300

Year of Release: March 9 2007

Director(s): Zack Snyder

Writer(s): Zack Snyder

Cinematographer(s): Larry Fong

Producer(s): Frank Miller, Gianni Nunari

Ditributer(s): Warner Bros. Pictures

Actor(s)/Actress(es): Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham

Why I chose this: 300 is my all time favorite action/war movie. Based on a true story, 300 retells the story of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The king of the Persians, Xerses, has much control of many Hellenistic city-states. Then Xerses threatened the Spartans. Not allowing this to happen, King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), puts together a group of 300 men. In order to win, they have to defeat an army of 170,000 Persians. The Spartans show motiviation throughout the entire battle. They show "honor & glory." The battle was a suicide mission for the Spartans. However, that didn't stop them Spartans from throwing their hearts onto the field. This gruesome battle shows the determination of an army who feared nothing. This film had 9 wins & 27 nominations. Some wins including: Saturn award's: "Best Director," "Best Make-up," "Best Actor," and many more. It is a film that describes and shows the significance of one battle that changed history forever.

Million Dollar Baby

Year of Realease: January 28 2005

Writer(s): F.X. Toole (stories) Paul Haggis (screenplay)

Director(s): Clint Eastwood

Cinematographer(s): Tom Stern

Producer(s): Clint Eastwood, Albert E. Ruddy

Distributor(s): Warner Brothers

Actor(s)/Actress(es): Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman

Why I Chose This Movie: Clint Eastwood has done it again with another one of his inspirational and moving films. To me, it's one of the best dramas. This film is about a man, Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood), who is a top notch and well known boxing trainer and coach. After being dumped by his extremely skilled client, Frankie is left with just his gym. Always looked after by his long time pal, Scrap (Morgan Freeman), Frankie is a unemotional and unfriendly "old coot." Once a female Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) arrives to his gym and asks for his permission to train her, he immediately says no because shes a woman. Eventually able to convince him, the story goes on to tell about a man not just training this female, but loving her as if she were his own daughter. The main moral of the story is to "Above all, always protect yourself." Clint Eastwood's tearjerker struck Hollywood racking in 4 oscars, 29 nominations, and another 49 wins. It shows how a woman goes from being nothing to something, and how she was able change the life of a man who thought there would be no one else left in the world to love him.

It's A Wonderful Life

Year of Release: January 7 1946

Director(s): Frank Capra

Writer(s): Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett

Cinematographer(s): Joseph Walker

Producer(s): Frank Carpa

Distributor(s): RKO Radio Pictures

Actor(s)/Actress(es): James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers

Why I chose this film: To me this is the classic traditional Christmas movie. The film begins on Christmas Eve with a very depressed man, George Bailey (James Stewart). Near suicidal, he begins to pray. Suddenly an angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), hears his prayers, and comes down to Earth in hopes of saving him. His duty is to help George realize all the good he has brought to his community. Clarence takes him back through time in flashbacks. George see's the troubles such as rescuing his brother from the ice pond leading him to going deaf in one ear, as well as the good times like meeting his wife Mary (Donna Reed). George needs to obey to Clarence if he wants to be with his family again. It's A Wonderful Life was nominated for five Oscars. It has been since recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made, and placed number one on their list of inspirational films of all time. That is why I chose it, because it reveals so much inspiration to anyone who watches it. It teaches one to reflect on life when times are bad, and realize all the good times. Everyone around the world can easily connect to it because it portrays the same moral.

World Trade Center

Year of Release: August 9 2006

Director(s): Oliver Stone

Writer(s): Andrea Berloff, John McLoughlin (true story)

