Titanic

Since I just talked about Good Will Hunting, let's not discuss the movie that beat it out for best picture. 1997's best picture winner....Titanic 

1997: Titanic

Beat Out: As Good As It Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting and L.A. Confidential

Well-known quotes: "I'll never let go" "I'm the king of the world""I'm flying, Jack!"

Titanic is probably one of the most well-known and popular movies ever made. And I think that's awesome, because I think it's so popular for all the right reasons. The great directing, awesome special effects, sweeping love story, attractive Leonardo DiCaprio, beautiful Kate Winslet.

 

I find it hard to review this movie, because you can't deny that it is a great movie for a lot of reasons, but I do feel like it is over rated at times. Maybe it's just me and my preferences when it comes to movies. I prefer simple movies that I can relate to, but still have a great message. Titanic is a grand movie, telling a grand story about this horrible accident as well as the great sweeping love. It's awesome entertainment, don't get me wrong. But I find it hard to pick out parts or aspects that really got to me.

I find it really impressive, though, how if you watch the movie every once in a while, you can become completely engrossed in it again and again. I mean the movie is like 3 hours long... I'll never forget how when I was younger I was always so intrigued as to how the movie was on 2 VHS tapes. But it's weird, because every scene really is important. 

I don't mean to knock this movie, James Cameron did an amazing job. But it's definitely not my favorite movie, and there were other movies that I think I would have picked to win over this. But I feel like it's the kind of movie that people think HAS to win, because they see it as the epitome of a "best picture."

There were a few scenes that I thought stood out. First there was the captain's suicide. Such a powerful scene displaying the captain going down with his ship. This scene along with the band continuing to play as the ship goes down, really tugs on our heart strings. I think it's because it's showing people at their best, even in the face of a crisis. I love movies that display people as innately good and brave.  Like really though, try not to cry....

The above scene truly is amazing. I do believe that movie deserves all the praise and attention it has gotten over the years. So in the end I do think it deserved to win best picture. But in my own opinion, I prefer other types of movies to ones like this. But in the end, lets just listen to some Celine Dion...

the movie that made me love movies

I figured today we would talk about the movie that kind of started this all. The movie that made me love movies....Good Will Hunting

1997: Nominated for Best Picture

Beat By: Titanic

Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver

Well-known quotes: "How do you like them apples?" "Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself" "I gotta see about a girl"

I remember the first time I watched Good Will Hunting. It was the first time I got that feeling, the one that tells me that I'm watching an awesome movie. It signifies that the movie is better than your average movie, the ones I was used to seeing at the point. It says that there's something special about it. 

I think for Good Will Hunting that something special is the writing. Now don't get me wrong, there are many things about this movie that I find awesome. But it's the words, the way the characters say them and the interactions that really got me. I just love how in the end, everything connects, and everything makes sense. 

The screenplay was actually written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, two of the movie's stars. They won best original screenplay, which to this day is one of my favorite Oscar moments. Ben Affleck became the youngest person to win the Oscar, at the age of 25. I found the win extremely endearing, especially because they were such young, modest men. Also, their real friendship can be seen so clearly, it's a great thing.

In the movie the two play best friends Will (Damon) and Chuckie (Affleck). They live in Boston and go about their daily routine of hanging out, going to bars and living the lives that were dictated to them as children. They don't try or expect to go anywhere in life besides where they've always been. But Will has a brilliant mind, being able to solve mathematical equations that no one else can with ease.

The struggle that Will goes through as to if he should take advantage of this gift or stay in his mundane life with his best friends is what makes this movie so great. I know that most viewers over look this, but Will and Chuckie's friendship is one of my favorite aspects of the movie....responsible for my favorite scene in the movie.

To me, Affleck is the star here. I love how he's not even really in the movie that much, not really considered a "main character," be he contributes so much to the movie. I love when secondary characters play important roles, I prefer that over a movie with only a few main characters. Ben Affleck is one of my favorite actors, and he's totally under rated.

Robin Williams is also a standout star here, playing Sean, Will's therapist that he's forced to go to after being arrested. He has his moments of great subtlety, sitting quietly as Will insults him and gives him a hard time. But his real contribution to the movie, is his scenes when he's talking about his deceased wife. Williams is so good at portraying wisdom, and making it seem so simple. He gives endless profound advice about love and soul mates, and it gives a sort of hope to those of us watching, that love really is that simple.

 

 

Well done Robin Williams, no wonder he won the Oscar for best supporting actor. 

The way this story is told is extremely profound because it showcases simple people going through their lives and portraying an amazing message. Friendship, love, settling and the lives we strive to have. In the end, everything is connected and you can see that lessons are learned by all the characters. 

So, even though Good Will Hunting didn't win best picture, I still think it deserved to. And in the end, it doesn't matter, because this is still one of the best movies I've ever seen. And my favorite.