10. THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE

Long before the age of computers and credit cards, it may seem that identify theft had no appeal.  That’s not the case, if you believe the story of Martin Guerre.  In a small village in France, a man returns and claims to be the title character, a man who left his wife and child to join the army.  Others believe him, possibly out of hope, but it’s not long until a few close friends become suspicious.  The Return of Martin Guerre is a fascinating story, and one who’s virtue lies in the fact that we too do not know if Martin Guerre has returned, or if it’s an imposter.

9. THE DRESSER

Of all the places to have a mental breakdown, on a stage in front of a large crowd wouldn’t really be the ideal spot.  But that’s what becomes dangerously close to happening in Peter Yates’s story of a legendary actor who begins to breakdown while preparing for his lead performance in Othello.  Played to perfection by Albert Finney, the actor is only saved by his dresser, thanks to their longtime friendship.  The Dresser is a film that addressed mental health before it was common, but more importantly, it’s a film that shows the impact that one has on others, no matter how small their role is in life.

8. FANNY AND ALEXANDER

The film that introduces many people to Ingrid Bergman certainly isn’t his best, but its middle chapters are as strong as any of his masterpieces.  Fanny and Alexander, which became Bergman’s biggest box office hit after he announced it’d be his last film, tells a semi-autobiographical story of a young boy who learns to hate religion because of its association with strict rules and punishment in his upbringing.  The film’s final act is bizarre and unsatisfying, but there is a very good 90-minute movie hidden inside Bergman’s three-hour opus.

7. TENDER MERCIES

Often considered one of the great performances of all time, Robert Duvall plays Mac Sledge, a washed-up country music star whose addiction to alcohol ended his career early.  Mac dreams of getting back into the country scene, but instead finds solace in a relationship with a caring single-mom.  Tender Mercies is, as its title suggests, a very delicate but sweet story.  At times, it tries to pack too many twists into its 92-minute narrative, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that its story feels like a sweet country song.

6. RISKY BUSINESS

When he set out to make Risky Business, director Paul Brickman’s goal was to make The Conformist for the younger generation.  And even though Risky Business is no Conformist, it is heads and shoulders above the other teen movies of the early eighties.  It also turned a little-known actor named Tom Cruise into a superstar, simply by making him dance around in his underwear for a few minutes to Bob Seger.  But what really makes Risky Business special is its unpredictable script where a high school senior gets in deep trouble after his parents leave him alone for a few days.  Risky Business is unpredictable and fun, and I doubt Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would ever have been made without it.

5. SILKWOOD

Perhaps it’s because I watched it while I was quarantined with COVID, but there’s something about Karen Silkwood’s pain, distress, and determination that really struck a chord with me.  Or perhaps it’s because Silkwood is played so brilliantly by Meryl Streep that it’s impossible not to feel sympathy towards her.  Streep, who may be the greatest actor of all time, was at the top of her game in the early 1980’s, and there’s a strong argument that her performance in Silkwood may be her best.  Cher, who plays her lesbian roommate also flashed her acting chops, just four years earlier than her Oscar-winning performance in Moonlight.  Yet, at the heart of the film is Karen Silkwood herself, a woman who was tough, smart, and determined, and one who made a positive impact for generations to come. 

4. THE KING OF COMEDY

This disturbing story of a psychopath will do anything to get on his favorite late night variety show is Martin Scorsese’s most underrated film.  Released just two years after Raging Bull, the film failed to find its audience, making it one of Scorsese’s biggest box office flops.  Yet, partially due to its influence on films like The Joker, it has gained some attention in recent years.  Fortunately, so, because it’s a brilliant look at the cost of fame, led by another great performance by Robert De Niro.  At times, The King of Comedy is funny, but its real brilliance is in its unpredictability and Scorsese’s masterful direction.

3. THE RIGHT STUFF

Consider for a moment that the best baseball players, musicians and politicians of all time may not even be widely known.  Well, that’s also the case with pilots, as depicted in Phillip Kaufman’s thrilling three-hour space saga, The Right Stuff.  Kauffman’s film is a cinematic feat, even though it bombed at the box office, making it clear that audience members in the early 1980s preferred fictitious jedis as their heroes over the brave men who took space to new levels in the 1960s.  I however, do not.  I’d take the heroics, tension, and brilliance of The Right Stuff over any of the Star Wars films, even though I’m in the minority.  But when a film is this well made, from its brilliant editing, thoughtful writing, controlling direction and strong performances – especially by Sam Shepard and Ed Harris – perhaps I shouldn’t be?   

2. THE BIG CHILL

If there’s one topic that’s no laughing matter, it’s suicide, yet Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill intertwines humor with the tears seamlessly.  The film realizes that there are happy times in the reunion of seven friends that rarely see each other, and that humor is what helps get them through the unexpected death of their college friend.  But even more than that, The Big Chill captures the differences in feelings and lifestyles of thirtysomethings compared to their younger selves.  It’s a film with big ambitions, and a incredible cast that is talented enough to achieve those hefty goals.

1. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT

At its surface, Terms of Endearment seems to be a heartbreaking story about cancer, but at its core, it’s an affectionate portrayal of the love that mothers have for their children.  Shirley MacLaine, who won an Oscar for her performance, plays a fifty-something Texan widow who believes no man is good enough to marry her daughter.  The daughter, played wonderfully by Debra Winger, is a mother of three herself, whose life changes drastically when she discovers that she has cancer.  Considered one of the greatest tearjerkers of all time, and rightfully so, Terms of Endearment wins over our emotions by creating characters who are so full of love themselves.  It’s a different sort of love story – one that shows the everlasting bond between a mother and her daughter, and it’s one of the great love stories of the 1980s, if not the best.