50/50 will have you packing your tissue box to wipe away both tears of sorrow and tears of laughter. It's more than a numbers game, though, in balancing humor with drama. It's not about adding up equal parts. It's about timing your jokes to fall in dramatic places when you need them and in funny places where they work like magic.
Read MoreWhile horror movies, especially the eponymous Halloween series, prominently use Halloween as a staging point, there are a great many non-horror movies that have fun and unique Halloween set pieces as well. For a short and sweet editorial, here are some non-horror cinematic scenes of Halloween and a few clips.
Read MoreThe scores and buzz are not a mirage. Courageous is simply that good, regardless of who or what you believe in. Yes, it's "preachy" if you want to say that. Yes, it's full of and unashamed of its southern Baptist values, but the film doesn't require a "buyer beware" warning label. That's because it is a compelling journey of the self-improvement and integrity of fatherhood accountability and responsibility that a man of any faith or doctrine can relate to and be moved by.
Read MoreThe Ides of March astutely sets you on a course of constantly waiting for the other shoe to fall and questioning whether that shoe will multiply into a thunderstorm of explosive Crocs and Uggs.
Read MoreAdding all of that up, Real Steel is as crowd-pleasing as it is preposterous. Even if the melodrama, spirit, and emotions are as manufactured and controlled as the robots themselves, I have to admit that they work to create a fun and charming ride that pops off of the big screen and booms in IMAX.
Read MoreMy last chapter on movies that epitomize the American Dream deals with the aspirations of the American youth. The naive mentality and innocence of youth is where new American Dreams start. The classic cinematic coming-of-age stories and movies of rebellious youth are great examples for this theme.
Read MoreThe second decadent route to the American Dream is through performing arts, a very 20th and 21st century version of the American Dream. Between singing, dancing, or acting, the quest for notoriety through one's "fifteen minutes of fame" onstage or onscreen is path to greatness.
Read MoreTwo of the more decadent routes to achieving the American Dream are sports success and stardom through performing arts. In sports, everyone wants their name in the record books, that moment playing a kid's game in front of thousands of cheering fans, or the chance to earn millions of dollars.
Read MorePeople come to this country and love this country for the freedoms they enjoy and the right to be a part of the voting and change that occurs. Citizenship and leadership is part of the American Dream and many of the movies that epitomize it.
Read MoreThrough Pitt’s performance, Moneyball has that outstanding character study that all great sports movies have to have. In a way, Moneyball feels like Jerry Maguire without the romantic comedy, where the smoothly-written business side of a sport trumps the game and players on the field. For those looking for a sports movie with a brain, that will impress you and spark your interest. If you need thrills and camaraderie, you're going to have to look somewhere else.
Read MorePlenty of people (and plenty of movies show it) achieve the American Dream of being self-made or financially successful purely by way of achieving power and dominating those around them. By taking that route, the power corrupts and becomes their only goal to achieve.
Read MoreThis country is known for its ingenuity and the men and women who brought their genius to the world, thanks to the democracy and freedom they worked in. Some did it for the money and others did it for the betterment of society. Either way, they made that version of the American Dream come true.
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