America in Film

If  one were to look at American film over the last decade one comes up with a surprising variety of themes.  Listed chronologically below, are those I have viewed, which span the gamut of American experience:

Film                                       Director                         Cast           

The present decade

Cosmopolis (2012)           David Cronenberg        Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche       

2000 - The first decade                        

Salt (2010)                        Phillip Noyce                  Angelina Jolie, Live Schreiber    

Due Date (2010)               Todd Philips                    Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis

The International (2009)* Tom Twyker                Clive Owen, Naomi Watts

Lovely Bones (2009)*       Peter Jackson                  Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg

According to Ruth (2009)  Nancy Bardawil        Hilary Duff, Evan Ross

Up in the Air (2009)        Jason Reitman                George Clooney, Vera Farmiga

Ugly Truth (2009)           Robert Luketic               Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler

1408 (2007)                     Mikael Halfstrom          John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson

Brokeback Mountain (2005)  Ang Lee                  Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger

Miracle (2004)                   Gavin O’Connor             Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson

The Last Samurai (2003)*  Edward Zwick              Tom Cruise, Sam Watanabe, Koyuki

Mr Deeds (2002)               Steven Brill                   Adam Sandlers, Winona Ryder

Erin Brockovich (2000)   Steven Soderbergh       Julia Roberts, Albert Finney

1990's

The Matrix (1999)             Andy Wachowski            Keanu Reeves    

American Beauty (1999) Sam Mendes                   Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening

8 mm (1999)                       Joel Schumacher           Nicholas Cage, Amy Morton

Titanic (1997)                     James Cameron             Leonardo di Caprio, Kate Winslett

Legends of the Fall (1994)  Edward Zwick             Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Julia Ormond     

Lion King (1994)                 Roger Allers                    Mathew Broderick          

Jurassic Park (1993)         Steven Spielberg           Sam Neill, Laura Dern

Schindler’s List (1993)      Steven Spielberg            Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes 

Dracula (1992)                     Francis Ford Coppola   Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder 

Basic Instinct (1992)        Paul Verhoeven              Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone

Red October (1990)             John McTiernan            Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin

1980's     

Dream Team (1989)            Howard Zieff                 Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd

Top Gun (1986)                    Tony Scott                     Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis 

Scarface (1983)                     Brian de Palma           Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer  

First Blood (1982)              Ted Kotcheff                 Sylvester Stallone

1970's

Kramer Vs Kramer (1979) Robert Benton            Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep  

Grease (1978)                     Randal Kleiser              John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John

Bound for Glory (1976)    Hal Ashby                       David Carradine, Ronny Cox, Melinda Dillon

Rocky (1976)                       John Avildson                Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire

Papillon (1973)                   Franklin J. Schaffner     Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman

Godfather (1972)                 Francis Ford Coppola   Marlon Brando, Al Pacino


1960's

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*  George Roy Hill    Paul Newman, Robert Redford                                                                                           
Mackenna’s Gold (1969)       J. LeeThomson                 Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif

Cheyenne Autumn (1964)*   John Ford                     Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker

Great Escape (1963)           John Sturges              Steve McQueen, James Garner

Guns of Navarone (1961)  J. Lee Thompson        Gregory Peck, David Niven


1950's

Ten Commandments (1956) Cecil B. deMille          Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner


1930's

Modern Times (1936)          Charles Chaplin            Charles Chaplin

Pack Up Your Troubles (1932)  George Marshall          Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy  

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*See blogpost on this film on this blog; The poster above is of Cronenberg's film A Dangerous Method (2012).