Cinematographer(s): Seamus McGarvey

Producer(s): Moritz Borman, Debra Hill

Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures

Actor(s)/Actress(es:) Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon

Why I chose this: WTC is based on a true story of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01. Two port authority workers John Mcloughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) witness the plane crash into the North Tower. McLoughlin and Jimeno rush to help evacute the South Tower before that too gets hit, but they arrive too late. Yet they decide to still enter the South and start evacuating. Once inside, it begins to rumble, and they realize the South Tower is collapsing on them. Hiding in an elevator shaft the men are burried under the tower. They spend hours stuck in the rubble with limited air, and men dying around them. Finally, they are rescued by two Marines. This painful re-tell of the traumatic events on 9/11 was made so they no one would ever forget. It's historically important because it shows the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. It outlines the bravery and courage of two men who went to save others if it meant risking their own lives. The world can watch this movie and be able to witness the nightmare that will be stuck in American hearts forever

Slumdog Millionaire

Year of Release: January 23 2009

Director(s): Danny Boyle & Loveleen Trandan

Writer(s): Simon Beaufoy

Cinematographer(s) of Photography: Anthony Dod Mantle

Producer(s): Christian Colson

Distributor(s): Fox Searchlight Pictures

Actor(s)/Actress(es): Dev Patel, Saurabh Shukla, Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto

Why I chose this: 18 year old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) experienced a sudden twist in his life; he was picked for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. As Jamal keeps answering each question correctly, they pause the show and take Jamal to the police. They are suspicious how he is answering these all right. They think he is cheating since his status is a "slumdog." How could he possibly be winning? As Jamal tries to explain himself, and tell them that he truly knows the answers, they refuse to listen. The host of the show and police are frustrated and abuse him. The movie then setsback to show how his past has the answers to each one of the questions. Jamal suffered the loss of his Mother, betrayal of his brother, and heartbreak of his one true love, Latika (Freida Pinto), in order to show how he can still perservere. This film shows the true hardships of people in India, and what they have to endure. I think it touches whoever watches the movie. People from anywhere are able to connect. This movie has won 4 Golden Globes including Best Picture. They also were nominated and won many, many others. Since there are too many to name, here is a list http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/awards

The Wizard of Oz

Year of Release: August 25 1939

Director(s): Victor Fleming

Writer(s): Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson

Cinematographer(s): Harold Rosson (color)

Producer(s): Mervyn LeRoy

American Distributor(s): Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Actor(s)/Actress(es): Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke

Why I chose this: 12 year old farm girl, Dorothy (Judy Garland), resides on a farm in Kansas but dreams of places "over the rainbow." Knocked unconscience from a tornado, Dororthy and her furry tag-a-long, Toto, are transported to the magical land of Oz. Here, Dorothy meets friends such as the Tin Man, who is searching for a heart, Scarecrow who is searching for a brain, and the Cowardly Lion, who is searching for courage. Dorothy herself is searching for a way to be transported back to Oz. Together, they all overcome personal battles in hopes of finding what they are looking for. To me, this movie stuck out because it was the first color movie to ever hit theaters. It changed the movie making world. It opened a new door to film makers everywhere. Not only was it historically significant, but also politically. Many don't realize that the movie represents the Populist Era in American history. For instance: the Kansas tornado represented the rural dust bowls in the Great Plains. The 'Wicked Witch of the West" represented tyrants and major business holders (i.e. Rockefeller). And so on. The Wizard of Oz is a classic and a must see!

GRAN TORINO

Year of Release: January 9 2009

Director(s): Clint Eastwood

Film Writer(s): Nick Schenk (screenplay & story), Dave Johannson (story)

Cinematographer(s) of photography: Tom Stern

Producer(s): Clint Eastwood, Bill Gerber, Robert Lorenz

Important Actors/Actresses: Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, and Ahney Her

Why i chose this movie: Gran Torino was a great ending to Clint Eastwoods movie producing career. It captured the emotions of a man, Walt (Clint Eastwood), who is haunted by his past in the Korean War. Ironically, his neighborhood had a new "face," the Koreans. When his neighbor (Bee Vang) is forced to steal Walt's Gran Torino, Walt takes matters into his own hands. However, the plot twists to Walt connecting with the boy as if he were his own son. They help eachother overcome their struggles. To me, this movie reaches out to people. It represents a bond between a bitter man and a innocent boy who one may think would never get along. It is said that this movie may not win Best Picture, but could be in the running for Best Actor. People all around the world would be able to understand this unbreakable bond between "a father and his son."