10 Movies to Watch on New Year's Eve

There are many different ways to celebrate New Year's Eve, and while we love a good, noisy party as much as the next reveler, sometimes we're in the mood for a more low-key evening. One spent, say, relaxing at home with a good movie.

And while we also appreciate twisty psychological thrillers, high-adrenaline action flicks and unsettling horror films, these aren't quite right for New Year's Eve, when we might be recovering from various holiday gatherings, and maybe musing over the past year and wondering what's in store for the next.

This is the night for light, uplifting -- dare we say it --feelgoodfilms. Movies that don't mess with our heads too much and, like the year itself (hopefully), end on a positive note. Particularly appropriate are films in which people change or grow or learn something, though it isn't required. Naturally, many of these are romcoms.

Here's a highly subjective list of 10 great movies to watch on New Year's Eve:

'Big'(1988)
Penny Marshall's wonderful comedy-fantasy, about a boy who longs to be grown-up and gets his wish, cemented Tom Hanks as a major Hollywood force, and it's his wholly believable performance as a 13-year-old in the body of a man that makes the movie so compulsively watchable. The film, while sweet and warmhearted, is also clever and completely entertaining. New Year's resolution: don't lose your inner child.


'Groundhog Day'(1993)
Who better to contemplate the new year with than Bill Murray, and what better film than Harold Ramis' metaphysical comedy about a selfish newscaster who gets stuck in a time loop and must live the same day over and over. How he handles his situation, while romancing a skeptical colleague (Andie MacDowell), is both hilarious and imaginative. Plus it features new AOL columnistStephen Tobolowskyin one of his most memorable roles.


'When Harry Met Sally ...'(1989)
This classic romcom, directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron, tracks the relationship of two friends (Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan) from college to couplehood, while tackling the burning question,"Can a straight man and a woman be friends?"There are many bumpy (and amusing) moments along the way, plus not one, but two New Year's Eve parties to push the plot forward. Lightweight, sure, but the movie's frank, funny depiction of male/female relationships does ring true.


'The Princess Bride'(1987)
Rob Reiner again, and for good reason: 'The Princess Bride' is whimsical, romantic and wildly funny all at the same time. The story (by William Goldman) and clever dialogue deserve much credit, but with Robin Wright and Cary Elwes as gorgeous, sympathetic leads, and comic relief provided by Mandy Patinkin ("Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya ..."), Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn and André the Giant, this witty fairy tale is a complete charmer. No profound lessons, but sometimes delightful is enough.


'Hairspray'(1988)
John Waters' most commercial film, since remade as a musical, is tons of campy, garish fun, but it's also socially conscious: Tracy, the movie's heroine (Ricki Lake), is an overweight teen who helps integrate a local dance competition in 1960s Baltimore. It's all set to fantastic vintage rock 'n' roll, and features such diverse personalities as Sonny Bono and Debbie Harry, with Waters' longtime collaborator Divine, as Tracy's mom. Uplifting without being gooey.


'Sense and Sensibility'(1995)
For certain types, Jane Austen adaptations are the movie equivalent of incredible chocolate or (we imagine) opiates: impossible to resist and utterly transporting. Ang Lee's solid interpretation of Austen's beloved tale of two very different but close sisters (Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet) and their romantic travails has great dialogue, splendid acting, sharp wit and an emotional, teased-out climax, all adding up to a rapturous (legal!) high.


'High Fidelity'(2000)
John Cusack is pitch-perfect in Stephen Frears' film (based on Nick Hornby's novel) about a record store -- remember those? -- owner who looks back on his romantic failings in order to learn how to move forward. With a fantastic supporting cast (Jack Black and Todd Louiso as classic music geeks), witty dialogue and spot-on music, 'High Fidelity' is that rarest of romcoms -- as popular with guys as with women.


'Four Weddings and a Funeral'(1994)
The movie that made a star out of Hugh Grant and set a very high bar for British romcoms, Mike Newell's 'FWAAF' follows a diverse group of friends and their romantic entanglements, incorporating dry humor, yearning romance and a bit of poignance (the funeral). Grant's patented witty/bumbling persona was perfected here and Andie MacDowell is a solid foil (not unlike in 'Groundhog Day'). Lovely way to spend an evening.


'The School of Rock'(2003)
Jack Black may have his detractors, but he nailed the role of failed rocker-turned-music teacher Dewey Finn in Richard Linklater's highly entertaining, hard-rocking and (yes) completely uplifting movie. Great characters, realistic kid actors and a true respect for the power of rock made this a surprise hit earlier in the decade. A great confidence-booster and a ton 'o fun.


'The Adventures of Robin Hood'(1938)
For many, Errol Flynn's Robin is theonlyRobin, and here's why. Beautiful, athletic and charismatic, he completely embodies the Sherwood Forest outlaw, while Olivia de Havilland is a touching, beautiful Maid Marian; their chemistry is palpable. Big, colorful and romantic, this unequaled swashbuckler is a classic in every way and a great film to usher in the new year.

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Criterion Corner #3: The Trouble With Women

Criterion Corner is a monthly Cinematical column dedicated to the wide and wonderful world of the Criterion Collection.Criterion Corner runs on the last Wednesday of every month, and it will make you poor.Follow@CriterionCorner& visitthe blogfor daily updates.

