the year in movies

Emily and I did something I never could’ve fathomed in 2010/early 2011. It surprises me…shocks me…overwhelms me to announce that we saw 9 out of the 10 Academy Award Nominees for Best Picture!

Ever since we had the kiddos, going to the movies (one of our favorite pastimes as a couple) has been a bit of a challenge. But thanks to some lucky timing, earlier-than-usual DVD releases, and accommodating grandparents/babysitters, we’ve seen everything except 127 Hours – and who knows, we still have a couple weeks until Oscar Night, so we might be able to go 10 for 10!

Now, if you know me, I’m a list nerd. And I feel that the “10 best movies of the year” and one’s “10 favorite movies of the year” are very, very different.

Emily and I both agree that The Social Network was the best movie of the year and should bring home the gold on Oscar Night. The morality story exploring the themes of ambition, success, jealousy and friendship was so well told. The pacing, music, dialogue and cinematography was crafted together almost perfectly (Fincher should win Best Director and Sorkin Best Adapted Screenplay, in our humble opinions). The acting was pitch perfect. And the timeliness of its making was pretty gutsy (Zuckerberg’s not even 30 yet!)

Now, that does NOT mean that it was our favorite movie of the year. It’s up there, but Em and I both agreed that The Fighter was our favorite movie of 2010. Just when you think you’ve seen every kind of boxing film, this one came in and – caution, terrible pun coming – knocks you on your seat. We loved the complex relationships between the characters/family, the way you as an audience member feel like you become part of the town of Lowell, and how you love and are frustrated by Christian Bale’s Dicky character simultaneously throughout (Bale definitely deserves the Best Supporting Actor Oscar). The fact that there’s really very little boxing in it shows how good of a movie it really is, as it doesn’t rely on inside-the-ring action to keep you engaged.

Okay, so you got our “Best” and our “Favorite.” However, our “favorites” list starts to differ a little bit in order. Without further adieu, the winners are:

10 FAVORITE MOVIES, IN ORDER

Travis:

1. The Fighter
2. True Grit – loved the original, loved the new one.
3. The Social Network
4. Inception – Brrrrrrraaaaahhhhmmmm!!!!!!!
5. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – this one’s also not for everyone, but if you’re a video game/comic book/superhero geek like me, it’s nirvana.
6. Black Swan – not for everyone…I’ll leave it at that.
7. How To Train Your Dragon – I’ve seen it about 17 times now, and while it may not be a popular opinion, I think it was better than Toy Story 3. There. I said it.
8. Toy Story 3 – I did really, really like this one, though.
9. Winter’s Bone – they nailed rural poverty. Which is pretty depressing.
10. The King’s Speech/The Town/Shutter Island – I liked them all and can’t decide which to pick because. Call it a cop out. I don’t care.

Emily:

1. The Fighter
2. Twilight: Eclipse – really? Really.
3. The Town
4. The King’s Speech
5. True Grit
6. Shutter Island
7. Toy Story 3
8. The Social Network
9. Black Swan
10. Winter’s Bone

And there you have it. We can’t wait to hear how much you agree and disagree with us.

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