So I realize that some people might have noticed a handful of articles of mine in which I went whole-hog and crazy on the world of movies. And the fact is, I am crazy regarding those celluloid dreams, and I want to share that madness with the world. Movies at their best bring out the inner kid in all of us. With that in mind, I find that I must offer up a small selection of flicks that everybody should watch in order to cultivate a slightly better life for the child in each of us, both inward and outward. These films come from all over the map, and there’s a little something for everybody on the list. Here we go, gang!
1. The Iron Giant
Directed by Brad Bird and adapted by the book "The Iron Man" by Ted Hughes, this is a truly exceptional piece of animated film work to come from Warner Brothers studio. Due to the lackluster advertising work from the studio beforehand the movie did not receive its due business, but the acclaim that came along the pipeline was only a portion of the respect that this lovely work of art deserved, and allowed for the film to achieve a cult following 17 years later (the movie came out in 1999; it’s 2016 now). With voice acting lent over by stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Christopher McDonald and Vin Diesel as the titular Giant, this movie brings out all the innocence, fear, innovation and manic political scattering of the Sputnik-soaring-through-space 1950’s American social environment. No movie brings me deeper back into the pure joy and dreamscape of my childhood than this one criminally neglected flick.
2. The Sandlot
“You’re killing me Smalls!” That’s probably the most quotable line in the whole movie, and this 1993 gem sticks out as one of the most memorable moments of my childhood. Baseball is the sport of America, and there are countless films that depict the sport in all its patriotic glory—films such as "The Natural" and "A League of Their Own." But it is this film that ties the sport so closely to our childhood, and the turbulent times of 1960’s America as a landmark in our history. Honestly, I think if you haven’t watched this movie you are worse than any junkyard dog; now tell me if you got that joke, or else you play ball like a girl!
3. Pan’s Labyrinth
This dark Spanish-Mexican fantasy comes out much later than the previous films, released in 2006 by quintessential genius Guillermo del Toro (maker of "Blade II," "Hellboy," and "The Devil’s Backbone"). Set after the Spanish civil war, we find our young heroine, the curious and genuine Ofelia, caught between the real world and the realm of her true royal family. The juxtaposition between real life violence and the shocking brutality of the far more beautiful otherworld is what gets me every time-—this is a sheer dichotomy of worlds, sharpened by deep reds and blues shot in contrast to the dull greys and blacks...you can believe me when I tell you that this is one of the most darkly wonderful films I have ever watched in my entire life.
4. Hook
Steven Spielberg’s 1991 adventure film pits Robin Williams against Dustin Hoffman in a classic battle between a grown-up Peter Pan and a paranoid Captain Hook. Bring in the ravishing Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell and Bob Hoskins as Smee, and you will not leave from the viewing experience untouched. Honestly, the idea of having Pan pulled out from his eternal youth and made into the aging, childlike image of Robin Williams was the perfect touch, and despite the mixed reception that the film received from the professional critics, I still felt that the power of what I saw on screen trumped anything else I could read or watch regarding the reclaiming man’s lost and misspent youth. That’s the truth behind the Peter Pan myth anyway—when you maintain your happy thought and give into the child in you, you will then, and only then, realize the beauty and the power of the magic that still exists in the hidden nooks and crannies of the world. Good god almighty, I want to maintain my happy thought!
5. Toy Story
Pixar has brought out a wonderful collection of beautiful stories animated on the screen, from "The Incredibles," to "Finding Nemo," to "Inside Out." But one movie that stands out above all the rest, even above the pun-induced heights of "Up" was the 1995 film that started it all—that film being "Toy Story," starring the voices of Tom Hanks and Woody Allen in perhaps their greatest roles (in my own biased opinion). Though there have been two sequels added to the franchise, and a fourth flick in the works, what made this one film so great was the simplicity of its story; whilst sequels 2 and 3 had metafictional inside jokes piled one after another to add to the humor and charm, this first film needed none of that to draw the child and adult audience into the interior logic of another universe. Children need their toys to create the worlds of their imagination, and the toys need their children to complete the circuit of the familial relationship created in the child’s play. It is this simple play that has given each of us the ability to embrace that one hidden aspect of our own childhood that was lost so long ago. With music made by Randy Newton to accentuate the mood, I cannot recommend this movie highly enough.
Each of these movies is a gem, and I ask that each of you who reads this goes out and watches each of these again. It will be well worth your time if you do so; the child should not be left in the darkness of the mind. Time to let the light shine.