In my younger and more vulnerable years, I was pretty sure thatCarol Reedwas a woman (he wasn't). Okay, so I may not have been the smartest of kids (the second or third smartest, perhaps), but I wasn't especially familiar with uniquely British first names, and it never occurred to me that Carol Reed simplywouldn'thave been a woman. Reed made 'The Third Man' in 1949, and it was virtually unheard of for a British woman to helm a feature until renowned dancer Wendy Toye directed 'All For Mary' in 1951. I was distressed to learn of this inequality, and after years of boldly diligent research on Wikipedia, it's my unfortunate duty to inform you that quite a few women throughout history may not have been afforded the same rights and respects as their male counterparts (I know it sounds far-fetched, butstranger things have happened).

I asked one stereotypical cigar-chewing studio executive about the gender unbalance, and he reasoned that"Clint Eastwood hasn't menstruated once since 1930, and he turns in every picture early and under budget"(note: some quotes invented for dramatic purposes).

Hilariousjoking aside, it's no secret that the filmmaking community has always been something of a boys club, one in which the efforts and expressions of female artists continue to be thoughtlessly marginalized by virtue of their sex. Although it's been 96 years since Lois Weber became the first woman to direct a feature with 'The Merchant of Venice,'a San Diego State University studyrecently found that only 9% of Hollywood directors are women. A greater percentage of American moviegoers saw 'Yogi Bear' in its opening weekend.



I decided that the Criterion Collection, which has made a name for itself by championing film history's most unreasonably neglected voices, might provide an interesting lens into cinema's gender misbalance. What I ultimately discovered is that Criterion makes a much better mirror than they do a window. Of the 559 films Criterion has released on DVD, only 13 have been solely directed by women. If 9% of contemporary Hollywood films are directed by women, the same can be said for only 2.3% of the films in the Collection (a greater percentage of American moviegoersliked'Yogi Bear' its opening weekend). And that 2.3% includes Marie Nyrerod's 'Bergman Island,' a (wonderful) documentary that's fawningly devoted to preserving the legacy of a male filmmaker.

Dismayed, if unsurprised, to arrive at that figure, my curiosity and agitation immediately took hold in equal measure. Previous installments of this column have established Criterion's pivotal role in mapping the cinematic firmaments for future generations -- spine numbers don't know gender; they've become the cinema's great equalizer, drawing level 'The Seventh Seal'and 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,' and they're the ideal way to weave female directors into the tapestry of film history without whitewashing the industry's prejudices. But just because Criterion is uniquely positioned to mitigate film history's gender misbalance, does that mean that they have to? For how much is one little company responsible?



Of course, we must first concede that Criterion is in the business of releasing great films, and if the overwhelming majority of movies have been made by men, then it can't be helped that the overwhelming majority ofgreatmovies have likewise been made by men. Even by the time Criterion began releasing laserdiscs in 1984, the damage had already been done. And even though they've spent the last 26 years casually droppingtriplerainbows of motion picture majesty on an unsuspecting public, Criterion is ultimately a for-profit enterprise that is obligated only to stay in business.

That being said, the power of Criterion's brand is inextricably entwined with their unflagging devotion to cinematic justice. The allure of their releases only endures so long as people implicitly trust the name behind them, and unless Wes Anderson starts making 4 movies a year they'll only remain financially solvent so long as people feel confident that the occasional blind buy is going to make them a better cinephile / human being. In other words, Criterion's business model requires them to be looked upon as heroes -- if Superman didn't tirelessly fight to keep Metropolis safe, he wouldn't be Superman (he'd be General Zod).



By that logic, it could be argued that they do have a responsibility to shine a light on female filmmakers, but that responsibility is ultimately as much to us as it is to themselves. And so it's beginning to feel as if Criterion must release more films by women not only to level the score, but also in order to maintain the precious integrity of their brand.

But pickings are comparatively slim, what with all the decades of oppressive sexism, and complicated rights issues surely deplete the pool of viable candidates. No one would suggest that they retcon film history into making it appear as if women have always been encouraged to participate (methinks that Collection championJean-Luc Godardwouldn't be cool with such an act of practiced forgetting, although he might like the word"retcon"). Likewise, Criterion should never risk diluting their brand with mediocre films simply by virtue of the fact that they were directed by women -- the releases which comprise that 2.3% are all of an unimpeachable quality, brought to you byAgnes Varda,Chantal Akerman, and other people not namedNora Ephron.Lena Dunham('Tiny Furniture') shouldn't automatically be stuffed between between Carl Th. Dryer andJulien Duvuvierjust because she has a Y chromosome. Still, 2.3% seems a little low, especially when you consider that Criterion has released more films by Michael Bay than they have films byLina Wertmuller,Marguerite Duras, andSally Pottercombined (to be fair, none of those women ever made a film starring Nicolas Cage).

