Best of Film 2004 list.
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