My Favorite Movies

Remarkably gutsiest movie I recall being mass marketed. Nods to Charlie Chaplain's Modern Times, silent filmmaking in general, environmentalism, romanticism, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Asteroid, and Ten Years After. Mockery of Wal-Mart, consumerism, corporatism, Bush, and Fat Americans. I can't imagine kids with a short attention span loving this movie. I can imagine Professor Thornberg talking about it years from now.

The book and movie are great for separate reasons. To not feel like a flick is dragging even after 2.5 hours is an accomplishment in and of itself. Great not because males harbor some love affair with organized crime,and not just because the acting is superb, but because every scene feels like it instantly becomes a classic to which all other great dramas must pay homage.

The nebulous approach to right and wrong and outstanding acting gives the movie high marks as is. It gets the extra push because of the "it's funny cause it's true" depiction of the overwhelming urban blight that is the greater Boston metro area. Full 5 stars for a Lynn joke that only MA residents would get.

When your friends who love films - or Keith Olbermann - reference this movie, are they just trying to appear snobby? No, it is just the best movie from Hollywood's greatest era. Also headshakingly true to life for anyone working in the water industry.