So what is Criterion supposed to do? Just because Criterioncanexert some influence over the landscape, does that mean that they should? Maybe not. Physical media is a tough sell as it is these days, and Criterion might irreparably jeopardize their brand by doing anything that smacks of an ulterior motive. Perhaps this is yet another regard in which Criterion has a latent value far beyond the immediate glory of its discs. In the wake of Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar, it's just too damn easy for people to sit back and believe that one woman's success means that the industry has been purged of this prejudice. Maybe we need a more discerning measuring stick as to how women are faring in the film world, if only to be reminded of the extent to which this particular stripe of sexism endures. The Internet tells me that 1% of Oscar-nominated directors have been women, and that women account for 34% of British film students. But flimsy figures like those just don't seem as reliable indicators as to the influence of women in current world cinema. They're too flimsy, misleadingly weighted by history or arbitrarily pre-determined by committee.



Then I considered that a recent distribution deal with IFC has compelled Criterion to distribute a growing number of contemporary films, and I was curious if more than 2.3% of the post-millennial films inducted into the Collection have been directed by women. Indeed, of the 24 pertinent films Criterion has released, 4 have been helmed by ladies. That's 16.67%, and that number is only going up.

There are all sorts of qualifiers as to why Criterion releases particular titles, but their stringent guidelines lend that 16.67% a unique significance. There's a universe of chintzy statistics out there, but if Criterion adheres to their unparalleled, um, criterion, then 16.67 is a number with value beyond its value. The Criterion brand is a prism through which the world can be more lucidly seen; the culture they've created hasn't merely ensured the best in home video entertainment, it's also provided a meshwork of references for the untold threads of discussion and further study sparked by the the films themselves.

For as long as Criterion exists and adheres to their exacting release model, that percentage will serve as an unusually telling indicator as to what degree women are writing the true film history of the 21st century. Sure, if the next three Best Director Oscars were awarded to women it would be wonderful and of tremendous significance, but I wouldn't hold your breath. In the meantime, keep an eye on that 16.67%. If it dips tremendously over the next few years, I would consider it cause for concern, but the higher that number gets, the more people might assume Carol Reed was a woman, and that's ignorance I can get behind.

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LIST OF THE MONTH: The 10 Best Criterion Releases of 2010!

So I thought it might be fun to present this month's list in video form. I apologize in advance for the fact that I can't count (yes, the list seems to have two #3s), and that my hands have to deal with more tremors than Kevin Bacon. A one-man team, I Soderbergh-ed this one as director / D.P., and the whole improvised thing is just so full of... room for improvement. But that's what 2011's there for, right? Right. Enjoy!

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DECEMBER REVIEWS

#248 'Videodrome' (David Cronenberg) 1983

The Film:James Woods is Max Renn (and Max Renn is pretty much James Woods), the sleazy programmer of a niche Toronto TV network that's desperate for edgier content. One day, his techie"patron"is scanning the airwaves with the station's enormous satellite, and happens upon a scrambled signal called Videodrome. It's a strange bit of smut beamed from a place too insidious to imagine (spoiler alert: it's Pittsburgh), and Renn is soon so entranced by the footage that he determines to uncover the mystery behind the transmission. What unfolds is like a Haruki Murakami novel by way of Hershell Gordon Lewis, a messy movie that rushes headlong into (O')blivion.

'Videodrome' arguably remainsDavid Cronenberg's most exciting and feverishly vibrant film, but it's certainly among his least controlled. It's a meshwork of ideas, a wide-eyed peek at what happens when a species has evolved far enough to provoke their own evolution. Max Renn makes for a grotesquely compelling guinea pig, but Cronenberg had a notoriously tough time figuring out what to do with him. The film retreats into the shell of a conspiracy thriller during its third act, anguishing to resolve silly plot threads exactly when it should be plunging deeper into its madness. That being said, the dimension-shattering final scene ends things on a high note, digging a rabbit hole that Cronenberg continues to explore. Here we are 27 years later and 'Videodrome' still feels ahead of the curve -- a cathode freakout that has yet to bear the full fruit of its slimy prosthetic prophecies.

The Technical Stuff:The 'Videodrome' Blu-ray doesn't just look better than you'd think, it probably looks better than you'd hope. But for those of you who've always wanted to see the individual strands of glistening mucus in James Woods' stomach vagina, this transfer will be a lovely treat. The disc sounds great, preserving every note of Howard Shore's eerie score (Woods refers to him as the"electronic Bernard Herrmann").

The Extras:Identical to the stuff on Criterion's 2004 DVD. The first commentary is shared between James Woods and Debbie Harry and Woods. The actors were recorded separately, and pretty much how it goes is that Woods opines excitedly about whatever for about 10 minutes, and then Harry -- sounding a little bit lost -- pops in to say something like"The more we know, the better off we are."Repeat for 88 minutes. It's actually kind of hilarious, and Woods offers a nifty and energetic take on the film. The commentary track Cronenberg shares with Mark Irwin is a godsend for such an inscrutable film, but it suffers enormously from the fact that it was also recorded one guy at a time.

Also included are some demystifying docs on the film's various effects, an old roundtable interview with Cronenberg, John Landis, and John Carpenter, and the super eerie"bootleg"footage of the 'Videodrome' transmissions. Oh, and all 287 glorious seconds of 'Samurai Dreams.'

The Best Part:The interview that reveals how the whole film is actually just a terrifying pastiche of James Woods' home movies. But seriously folks, it's gotta be the short film 'Camera,' which Cronenberg made for the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010. Centered around a monologue by 'Videodrome' actor Les Carlson, 'Camera' is all of the richly observed sentiment that 'Videodrome' refused to allow, stuffed into 6 short minutes and buttoned up with a powerful wallop."Children and death are a bad combination."You can actually watch the whole thing right here.

