Lord of the Rings

Title: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellon, Christopher Lee
Rank: 50

There is one extremely significant difference I have found between The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and every other movie on AFI's list that I've watched so far: This film does not belong on the list!

Whether or not I personally like a film that I watch for this project, I always try to watch the film objectively and write about it fairly as to why it is on the list. There have not been many films for this project so far that I have not liked, but the few that I didn't care for I was still able to find a reason that it had earned a place on AFI's list. With The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring there is absolutely no good reason I can think for its presence on the list.

I tried to find a reason, though, but I just couldn't justify this movie being on there. I thought maybe it's because of the story, but it was a book first and therefore the movie isn't the main medium for the tale. Then I thought about the fact that it is an epic movie, but there are already several other (much better) epic films on the list. Perhaps it's on the list because of the visual effects, but there are so many other films that could've been on the list that have much more astounding visual effects. It's definitely not on the list for the acting, because although the performances for the most part are just fine, I've seen just about all these actors in other features give much stronger performances to much more memorable characters.

Then I thought "Maybe The Lord of the Rings is on the list because of how much money it's made, and how popular it is." That thought was quickly tossed aside. The list is the "100 Greatest Movies of All Time" not the "Most Popular Movies of All Time" or "The Highest-Grossing Movies of All Time." If it were based on popularity or gross, then on the 2017 list we'd be seeing such films as The Hangover, Twilight, Transformers, and Shrek 2. While those may be popular and high-grossing movies, frankly, they don't deserve a place on the "100 Greatest Movies" list.

So why was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring included in AFI's list? I still don't have an answer for that, and probably never will. I've tried to watch this movie several times over the years, but it just doesn't hold my interest. Sure, it's a finely made movie, but it feels more as though it was made for people who were already fans of the book and the stories. There's a abundance of elements to the story, and it's easy to get lost and not follow along if you are not already familiar with it. I didn't enjoy this movie, nor have I ever in the few times I've tried to sit through it. I don't hate the movie, I just do not care for it. The only thing that I did enjoy about this film was the sets and the visual effects, but like I said, there's tons of other movies that have amazing visual effects that are much more deserving to be on AFI's list.

Trivia:
•This is the only film on AFI's list that was made after the turn of the millennium. All of the other films are 1999 and before.

Movies to Go: 76

Jaws

Title: Jaws (1975)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
Rank: 56

Jaws Theme Song sound bite  Jaws sound bites

Fear. We all experience fear. What makes Jaws so scary is the fact that the antagonist of the film isn't actually doing anything wrong, and since it is acting upon its instincts there is no reasoning with it. If you're swimming nearby and it wants to eat you, you're going to be eaten! There is no begging a shark when they attack, no pleading for mercy, or hoping that it might be a vegetarian. The shark is only doing what it needs to survive, and eating the human swimmers is no different than a giraffe eating leaves off a tree. Except with the shark, it is devastating to the families and loved ones of its victims, whereas few people will grieve over the leaves the giraffe eats. Jaws is on AFI's list because it is so good at playing into fear.

Every person fears at least one thing. Sometimes our fears can be paralyzing and make us act irrationally. Chief Brody (played by Roy Scheider) fears the ocean, and refuses to go in the water or on a boat if he has any other option. When a twenty-five foots shark comes swimming into town, killing any of the leisurely swimmers it can get its jaws on, Chief Brody must take action. With the town council and the mayor working to keep the beaches open with the intention of safeguarding the town's revenue, Brody must take matters into his own hands. Brody faces so many of his own fears while fighting the shark alongside Matt Hooper (Dreyfuss) and Quint (Shaw). It is something that many people admire but seldom have to do- face their greatest fear and overcome it just as Brody did. It doesn't necessarily have to be the fear of a man-eating shark, snakes, or spiders, but it can also be a fear of failure.

The fear of failure is one of the most common fears (next to the fear of public speaking and the fear of dying), and understandably so when you look at it from the surface level. "Failure" is such an ugly word, and the definition (borrowed from dictionary.com) is "a person or thing that proves unsuccessful." No one wants to fail, which is why so many people tend to settle rather than take the risk of failing. It is so easy to want to settle in a career of being a desk-jockey, working the 9-5 hours, doing the busywork the boss gives you, rather than pursue those no-limit dreams we once had as a kid. (There is nothing wrong with a desk job, I only pick on it because I am not made to do it. There is no way I could work at a desk for the rest of my life, but that doesn't mean it isn't perfect for someone else.) I know when I was a kid there were so many things I dreamed of doing- being a famous comedian, being a famous singer, being a famous actress, becoming the CEO of the Disney Company- but over the years the dreams became smaller and much more "realistic." It made me sad, though, that I was denying my true passions and settling for something "easy" in comparison to those fabulous dreams I had when I was younger, and I have reverted back to pursuing one of those teenhood dreams, finally realizing what my passion in life is and ready to be the best I can be. Big dreams take big work, and failure is sure to come, but if you learn something from it and get back up, then it really isn't a failure. It can be hard taking risks- a risk is something that does not guarantee success, and there is always a chance of a failure- but taking risks and persevering through the tough times will all be worth it in the end. I know that I am not cut out to be a desk-jockey: I need change, I need challenge. What I want to do is going to take a lot of work, a lot of time and patience, and a lot of perseverance. I am worried that I will not make it, but I have to take the risk. Pursuing my dream-career is like Brody attacking the Great White shark: there is so much to fear, but it must be done to get the desired outcome. I remember this quote that has always stuck with me: "Courage is not a lack of fear, but action in spite of that fear."

