"I'm an excellent driver"
Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 7:46AM Yes, readers, the blog goes right here. Everything's now in one place. (Well, everything except co-productions which alternate location like Best Pictures From the Outside In and such.)
Fake Jew, Real ScientologistNick, Mike and I are proud to bring back "Best Pictures From the Outside In" series for its 20th episode (the halfway mark). The films are Gentleman's Agreement in which Gregory Peck poses as a Jewish man to write a scathing expose on anti-Semitism and Tom Cruise plays a cocky jerk who suddenly finds he is with family (no, not in that way) in Rain Man.
If you're new to the series and need a refresher, here is the index to all 20 episodes. Nick, being the overachiever that he is, also keeps a tournament list a readers poll and ranks all the winners.
Please join in the conversation of that episode at Goatdog's blog. There's so much to discuss. Do you love the 80s time capsule of Rain Man. Do you like being lectured to by Gregory Peck? Mike sums both films up in an animated 2 minute recap, I share my theory on how Tom Cruise inspired Twitter (no really) and Nick overshares his Scientology (not really).
P.S. I think you should know that Bull Durham was totally robbed of an Oscar nomination in 1988 and Black Narcissus (which we recently wrote about) was robbed in 1947. What were they thinking?
Reader Comments (23)
I totally hate HATE Rainman, the worst Oscar winner ever.
but how do you really feel Remy?
I don't know how I feel, but the movie feels superficial, dated, pointless. It is valid as a frame of that time, but that's not enough. Then again, I should probably rewatch it, because it's been years since I watched it for the last time...
Oh man, I LOVE "Black Narcissus" in all of its overheated glory.
And I just discovered that there's another Liz hanging around, so I guess it's initials for me.
Also Nathaniel, I loved your comment at the bottom about not getting Nick's Scientology joke until the end. I'm reading the whole thing and thinking, "Yeah, Tom Cruise is a weirdo Scientologist. But why is Nick saying it over and over again?" And then the "Where do I collect my Pulitzer?" really made it click for me.
Heh.
Rain Man’s Best Picture win isn’t such a travesty. It was quite fashionable in the 80’s for domestic melodramas to take home the top prize. “Ordinary People”, “Terms of Endearment”, and “Driving Miss Daisy” – I still think much too much is made out of the 80’s being an inferior decade for film. I don’t agree that it was. The country was simply too conservative to embrace all the quality filmmaking happening mainly in genre pictures from David Cronenberg and Paul Verhoeven.
Best Actress 1988 – Sarandon and Bujold should’ve been there and Sarandon should’ve won.
Maybe it's just my eyesight, but I have a hard time picking up on where you have created links in your text, Nate. Maybe you could use a more vivid color?
Glad to see the new site!
^I should clarify that I'm talking about when you list all that Nick has on his website. Obviously, I could see the bolded stuff. ;)
Yeah, I do agree with Evan. Obviously I can just move my cursor over the text until the link pops up, but it would be nice to be able to see the link right away.
good note!
better?
It's a little better, but I personally still have some trouble-- maroon looks a lot like black when it's used in regular print. Maybe if they were underlined? Maybe an orange or blue?
And if others are fine, don't worry about me!
So glad to see an excited turnout for the new BPFTOI installment. We need the energy boost heading into the marathon double-feature of Hamlet and The Last Emperor.
If I can just make a modest plea, could we direct comments about the substance of the conversation over to Mike's site? You're missing out if you're not visiting the Goatdog site and blog more often, and part of what we like about the series is rotating regular readers from our individual sites to spend more time at each other's. Plus, it's easier to keep all the discussion focused in one place. Thanks! I'm going to go respond to @3rtfu11 over there, so I don't break my own rule.
yes, by all means read that piece on comments. We know we take way too long between posts in this series but we do love the feedback tri-monthly (haha)
I have no real problem with Rain Man. But I think I'm way more negative than any of you on Gentleman's Agreement. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, is stiff. Everyone seems focused on racism, but the central character is more implicitly racist. Think about if the story were about African-Americans.
Volvagia, I know that following the drift of a conversation isn't really your thing, but as we just finished asking, could you direct your substantive responses to our conversation over to Mike's page, where the transcript actually appears? It'd be interesting to hear you spell out what you mean about the Peck character, but over there, rather than here, please.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment, and for taking the trouble to post it.glashutte original watches
This was Tom Cruise's best role to date by far, and for me, only Born on the 4th of July and Minority Report have surpassed it. He is much better here than Dustin Hoffman, who delivered the most overrated performance of the 1980's.
I should second Nick's assertion to join the RAINMAN / GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT convo at the article over yonder. I feel like i'm hogging that conversation. Talk to meeeeeee.
<p><p>the good driver is good habit.
العز</p>
</p><p><p>Thank you
العز</p>
</p>
Nathaniel, sometimes i want to read your old film bitch awards whats wrong with this links?? Miss them! :(
oh, i know this film. realy good
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