The Package:The Blu-ray is packaged just like the old DVD, which is to sayincredibly. Under the paper slip the disc is made to look like a Betamax, with"Long live the new flesh"scrawled on the tag. It'll cause a double-take every time you walk by your video shelf. Tucked inside is a hefty pamphlet with three illuminating essays.

Verdict:A loving and comprehensive presentation of a film that becomes more vital with every technological leap. It's a worthy upgrade from the DVD, but the clarity of 1080p almost detracts from the film's organic formlessness.

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#551 'Cronos' (Guillermo del Toro) 1993

The Film:'Cronos' is the feature film in whichGuillermo del Torofirst gifted the cinema his uniquely vivid imagination,but his debut is ultimately the clumsy and half-baked work of an unformed visionary. Jesus Griz is an aging antiques dealer, until he finds a golden-fanged device hiding inside one of his wares. The scarab -- a gloriously icky bit of design that hints at del Toro's genius for props and contraptions -- bites into Griz's flesh, and he becomes a de-aging antiques dealer. Griz's addiction to the device is as debased as it is underdeveloped, cut short by a rival party (including Ron Perlman as a cartoonish thug) that seeks the power of the Cronos.

'Cronos' is much too hurried to trifle with subtlety, but if del Toro's pet themes are introduced in a way that's also pungent and deep-seated. Religious allegory abounds but remains malnourished, and del Toro ironically struggles to find the time to dote upon time. What lingers for me is a gothic story of man as mechanism, a species ticking by on the unsolved merits of flesh and blood (in that light, 'Cronos' makes for a fascinating double-bill with 'Videodrome').

The Technical Stuff:A glorious transfer that completely negates all previous releases, Criterion's release finally rewards del Toro's meticulous attention to detail (and snickers at some rather transparent makeup effects). Every strained and intrusive note of the soundtrack is rendered pristine -- del Toro's later films are desperate for this kind of detailed attention.

The Extras:To spend time with Guillermo del Toro is to love Guillermo del Toro, and cracking open this disc is like inviting the gregarious filmmaker into your living room. His commentary -- recorded in 2002 -- is frank, subdued, and hugely illuminating. The film's smallest details pop as del Toro explains the flick, and while he may not have accomplished everything he wanted with 'Cronos,' he certainly did with the future opportunities it earned him. The other commentary track includes the film's three producers -- it's nice to have, but too dry and empty to sustain itself for the full 92 minutes.

And then there's 'Geometria' -- rare is the disc that's topped with icing as gleefully vile as this. A 6-minute short del Toro shot as a film student in 1987, 'Geometria' is the tale of a teen so sick of failing his geometry test that he summons a demon so that he won't have to take it again. A giddy joke with a twisted and hilarious punchline, this Criterion release finally gave del Toro the excuse to finish up his tribute to horror maestros like Mario Bava and Lucio Fulci. Starring del Toro's mom, a mess of sinewy latex, and entirely dubbed in Italian by the director himself, 'Geometria' is a fun flurry of nascent genius, and a bloody reminder that you should always be careful when summoning the minions of Hell.

The Best Part:I'm not sure if 'Bleak House' is the best part of this release, or if it's actually the best part of my earthly existence (those things aren't really mutually exclusive, if you want to be a stickler about it). A 10-minute tour through del Toro's production office / obsessive museum of immaculately curated awesomeness, no words can accurately describe the full glory of del Toro's nerd-cave. Highlights for me included the Miyazaki case, the puppet props from 'Hellboy II,' and the promise that we're destined for a 'Bleak House II.'

The Package:The plastic case is adorned with appropriately artwork, and includes a booklet that contains an appreciative essay by Maitland McDonagh and -- critically -- del Toro's director's notes.

Verdict:Although I consider 'Cronos' to be one of the least substantial films Criterion has released, it's a joy to see a gifted storyteller like del Toro in his formative years. The actual feature is probably the least interesting thing here, but this disc is so backed with delirious joy that I hope Criterion is just getting started with del Toro.

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NEWS& ANNOUNCEMENTS

Criterion's March slate is pretty much the definition of what dreams may come (whatever that means, I never saw that movie). As always, head on over to the blog for afull rundown of the new titles,complete with my breathless and entirely unedited reactions and some crucial trivia about my grade-school acting career.

And for anyone who doesn't receive Criterion's newsletter,click here for a teaseof an upcoming release, one that I've been waiting for since I was a wee lad... or at least a painfully immature college student.

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Cinematical Presents: The Hottest of 2010

We've arrived at the very end of 2010, which means it's finally time to unveil our hotly-anticipatedHottestandLamestlists, both of which tunnel through the year that was in search of the hottest and lamest as it pertains to the films, actors, actresses and trends that populated our world over the past twelve months.

This year we've changed things up by reducing our lists of 25 to two lists of 10, highlighting only the very best (and worst) as voted on by the movie/pop-culture freaks here atCinematicalandMoviefone. We're kicking things off with our10 Hottest of 2010, which you'll find after the jump. Tune in tomorrow for our Lamest of 2010.

