Dead Poet's Society
This is the story of Mr. Keating (Robin Williams), an English professor at an elite, private boys' school who teaches his students to think for themselves. In doing such, some difficult trials are endured as each character grows and must stand behind his own convictions. A group bond forms as they follow Mr. Keating's lead, even reviving his old brotherhood of the Dead Poet's Society. Robin Williams is “toned down” in this tragedy, but still manages to plug a lot of British literature in a comedic, appealing way; part of the charm of the movie is the way that literature and the arts are glorified.
You will likely recognize Robert Sean Leonard and Ethan Hawke. Robert Sean Leonard currently plays Dr. James Wilson, friend and foe of the character “House.” In Dead Poet's Society, Robert Sean Leonard is one of the lead boys whose stand leads to his own tragedy. His timid roommate in Dead Poet's Society is played by Ethan Hawke; the two also formed a theater company together in real life. Ethan Hawke may be remembered for his roles in White Fang and Great Expectations or for the fact that he was married to actress Uma Thurman.
If you like this movie, you also might like Rudy, Stand and Deliver, or Finding Forrester, which are about underdogs and take place in school settings
ET
If I explain the story line to this movie, it sounds so cheesy . . . little boy meets and befriends a frightened extraterrestrial creature and helps him find his way home . . . but it's one you just have to view to see why it was a smash hit of the "80"s. I'm sure that its success has to do with the fact that Steven Spielberg directed it, and Drew Barrymore had a leading role. If those aren't reason enough to rent it, then renting it will explain why, “ET phone home” was a much-quoted line for years.
Top Secret!
If you like over-the-top spoofs like Airplane or Monty Python, then you'll love the humor in this underdog of a movie. I don't remember the plot since it's not truly an action-driven movie, but what I do remember is that I liked this movie more than any of the Airplane comedies because the wit and punchlines were more frequent and clever. You might recognize Val Kilmer in this 80's flick. While this would probably be my number one recommendation, it may be difficult to find this one, especially at a local store. Surprisingly, it was never a huge hit, so copies of the movie are hard to come by. It can be rented from Netflix; it's the 1984 film with pictures of cows on the cover.
Major Payne
Again, I may forget the plot, but I remember that this movie was funny. Damon Wayons stars as a drill sergeant who had been dismissed from the Marines only to pick up a group of ROTC underdogs. His teaching methods are crazy, but the group dynamics work as Major Payne must decide whether to fight in Bosnia or continue instilling discipline into his unlikely future soldiers.
The Jerk
Since I was in high school, I have watched this movie over and over again, memorizing my favorite lines like, “Oh pointy bird, oh pointy pointy/Anoint my head, anointy, nointy.” This is Steve Martin comedy at its best. Part of this movie's charm is in the fact that Martin's character, Navin R. Johnson, is completely naive. Watching his character go from rags to riches and then back again is only fun because of what Steve Martin adds to the character through his quirky, oddball humor. Bernadette Peters co-stars as his love interest. At the end, it's a little too much of Steve Martin to recommend for young kids since he's covered only with objects he takes as he's kicked out of his home.
If you have seen any of these or decide to see them, let me know what you think. I can always use some recommendations myself for finding great movies to rent for under $1.00.
