Tommy Lee Jones and Sissy Spacek give two of the greatest performances ever in this absolutely superb, gorgeous, amazing film. The story of Loretta Lynn and her husband Doolittle. Married at thirteen, four kids by eighteen when she's given a guitar and teaches herself how to play it. Soon she's writing music, performing around their new home in Washington State and before you know it they're off the promote her first album all around the appalachian states. She gets a big leg up from Patsy Cline (another phenomenal performance) and the Grand ole Opry, and has to deal with how her career affects her husband and her familiy. A perfect film that captures so much in a given scene. One I will revisit many times. Excuse me while I go buy some albums on itunes, because shamefully I only had a few loretta songs on my computer...

Hardly a cheery story, but a very inspiring one that doesn't need recapping. I've seen the play before and maybe we watched the movie in high school, I can't quite remember, but parts of the movie felt familiar. In any event the film was much better than the play--or perhaps it's that the story resonates more as you mature. But the quality of the acting and direction, was exceptional. The breathtaking, heartbreaking manner of shooting Anne's first kiss (in silhoette) was incredible, the sort of thing a play can never equal. Much like Apollo 13, this story has you on the edge of your seat no matter how well you know the outcome, and in the event of this film you really hope that it changes, but the end is always the same. I was very struck, this time at how powerful the hannukah scene is, simply a remarkable film. It never feels long despite being three hours, quite an achievement for a simple drama in essentially one set.

Superb film with a perfect script and even better performances, I think this is my favorite Potier performance and role. This could be made today without a single change to the script and be just as relevant and on point. Definitely inspirational and belongs much higher on the list

I expected this to be bad I had no idea it was really American Grafitti. Set in a NYC art high-school, a bunch of students try out for the acting, dance, or singing departments and go through the travails of high school as they try to learn who they are and develop their talents. The film weaves back and forth through many characters, and there various stories, insecurities, maturation and success (or failures). Quite powerful at times, this is a film that's definitely worth revisiting as it would probably improve on a second go round. That said the drawback seems to be that it's about art students in an all art environment and there's something about that which is just not all that interesting or compelling--it feels very safe and ordinary.

Incredible photography of a mostly silent film. Alec is thrown overboard from a cruise off the coast of North Africa, the ship sinks, and he manages to get to shore with the help of a wild black stallion that also escaped the ship. He manages to eek out an existence on the island he lands on, and eventually he tames Black and learns to ride him. Eventually he is found and they are shipped back to the states and Black soon escapes the city home of the boy to find a kindly old man with a farm and a fondness for horses. Before you know it the boy wants to race his horse against the best of the country.

Outstanding script, the best performance Mickey Rooney ever gave and the photography is jaw dropping and spectacular. A wonderful film, the final race is breathtaking and exciting.

Superb film about the discovery of radium that is also a wonderfully romantic and moving portrait of a relationship between two souls who couldn't be more of a fit for one another. Walter Pidgeon is absolutely outstanding. His marraige proposal speech is one of the all time greats I've ever heard, a terrific scene. Greer Garson is superb as Madame Curie, the only downer is that they stretched the truth a little for dramatic impact (which the vintage doc on the disc seems to indicate) and tension, but overall an excellent film.

Solid film with Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne about Tina and Ike Turner's rise to fame. The inspirational part comes from Tina eventually gathering the courage and sense of self to leave her abusive husband. The film has a signature scene when Ike rapes Tina that is especially heart rending. But eventually Tina overcomes Ike and reestablishes herself, leaving Ike to twist in the winds of his own destruction.