10. Comic Con



This past July, the geeks of the world once again descended upon San Diego for their annual Comic Con convention. Movie-related panels, parties, swag bags and screenings were the talk of the town, with the weekend's biggest attraction coming when the all-star cast of'The Avengers' (due out in May 2012) assembled on stage together for the very first time. Other films that took over Comic Con this year with an abundance of geek love include 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World', 'TRON: Legacy', 'Jackass 3D' and 'Machete'. -Erik Davis

9. Musicians Doing Movies



The most talked-about film scores of the year didn't come from classic film composers, but the hippest and most influential sounds in pop/electronic music.'The Social Network'was Trent Reznor's first movie composition, and he's already scored a Golden Globe nom, and is poised to get one at the Oscars too. Radiohead/Beck producer Nigel Godrich brought the 8-bit/indie rock mash-up to reality in'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.' Hell, even progressive metal band Mastodon were interesting enough to come out of'Jonah Hex'unscathed. Lastly, Daft Punk's score was the perfect fusion to the visual cotton candy of'TRON: Legacy.'We've gotten some great albums in the past 12 months that just happen to also be soundtracks. -Eric Larnick

8. Liam Neeson



Every once in a while a certain actor seems to be everywhere. Michael Caine had multi-year run in this department, and a few years back you couldn't throw a rock through a cinema without hitting an image of Jude Law. In 2010 we couldn't escape from Mr.Liam Neeson, but considering how much fun the guy is to watch ... we're not sure we'd want to. Over the last 12 months we've seen the actor get pretty eclectic: 'Chloe,' 'After.Life,' 'Clash of the Titans,' 'The A-Team,' 'The Next Three Days,'and'Voyage of the Dawn Treader.'Fortunately Mr. Neeson is versatile enough to prevent himself from ever becoming"over-saturated,"which is good because he already has a dozen flicks lined up for the next two years. -Scott Weinberg

7. Blu-ray



Blu-ray had its best sales to-date in 2010 thanks to a number of factors (fall in player cost being the biggest motivator), but the format's popularity isn't what made it a hot topic this year. It was all about the Blu-ray collector's sets.'Back to the Future'and the'Alien Anthology'both got staggering, six-disc updates for Blu-ray, the latter of which comprises some of the best quality the medium has to offer. But it also wasn't allow about box sets for Blockbusters, older, smaller films got the royal Blu treatment as well. The Criterion Collection began pumping out high definition releases, culminating inAmerica Lost and Found: The BBS Story, another six-disc package that set film lover's hearts a flutter. -Peter Hall

6. Low-Budget Genre Movies



As usual, when studios cannot produce their own horror flicks, they head to the festivals to do some shopping. Warner Bros. threw a lot of support behind 'Splice,' Lionsgate was very high on 'Buried,' and Paramount is still happily milking their 'Paranormal Activity' pick-up from last year. (The sequel was pretty solid!) Outfits like Magnolia and IFC are always on the lookout for stuff like 'Monsters' and'The Human Centipede,' which helps to balance out the studios' obsession with soulless big-budget horror remakes. Overall 2010 was a fine year for the genre fans who don't mind sifting through indies and imports to find the good stuff ... and 2011 is looking to provide a lot more of the same. -SW


5. Great Films Based on True Stories



Apparently everyone still loves a"based on actual events"movie, even when a particular film is actually 2% loosely inspired by the truth and 98% pre-fabricated formula. But when they're done right, these flicks can do a lot of great things: bring"current events"home in an entertaining or accessible fashion (like'The Social Network'), bring history to life in vibrant fashion (like 'The King's Speech'), or bring shocking"human interest"stories to the masses in a slick and colorful style, as Danny Boyle did with'127 Hours.' So while sometimes that"based on actual events"is an out-and-out marketing ploy, there are still several filmmakers who take the truth seriously, even when making the alterations that any story needs. -SW

4. Documentaries



It's been a weak -- to say the least -- year for feature films, which allowed us movie fans to pay extra attention to other cinematic formats, the strongest of which being documentaries. Among the best offerings were a captivating expose of street art in'Exit Through the Gift Shop,' the consuming portrayal of a legendary TV personality in'Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work'and the controversial"other Facebook movie,"'Catfish.' So, thank you, diligent documentarians, for saving us from an entirely unremarkable year in film. -Alicia Roda

3. Young Female Talent



It's been a great year for young, female actresses who've really had a chance to shine in roles both fun and intense. Thirteen-year-oldChloe Moretzstunned audiences as foul-mouthed assassin 'Hit Girl' in 'Kick-Ass' whileEmma Stonecharmed in one of 2010's best comedies 'Easy A.' Even the search for the girl who'd fill the meatiest female role in decades, Lisbeth Salander in 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' produced awesome results -- going to the more-than-capableRooney Mara. Even demureEmma Watsontook charge in the penultimate 'Harry Potter' film, facing Death Eaters and isolation with a toughness and brains rarely attributed to female characters on film. Speaking of toughness, 'True Grit's'Hailee Steinfeld, just 14, held her own against Jeff Bridges and Josh Brolin in a gritty western and Jennifer Lawrence captured rightful praise for her award-worthy performance in 'Winter's Bone.' Let's hear it for the girls! -Gabrielle Dunn

