Top 10 Flicks of 2004 Jun 06 '05 (Updated Jul 11 '05)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Movies Love and Basketball From $6 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy From $8 The Bottom Line -- OK. I am actually just pasting this over from another web-site of mine. So, while this is truly not timely at all, it will at least set a precedent for years to come. What will Jeremy pick for his Top 10 Flicks of 2005, you will wonder? Will he include Star Wars? What about Crash? Only time will tell. On to 2004... 2004 was a great year for movies. And this is especially amazing because it was kind of a middle sister year. There was no Lord of the Rings film in December and no Star Wars film in the summer. In fact, the final Star Wars film is going to top this year's list of big movies, including King Kong, Batman Begins, War of the Worlds, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Bewitched, Fantastic Four, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Pink Panther, Oliver Twist, Rent, The Brothers Grimm, and The Producers... now that I've lost half my readers, I'll stop. Seemingly, this is the year of the adaptations and re-makes. My point is that 2004 really didn't have that many "big" films. Those that were supposed to be epic, like Troy, King Arthur and Alexander, turned out to be critical failures. However, through all of that, some great films emerged. And I would like to recognize those films with my "Top 10" list. I am not trying to stir up debate with this list, regarding which movies I missed and which I shouldn't have included. I am just telling you what films I really enjoyed this year. And I am not claiming that I saw every film this year. Notably absent are any major foreign films. I have yet to see many of those. But, without further adieu, here are my favorite films of 2004 that I did see: 10. Saved! Pros: So many great performances (e.g. Jena Malone, Macaulay Culkin, Eva Amurri, even Mandy Moore). Best teen-set comedy in years. Reminded me of John Hughes' 80’s films. Hilarious. Cons: Very biased perception of Christianity. Guaranteed to offend many people. Inflicts some cheesiness on the audience. 9. Sideways Pros: All of the featured actors gave charming performances. It had many laugh out loud moments. The story was also deep and touching. The characters were well-developed. Cons: There was a large focus on sex. And this could turn off some viewers. 8. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Pros: Same great humor as Wes Anderson’s previous films. Very fun performances, especially by Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and Willem Dafoe. Just hilarious. Good soundtrack. Cons: Characters were not nearly as developed as previous Anderson efforts. Possibly the most thematically hollow Anderson film. 7. Before Sunset Pros: Great performances by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Interesting conversations, reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s other films, filled the movie. You end up loving the characters. Cons: Too short. Too many sexual conversations where there could have been other quality conversations. 6. Coffee and Cigarettes Pros: A large cast of famous actors/artists. Some amazing and humorous performances. Favorite vignette: Cate Blanchett, the actress, talking with Cate Blanchett, the actress’ cousin. Cons: Some disappointing scenes, particularly Steve Buscemi talking with Spike Lee’s nephew and niece. Not a good group film, because most viewers will get ants in their pants (not a personal “con”). There is a disconnect between the scenes that is unsatisfying. 5. The Village Pros: Great performance by Bryce Dallas Howard. Amazing scene with Joaquin Phoenix and Adrien Brody. I don’t care what anyone else says; I enjoyed the ending. And the story has more to offer than just the ending. Cons: Seemed very hollow. The characters were merely sketches to drive the story. Some illogical choices were made by characters simply to drive the story. 4. Garden State Pros: Amazing performance by Natalie Portman. Very funny and clever story. Some very humorous scenes. Also, Ian Holm’s mannerisms were identical to the attorney I worked for last winter. Cons: Kind of depressing. Not a film you want to watch over and over. The story took some unnecessary routes to reach certain destinations. 3. In Good Company Pros: Great performances by Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace and Scarlett Johansson. Very fitting original music by Stephen Trask. Funny with a feel-good story. Full of great moments. Good performances by supporting cast. Cons: The final act of the film is very much a Hollywood ending. 2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Pros: My favorite Charlie Kauffman film to date. Excellent performances by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslett. The story is told in an innovating and, ultimately, effective way. It was also very funny and feel good at times. Cons: Again, kind of a message of emptiness. Some inappropriate scenes. 1. Million Dollar Baby Pros: The characters were some of the best of the year. Hilary Swank gives the best female performance of the year. The story draws true emotion by refusing to cut corners. The film is full of many great themes. After the movie ended, I still cared about the characters. Simply put, the best film of the year. Cons: While I had some initial problems, the more I thought about the film, the more that I began to understand it. I don’t have any cons to include. Many people will not like this movie, though. Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): --I Heart Huckabee's --Super Size Me --The Aviator --The Incredibles --Finding Neverland --Napoleon Dynamite --Collateral --Miracle --The Polar Express --The Passion of the Christ --Friday Night Lights --Ray

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