Notes from awards committee: 1977 was a remarkable year for movie fans with several truly great American movies for our viewing pleasure. Our top motion picture is Star Wars; a landmark film, directed and written by George Lucas, which created the most enduring and elaborate imaginary worlds in the history of cinema. This is where it all began - Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and talking robots in a galaxy far, far away. The great box office success of Star Wars established a film franchise and paved the way for space opera blockbusters with tons of merchandise and a huge cadre of loyal fans. To this day, the film, which was years later subtitled A New Hope and given an episode number, is important in pop culture and set the standard for later Star Wars sequels and prequels.
The World at Large
Fun Surprises - The Goodbye Girl – stars Richard Dreyfuss as struggling actor, Elliot Garfield, who is handed his first big break – a starring role in a trendy Off-Broadway Theater. The play within the film is a daring new production of a famous Shakespearian story, Richard III. The rehearsal scenes with the nutcase director are hilarious, and worth the price of admission. Dreyfuss & Marsha Mason generate as much chemistry as I have ever seen on the big screen, and the little girl, Quinn Cummings, adds a family touch that is missing from most rom com flicks . Thankfully, it's a rom com film that guys can enjoy - unpredictable and no annoying scenes. Annie Hall – is often regarded as Woody Allen's best movie, a ranking I do not agree, but freely admit AH is Woody’s most decorated film by the Hollywood illuminati. Diane Keaton capped off her amazing 1970s lucky streak with a Best Actress award for playing Annie Hall. Keaton makes her character funny and quirky and every bit as crazy as Sally Bowles, but with more charisma. The romance in the film is confused and wobbly and the humor often forced and flat. But the movie slips into gear and gets funny when the couple visits Annie’s WASPy family in the mid-West. Allen plays it straight and is a classic fish-out-of-water and hits his acting zenith, with Keaton as his muse. A Bridge Too Far – is a classic WW2 men-at-war big budget drama that portrays Operation Market-Garden, a gallant, but failed and bloody Allied attempt in September 1944 to end WWII quickly. This movie is accurate, unbiased history and contains some of the most realistic WW2 battle scenes ever filmed. Unlike most WWII films, it covered the battle from all the major perspectives: in this case five - British, American, German, Polish and Dutch; and stars one of the greatest ensemble casts (all male) ever assembled. Saturday Night Fever – has one of the best opening scenes in modern movies. In the first five minutes, the story is framed; the mood is captured and the lead character, Tony, played by John Travolta is introduced. All done without a single line of pertinent dialogue, the panning camera establishes sense of place, in New York City, and the disco anthem Staying Alive blasts on the soundtrack. Tony was born dancing and walks in perfect time with the beat. His snappy clothes and cool dude swagger suggest he's a big shot, but this big shot is a paint store delivery boy with modest skills (except for his graceful dance steps.) Will Tony be able to make his way to the stage to perform the climatic, competitive Disco Dance and win the girl? I wouldn’t dream of revealing the answer. Cross of Iron – hurls the viewer into the blood bath that was the WW2 Eastern front of the 1940s. The movie is from the German perspective and takes place after the epic Battle of Stalingrad when the war turned in favour of the Soviets. Outmanned and outgunned and in constant retreat, James Coburn is exceptional in the role as Steiner, a battle hardened German soldier on the front lines. This is Coburn’s finest performance in a career that spanned over four decades. He is well supported by James Mason and Maximillian Schell. With Director Sam Peckinpah behind the camera, the well-made battle scenes capture the look and feel of real danger. Smokey and the Bandit – is a low budget, Southern- fried, car chase film that killed at the box office mainly due to the 70’s Citizen's Band (CB) radio craze. The tissue-thin plot has good ole boys Bandit (Burt Reynolds) and Cletus (Jerry Reed) using CB radios to duck and dodge Smokey (the police) while running a load of beer cross-country on a tight deadline. Along the way, Sally Field thumbs a ride into Burt’s Firebird for the thrill ride of her life. This movie is a classic for Popcorn Friday Night. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - In most science-fiction UFO films, aliens are sinister space invaders, and we instantly start running or shooting when they show up on Earth. But in Close Encounters the aliens are intelligent, benevolent creatures in magnificent flying saucers. The basic story is scanty: Richard Dreyfuss (Roy) catches sight of a spacecraft and is implanted with a vision. Roy spends the rest of the movie “looking for answers.” When the mother ship UFO descends to Earth it is a magnificent sight, and sound, on the big screen. They arrive like Gods floating down from the heavens. This is something only movies can do, and Spielberg delivers some spell binding set pieces and camera angles. Now if only Spielberg can find Bigfoot and catch him on film, it would make an excellent companion piece to Close Encounters. Disappointments - Julia – is one of those ‘intelligent’ and ‘sensitive’ faux-biopics catering mainly to the female audience. The film contains some of Hollywood’s most beloved anti-Nazi tropes useful for faking ‘respectable’ and ‘enlightened’ art. Julia is also known for the film debut of Meryl Streep in a small role. The movie grinds, ever so slowly, to the predictable ending. The Turning Point – is a too talky movie about modern women having First World problems. These poor (upper-middle class) girls have so many options, they don’t know what to think or do. Should she dance ballet or raise a family? And once she does have a kid, she tortures herself with “What if” questions endlessly. On the positive side, there are some graceful dance scenes with real-life pro ballet dancers. TTP is one of two films in Oscar history (The Color Purple being the other) that was nominated for 11 Oscars, but didn't win a single award. Would they have had been more successful if they used Lap Dancing instead of Ballet for a dramatic backdrop? Looking for Mr. Goodbar - made a big splash when it was released in 1977 and even had the distinction of displacing Star Wars’ at the top of the box office (ending 15 week run). The film is a cultural landmark for its unflinching focus on the human wrecking ball of the 1960s sexual revolution and the rise of feminism. The seeds of which were starting to bear fruit, but the emerging picture was not a pretty one. Single school teacher, Theresa (Diane Keaton) decides to embark on a lifestyle of casual sex with strange men she meets while bar-hopping. Given this movie is about random sex, don’t think you are going to see Diane Keaton taking a money shot in her face. In fact the film is not at all sexy or erotic. It trudges dutifully to Theresa’s violent doom.
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