2. James Franco



James Francowas arguably the busiest man in showbusiness this year. He had four movies released in theaters (among them '127 Hours,' which featured an Oscar-worthy performance), a random (but kind of awesome) guest spot on 'General Hospital' and an endless number of head-scratching news stories, from getting accepted into Yale's PhD program, to posing in drag on the cover of Candy magazine to co-hosting the Oscars, which he will do in February alongside Anne Hathaway. Numerous magazines tried to figure him out; but while nobody has been able to get a full grasp on who James Franco really is, we continue to be fascinated by his every move, no matter how far out of left field it may come from. Here is an actor who, at age 32, continues to defy the norms of and expectations from Hollywood, and for that, we are grateful. Confused, but grateful. -Andrew Scott

1. Animated Movies



We're finally past that obnoxious wave of cynical cartoons filled with immediately-dated pop culture references, and are now getting features with entertaining stories. 'Despicable Me' and 'Megamind' featured funny voice talents, while 'Tangled' marked a return to form for Disney. Even fluff like'Legend of the Guardians'looked better than previous talking animal movies. And of course, there's'Toy Story 3'-- it's the biggest movie of the year for a reason. It capped off a perfect trilogy (and not even 'The Godfather"could do that). 2009 surprised a lot of people with the high number of quality animated films and 2010 has overshadowed that; with 2011 featuring new installments of 'Cars,' 'Happy Feet,' 'Kung Fu Panda' and 'Winnie the Pooh,' we're definitely in a new golden age. -EL

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Girls on Film: How Women Fared in 2010's Top 20

Once again the pages flew off our calendars, and in the blink of an eye 2010 has come to a close. It seems like only yesterday when I wrote about theFemale Feats of 2009. Remember back that far? Kathryn Bigelow was making waves with 'The Hurt Locker,' and heck, women directors were making waves all over the place, from the swelling romance of Jane Campion to the May-December love affair that is 'An Education.'

This year brought its own charm, but how well did it all come together on the mainstream scene? It doesn't take much to come up with films that offered great female characterizations (like'Agora,' 'Easy A,' 'Red,' 'The Kids Are All Right'), but all of those rest outside of the Top 20 Grossing Films of 2010.

If we step back from our movie lover ways and investigate the films the casual moviegoer frequented, do female characterizations hold up?

The Top 20 comes courtesy ofBox Office Mojo's listfrom 12/27/10.

20-16 --'Valentine's Day,''Jackass 3D,''Salt,''The Other Guys'and'Shutter Island'

Talk about a wild mix of films to kick things off. However, as varied as the themes might be, for the most part the characterizations offer more of the status quo. 'Valentine's' is absolutely riddled with cliched women who melt into emotional messes eager for chocolate who lust for love. 'Jackass 3D' is a boys' club of, well, jackassery. 'The Other Guys' is wildly funny, but also upholds the hot wife syndrome with the comedy's lead female character (played by Eva Mendes) being the hot other-half of Will Ferrell. Alternatively, the women in 'Shutter' are fairly marginalized, but pack a powerful punch due to the talents of Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Williams and Emily Mortimer.

'Salt,' obviously, reigns supreme in the first segment of films, being the action flick that morphed Tom Cruise into Angelina Jolie and didn't change the whole tale to do so.

Overall:Female cliches, boys' club, women in action, trophy wives, strong supporting players.

15-11 --'The Last Airbender,''Megamind,''Tangled,''Grown Ups'and'Clash of the Titans'

M. Night Shyamalan's controversy-riddled fantasy film did manage to make the Top 15 (though $131 million isn't as impressive when you compare it to a $150 million price tag), and find one solid supporting lead in Nicola Peltz's Katara. 'Tangled', meanwhile, deserves props for trying to change up how we see princesses in fairytales, but did so by making the focus on her savior -- Flynn. One step forward and one step back. 'Grown Ups' raises up the trophy wife idea as (per usual) the slacker types get beautiful partners like Salma Hayek and Maria Bello. 'Titans' has some women, but let's be real -- the flick is about Sam Worthington's rounded muscles and flat acting.

Roxanne Ritchie (Tina Fey) in 'Megamind' fared the best of this bunch; Todd wrotein his reviewthat the film"gives female viewers a character with enough substance, depth, intelligence and independence to hold her own against her male counterparts."

Overall:Female sidekick, modern Lois Lane, spunky princess, trophy wives, goddesses and sacrifices.

10-6 --'The Karate Kid,''How to Train Your Dragon,''Shrek Forever After,''Despicable Me'and'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1'

Kids' fare definitely dominates the Top 15, especially slots 6-10, which feature family films, or slightly less family films that have evolved out of tyke fare. Child or adult, the same characterizations apply. 'Kung FuKarate' adds a female supporting role as a pint-sized love interest. 'Dragon' might offer nothing more than female support yet again, but Astrid (America Ferrara) does get to thrive as an aggressive girl eager to be a Viking. (Her role was also created for the film, so props to Hollywood for wanting to change up the source material in that way.) AsScott wroteabout Fiona's role in 'Shrek':"the 'girl power!' approach is quickly muted by a hastily-presented subplot."In 'Despicable,' the male baddie grabs a trio of orphan girls to use as pawns.