There are several other factors that make Jaws such a great movie, and such a wonderful thriller. Music, of course, is one of those factors. (Another film with music by John Williams, my favorite film composer!) It plays into the fear of the menacing shark, and just hearing the theme song can bring back the memories of watching this movie. Jaws also brings out the fear of the unknown and the unseen- if we cannot see it, we tend to fear it more. Due to the animatronic shark not being so great, most of the shots of it are close up and only of bits and pieces, but it works so well. It makes the imagination go wild with dread. Combine all of these elements to create an amazing consternation within the viewer.

I happen to be afraid of sharks, and I am lucky that the weather is too cold to go swimming because every time I watch this film I can't bring myself to go in the water for a while after. Thanks to an overactive imagination, every time I see a shadow move in the pool after watching Jaws I make a hasty dash for the shallow end!

So tell me- what is your "Great White shark" fear that is holding you back from what you really want?

Trivia: (from IMDb.com)
•When Quint gets a call on the radio while on the Orca, the voice on the radio is Steven Spielberg.
•During filming of Jaws, the animatronic shark was nicknamed "Bruce," although Spielberg sometimes called it "The Great White Turd" when it would malfunction.

Movies to Go: 95

Rocky

Title: Rocky (1976)
Director: John G. Avildsen
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith
Rank: 57

Tonight's film was a treat for me, because this was the first time I had ever seen Rocky. Of course, I have seen the shot where Rocky is on the top of the steps in Philadelphia, raising his arms, jumping around, with Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now" playing, along with many of the spoofs of it there are out there. (Take a peek at the film version here.)

It is not hard to guess why Rocky made it on to AFI's "100 Years 100 Movies" list. Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, this film is about inspiration. Rocky comes from nowhere- he is no one special, living nowhere special, doing nothing special. As luck would have it, he is picked to fight in the championship fight against heavyweight champion Apollo Creed. (Creed only picked Rocky to fight because he liked the name the "Italian Stallion.") This is a dream come true for Rocky, and he wants nothing more than to go all the way in the fight.

Even though he doesn't win, Rocky does succeed. He lasts through the entire fight, the winner determined by points instead of a knockout. Rocky is ecstatic about the fact that he gets this opportunity, and completely satisfied with the outcome. The story of it is what everyone hopes for- we all have that "Mount Everest" that we want to achieve, whether it is becoming a record-setting athlete, discovering the cure to a disease, raising kids, becoming a world famous actor, or getting a chance to fight the champion. Most people have a dream, something they want to accomplish in their life, the one thing they want to be remembered for above everything else. It doesn't have to be something has big as becoming the CEO to a worldwide company, but it is something that will define us for who we are. Rocky was the underdog- no one expected him to make it, but he did, defeating the odds. We all believe ourselves to be the underdog at some point or another, and when those times come we have the choice to either let it break us or put in all we've got to overpower it. The only limits we have are the ones we place on ourselves.

The amazing thing about dreams is that it is never too late to have a dream, nor is it ever too late to pursue a dream. Rocky is thirty years old when he is given the chance to fight Apollo, having spent more than half his life thinking about this dream but never doing anything about it. When the opportunity presents itself, he takes it and trains as hard as he can, letting the fight take over his life and consume his every thought. He conquers his "Mount Everest" in the fact that he was able to withstand the entire fight and go the distance. To Rocky, winning wasn't the objective, it was withstanding the battle.

Rocky, however, had luck on his side. It was by pure coincidence (and that catchy name) that he was chosen to be the contender in the big fight. Not all of us will have that luck, and we often have to make our own opportunities. In most cases, there is no luck- it is all about persistence. Like the Japanese proverb says "Fall down seven times, get up eight." Any dream takes hard work and perseverance to be welded into a reality, and there will be times when you fall. It may feel like a failure, but as long as you stand back up then it is only a bump in the road. Besides, if you learn something from it, then it really isn't a failure at all.

We all have a dream or two, and nothing is impossible. (Walt Disney once said "If you can dream it, you can do it.") Dreams take work, though, but they are worth all the blood, sweat, tears, and time that go into them. It is never too late to make YOUR dream come true. We only have one life to live, and as Mickey Goodmill said: "You ain't gonna get a second chance."

Movies to Go: 98