Audiences could not imagine what cinema gave them 35 years ago. Welcome to MMM and today I’m counting down the best of 1982 films based on my own enjoyment of them.
Before I begin, this is part of a list of film countdowns spanning over a 5 year radius from 1967 to 2017 from today to the 31st December. If you don’t see a film that you think should have made the list, please comment.
On a personal note, a merry merry Christmas to you all and hope you have an awesome, jolly, and absolutely fabulous festive season!
#10: Gandhi (History biography)
A historical account about the titular figure (Oscar winner Ben Kingsley) known for his pacifist nature.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: 8 wins (Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role – Ben Kingsley, Director – Richard Attenborough, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction – Set Decoration, Costume Design, and Film Editing), and 3 nominations (Best Sound, Original Score – Ravi Shankar and George Fenton, and Makeup).
Highlights: Story, cast, and performances especially Kingsley and Oscar nominee Candice Bergen.
#9: Annie (Family dramedy musical)
Based from the 1977 musical of the same name and the Harold Gray 1924-2010 comic strip Little Orphan Annie. When the wealthy Mr. Warbucks (Oscar nominee Albert Finney) adopts an optimistic and spirited orphan girl (Golden Globe nominee Aileen Quinn) in order to promote his image, little does he know that she’ll change his life.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: 2 nominations (Best Art Direction – Set Decoration, and Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score – Ralph Burns).
Highlights: Story, cast, performances including Golden Globe winner Carol Burnett and Primetime Emmy nominee Tim Curry, musical numbers, and charm.
#8: The World According to Garp (Dramedy)
Based on John Irving’s critically acclaimed 1978 novel of the same name, the late Oscar winner Robin Williams in one of his earliest roles, plays the eponymous struggling writer and his misadventures with his wife (BAFTA nominee Mary Beth Hurt) and feminist mother (Oscar nominee Glenn Close in her film debut), whose novel turns her into a cultural icon.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: 2 nominations (Best Actor in a Supporting Role – John Lithgow, and Actress in a Supporting Role – Glenn Close).
Highlights: Spirit from its source material, cast, performances especially Williams, Close and Lithgow, and humor.
#7: The Last Unicorn (Animated fantasy adventure)
Based on Peter S. Beagle’s 1968 novel of the same name, a unicorn (voiced by Golden Globe winner Mia Farrow) is determined to find out what has happened to the rest of her species with the help of a magician (voiced by Oscar winner Alan Arkin) and along the way, learns about love and regret.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: None.
Highlights: Story, animation, oddity, and voice cast especially Farrow, Arkin, Oscar winner Jeff Bridges, Oscar nominee Angela Lansbury, and the late Christopher Lee.
#6: The Secret of NIMH (Animated drama adventure)
Often regarded as one of the greatest animated films ever made, as well as being the directorial debut of Don Bluth before he would later work on “An American Tail” (1986), and other animated films, and based on Robert C. O’Brien’s 1971 novel “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH”, the film follows a timid but kind mouse (voiced by the late Oscar nominee Elizabeth Hartman, which was her last role) who is determined to save her ill son. Along the way, she meets and seeks help from a colony of rats and discovers more about her late husband.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: None.
Highlights: Story, animation, characters, cast, performances especially Hartman, Golden Globe nominee Derek Jacobi, the late Golden Globe nominee Dom DeLuise, the late John Carradine, and early voice work from Wil Wheaton, and music score by Oscar winner Jerry Goldsmith.
#5: 48 Hrs. (Action comedy)
Considered as one of the first examples of the “buddy comedy” genre, a no-nonsense police officer (Oscar nominee Nick Nolte) enlists the help of a wisecracking prison convict (Oscar nominee Eddie Murphy in his film debut), in order to find a murderer in the titular and exact number of hours they’re given.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: None but 1 Golden Globe nomination (New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture – Male; Eddie Murphy).
Highlights: Story, cast, performances especially Nolte and Murphy, humor, and action.
#4: Victor Victoria (Romantic comedy musical)
Directed by the late Oscar nominee Blake Edwards, who bought the world the original Pink Panther (1963 – 1993) film franchise, and serving as a remake of the 1933 German film “Viktor und Viktoria”, this entertaining comedy centers on a beautiful but struggling female singer (Oscar winner Julie Andrews) who disguises herself as a male impersonator with the help of a gay cabaret singer (Oscar nominee Robert Preston). Complications arise, however, when she falls in love with a club owner (late Oscar nominee James Garner).
Oscar wins and/or nominations: 1 win (Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score – Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse) and 6 nominations (Best Actress in a Leading Role – Julie Andrews, Actor in a Supporting Role – Robert Preston, Actress in a Supporting Role – Lesley Ann Warren, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction – Set Decoration, and Costume Design).
Highlights: Story, cast, performances especially the lead actors, humor, choreography, musical numbers, and charm.
#3: E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial (Family science fiction)
Often regarded to be one of the greatest films ever made, and perhaps one of the most endearing films you will ever see, whether it is by yourself or having a family movie night. After getting accidentally stranded on Earth, the eponymous and friendly alien is found and befriended by a young boy (Golden Globe nominee Henry Thomas). Together, they create a plan to send the otherworldly visitor back home.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: 4 wins (Best Sound, Visual Effects, Sound Effects Editing and Original Score – John Williams) and 5 nominations (Best Picture, Director – Steven Spielberg, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, and Film Editing).
Highlights: Timeless story, themes, cast including a child appearance of Golden Globe winner Drew Barrymore, performances, sound and visual effects, iconic moon shot, music score, charm, and thrills.
#2: TRON (Sci-fi adventure)
Cited as a revolutionary film, due to the innovative visual effects at the time, and even serving as inspiration for the making of Toy Story (1995), a computer hacker (Oscar winner Jeff Bridges) is taken into a digital world and is forced to participate in gladiatorial games in order to escape and return to the human world. Along the way, he meets the titular valiant security program (Bruce Boxleitner), who looks identically like his friend back home.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: 2 nominations (Best Costume Design, and Sound).
Highlights: Story, cast, performances especially Bridges, Boxleitner and Primetime Emmy winner David Warner, sound and visual effects, charm, and thrills.
Before I unveil my top pick, here are some honourable mentions:
The Thing (Horror)
Rambo: First Blood (Action adventure)
Blade Runner (Neo-noir science fiction)
The Verdict (Courtroom drama)
An Officer and a Gentleman (Romantic drama)
#1: Tootsie (Comedy)
Considered one of the greatest comedies ever made, a talented but difficult actor (Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman) disguises himself as an actress in order to get a role in a TV show.
Oscar wins and/or nominations: 1 win (Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Jessica Lange), and 9 nominations (Best Picture, Actor in a Leading Role – Dustin Hoffman, Actress in a Supporting Role – Teri Garr, Director – Sydney Pollack, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound, Film Editing, and Original Song – “It Might Be You”).
Highlights: Story, cast, performances; lead and supporting, dialogue, humor, soundtrack, and influence in pop culture.