And then there's Hermione Granger in 'Harry Potter.' Though a supporting player in Harry's world, Hermione has always been seen as the smartest and most talented wizard, and in 'Deathly Hallows,' offers a sublimely resonating strength. (Revisit the moments when Hermione must wipe minds.)

Overall:Love interest, love interest/friend, wifely ogre, pawns with heart, super-smart support.

5-2 --'Inception,''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,''Iron Man 2'and'Alice in Wonderland'

And now things get wonderfully interesting. The top 5 includes solid supporting roles and two female stars.

'Inception' is a dreamscape of testosterone, but Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard bring, respectively, excellent brains and emotional heart. Bella might get chastised a lot as 'The Twilight Saga' unfolds, but scribe Melissa Rosenberg has always strove to make Bella stronger on film than in the books, and in 'Eclipse,' Bella becomes a much more active participant in her life. Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts is the supporting player and possible future love interest, but she's also one of the most capable of the Stark bunch, and Tony realizes that. And Alice, well, she is a tough lead offering heaps of female empowerment.

Overall:Supporting smarts and a femme fatale, vampirism addict, supporting brains, girl adventurer/savior.



The Top-Grossing Film of 2010:'Toy Story 3'

Naturally, there won't be any female leads in this story. Since it first hit in 1995, 'Toy Story' has mixed the worlds of little Andy with his lead toys, Woody and Buzz Lightyear. However, it's also a passing-of-the-torch story, and between its thematic structure and placement in the #1 spot, I can't help but wonder if this will be seen as a switch in overall, mainstream female characterizations.

When little Bonnie sees Andy's toys, and grabs the lost Woody, she does set them down for a little tea party, but quickly finds her imagination taking off with her as she races around and imagines a whole action sequence where her and her toys must run from an evil fiend. There's no strict gender constraints with Bonnie. She mixes her play between typical female and male fare. She's got short hair, a necklace, overalls and a tutu. In short, Bonnie is a wonderful mix of aspects of childhood that make for a wonderful and well fleshed-out female character.

Wrapping Up

Overall, there's still a palpable sense of the supporting syndrome -- women presented as help or plot pushers for the male leads, and of love-centrism, whether we're talking about leading ladies wanting vampires or wifey supporting gigs. However, Hollywood has also managed to diverge from those habits as well, offering up some delightful verve from Evelyn to Alice, Hermione to Bonnie. And, the fact that the Top 5 does not have one film that doesn't boast a female lead or strong supporting female character is certainly a step in the right direction.

As much as there is still room for advancement, there's also a sense of progress as we head into 2011. We're coming out of a year that -- beyond the Top 20 -- offered us massively strong action heroines ('Dragon Tattoo,' 'Salt,' 'Alice in Wonderland,' 'Red'), immensely intelligent women (Hypatia in 'Agora') and excellent leads from Julianne Moore and Annette Benning in 'The Kids Are All Right' to the awesome power of Emma Stone in 'Easy A.'

Let's hope 2011 is even better.

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Actors We Miss: James Stewart

It's Christmastime, and many families and/or movie buffs will be sitting down to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' (1946), starringJames Stewart. Or perhaps they will watch the even better, but lesser known Christmas movie 'The Shop Around the Corner' (1940), also starring Stewart. He's a Christmas kind of guy, heartwarming and charming. Members of my generation may remember seeing him on television in the late 1980s hawking his poetry book, with their almost ludicrously sweet little poems. Almost anyone these days can do an imitation of him with that indelible, homey, aw-shucks voice.

A case could be made for James, a.k.a."Jimmy,"Stewart (1908-1997) as the greatest male screen actor of the 20th century, although I'd also considerCary Grantfor that honor. What's that, you say? What about more accomplished actors likeLaurence OlivierorMarlon Brando? Jimmy Stewart was always"just"Jimmy Stewart, wasn't he? Anyone who reads my stuff knows about my personal theory about this. For me, it's far more valuable for an actor to bring his personality to a role, to create a consistent screen persona, than it is for an actor to merely"disappear"into one role after another. If an actor totally disappears into a role, what is left of his personality to make him unique?
Of course, this is not to disparage the extraordinary accomplishments of Olivier or Brando, but I wanted to use them to illustrate why Stewart makes the grade. Stewart began inauspiciously, and there seemed to be no place for the thin, gangly actor. He worked faithfully for about 5 years before he achieved a measure of success in Frank Capra's 'You Can't Take It With You' (1938), and that led to Stewart's lead role in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' (1939). It's difficult to overestimate just how crucial this was for Stewart's career and for Stewart. It hammered home the actor's image once and for all; he was, indeed, the meek that could inherit the earth.

Viewers and Oscar voters were so grateful for the way he stood up to crooked politicians in that film that they remembered him a year later and awarded him an Oscar for 'The Philadelphia Story' (1940), even though he had lost for 'Mr. Smith,' and even though his co-star Cary Grant was not nominated. The same year, Stewart made 'The Shop Around the Corner,' which showed the first hints of worry, darkness and despair that the actor was capable of.

At around this time, Stewart made a move that would change him forever. After the start of WWII, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. He served throughout the entire war and did not return to movies until 1946. Despite the fact that he was now an honest-to-goodness hero, the movie going public did what the movie going public is wont to do from time to time: they forgot all about him. Capra's aforementioned 'It's a Wonderful Life' was a flop, as was Hitchcock's amazing 'Rope' (1948), and a handful of other films.

In 1950, his luck turned around. He appeared in three hits, and it was the first time in his career that he cracked the list of the year's ten biggest movie stars. Delmer Daves' 'Broken Arrow' (1950) was arguably the first Western to take a sympathetic view of American Indian characters (sorry,Kevin Costner). And many fans still love 'Harvey' for its story of a friendship with a giant, invisible rabbit. But it was Anthony Mann's 'Winchester '73' that marked the real turning point. In it, Stewart plays Lin McAdam, a grimy, gangly looking cowboy who wins the title rifle in a shooting contest, but immediately loses it to a bandit. He chases the rifle through hill and dale, but it turns out that there's also a personal vendetta involved.

In the moment that Stewart confronts his prey, he reveals a pent-up, twitching, burning fury that had hardly been seen on the American screen, let alone by this"meek"hero. Director Mann was eager to exploit this darkness further, and since their films made money, the studios were only too happy to comply. They made eight films together throughout the fifties, five of them Westerns, and all of them worth seeing (the biopic 'The Glenn Miller Story' is the only oddball of the bunch).

At the same time, Alfred Hitchcock liked what he saw in this new Stewart, and they teamed up for three more films, 'Rear Window' (1954), 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' (1956) and 'Vertigo' (1958). The latter is widely considered one of the ten greatest films ever made, and it's partly thanks to Stewart selling the unstoppable, obsessive nature of his detective character. You can read it everywhere from his eyes to his fingertips; he simply cannot stop doing what he is doing to poor Kim Novak.

Before the 1950s ran out, Otto Preminger cast him in 'Anatomy of a Murder' (1959) as the aw-shucks lawyer who would rather be fishing. But Stewart's easygoing presence did not soften up a cold, hard courtroom drama, which brought words like"rape"and"panties"to American screens for the first time. It's hard to imagine the reaction of the little old ladies who must have gone to see this movie based on their love for 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' and seeing their sweet star involved in such"filth."

Stewart met one more great director at this point, John Ford, who cast him in one more great film, 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' (1962). Stewart was required to play an aged Senator, and then, in flashback, a greenhorn lawyer who stumbles into a small Western town and encounters the savage Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Stewart was in his mid-50s and handles both roles admirably, but again, it's a rather dark, unsympathetic role; the sympathy goes to John Wayne's character Tom Doniphon. (I'd explain further, but I don't want to spoil the movie.) Ford also cast Stewart in 'Two Rode Together' (1961), a Western long missing from American video shelves, and in a small throwaway sequence in 'Cheyenne Autumn' (1964) -- as Wyatt Earp.

That was a good solid ten or twelve years of exceptional work, and Stewart seemed to slow down and relax after that, with the exception of Robert Aldrich's tough action movie 'The Flight of the Phoenix' (1965). After that, he played small parts in 'The Shootist' (1976), and 'The Big Sleep' (1978), and then in things like 'Airport '77' and 'The Magic of Lassie.' In late interviews, he appeared humble and grateful. He never had any intention of becoming the greatest male screen actor of the 20th century. He was still a nice guy, and the kind of guy who would stand up for the rights of an entire country. (Just imagine what he could do in a situation like this year's 'Inside Job.')

But take that thread of darkness, anger, and obsession that he showed, and then go back to 'It's a Wonderful Life.' People remember the happy, tear-jerking ending with Stewart wishing everyone (and everything) a"Merry Christmas,"and perhaps the happy-go-lucky Stewart at the beginning of the film, the one who's ready to shake the dust of this crummy little town off his feet. But consider him as the film goes on, and as his income dwindles and as his family grows larger. Look how his character grows physically more shadowy, as if light simply could not reach his pores. Then watch him during the"fantasy"sequences with Clarence the angel. Watch how he quivers with ultimate despair, how painfully his tears come, and how we believe -- to the bottom of our hearts -- that George Bailey has absolutely reached the depths at which he would hurl himself from the bridge into the icy waters below.

That kind of anguish is not easy to deal with in real life, much less achieve in a fictional movie. What pushes Stewart's performance to an extraordinary level, however, is that we know who he is. We understand that, in film after film, he is a (mostly) nice guy, who tries. He spends every day trying to make things better. He doesn't have a thick skin. He can only take so much. He succumbs to his obsessions and his fears and desires. But he never quite sinks as low as he does in 'It's a Wonderful Life.' His pain practically adds harsh colors to the picture. But the remarkable thing is that, because we know him, he doesn't chase us away. I think that if Brando or Olivier tried a similar scene, the audience would respond with"what terrific acting!"But since we know Stewart, we all want to help. We lean into the screen, trying to reach out to him.

Stewart passed away in 1997, but he left something of himself -- his true self -- in all those movies. His best films happened in a relatively short period, but he made more great films that most other actors, and I doubt he could have had a much better career even if the cards had fallen differently. And, here in December, it becomes clear that no other actor who ever shouted"Merry Christmas"in front of a camera did it more convincingly.

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