NDSU Spectrum: Top 10 movies of 2002
‘Good Girl’ the best of a depressing batch of films
By JOHN HANSEN
Dec. 13, 2002
Call 2002 the Year of Pain in film. I don’t mean pain to the moviegoer, who admittedly had to sift through a much thinner crop than the outstanding 2001 roster. Rather, many of the best films of the year explored the dark regions of the human psyche – whether it was flirting with the dark side as Hayden Christensen, Al Pacino and Bill Paxton did, or simply struggling to find one’s place in a dark world, as pretty much every other film on this list explored. And just to lighten this list up a bit, I threw in “Scooby-Doo.”
1. “The Good Girl”
Here are six words I never thought I’d type: Jennifer Aniston is a fine actress. You wouldn’t expect it from her years of spewing sitcom drivel, but she gives an outstanding turn as a depressed wife and retail worker in rural Texas. Mike White delivers a poignant story about grasping at peace of mind in a torturous world. Jake Gyllenhaal emotes brilliantly and John C. Reilly is officially the world’s best character actor.
2. “City by the Sea”
This straightforward tale of a grizzled New York policeman whose estranged son gets in trouble with the law is boosted by outstanding performances from Robert DiNiro as the cop, James Franco as the son, and Eliza Dushku as the son’s girlfriend. It’s an excellent window into characters who have shut themselves off from the world.
3. “About a Boy”
The latest adaptation of a novel by Nick Hornby (“High Fidelity”) finds Hugh Grant as a well-to-do man who is content with a life that consists of doing “nothing” (other than going on meaningless dates, watching “Countdown” and listening to rap). And then a kid starts coming by his flat and starts viewing him as a father figure. Directors Chris and Paul Weitz do a fine job of bringing Hornby’s dry humor to the screen in the form of voiceovers from Grant.
4. “Attack of the Clones”
The latest flawed yet fascinating entry in George Lucas’s “Star Wars” saga finds Anakin (Hayden Christensen) annoyed by the teachings of Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor), in love with the recalcitrant Padme (Natalie Portman), and angered by his mother’s death at the hands of savages. Meanwhile, Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) continues to build up his Empire with clones and other weaponry. An awesome arena battle and the Yoda vs. Dooku lightsaber duel cap off the proceedings, and the stage is set for an epic Episode III.
5. “Insomnia”
“Memento” mastermind Christopher Nolan makes his mainstream directing debut with a different kind of mind-bender. This remake of a Norwegian film finds cop Al Pacino in Small Town, Alaska, in pursuit of murderer Robin Williams. As he’s slowly driven crazy by the 24-hour daylight, Pacino has to ask himself how far he’ll go in pursuit of the killer.
6. “Pumpkin”
Christina Ricci stars as a sorority member who is forced to befriend a mentally challenged boy named Pumpkin (Hank Harris) in this bizarre yet compelling film. The story would probably fall apart if played straight, but the supporting performances and sheer absurdity in some scenes suggest it’s a satire of teen romance films with the mentally challenged boy thrown in as a fascinating sidebar.
7. “Scooby-Doo”
This fun summer blockbuster is an expertly-cast near-parody of the cartoons we grew up with. Matthew Lillard as Shaggy and Linda Cardellini as Velma are especially good. The erroneous portrayal of Scrappy Doo is an unfortunate miscalculation, but the colorful set pieces and consistent humor marks the start of a successful film franchise.
8. “Frailty”
Bill Paxton has always been a solid actor, and now he adds directing to his resume in the most overtly violent picture of the year. Paxton plays a religious and/or insane father who gets messages from above to capture sinful people and hack them to death with an axe in a dark shed. He’s teaching the trade to his two young sons, one of whom tells the story in flashback to a disbelieving sheriff. I’m not sure if the twist ending makes sense, but it’s still a stylish film.
9. “Panic Room”
David Fincher’s most mainstream film, featuring Jody Foster and her daughter locked in the panic room of their new mansion, maintains his trademark moody style. The script keeps the twists coming – i.e. the daughter needs insulin – and the robbers are given some depth by excellent character actors Dwight Yoakum, Forrest Whitaker and Jared Leto.
10. “Punch-Drunk Love”
I’ve always said that Adam Sandler could act, and here he proves it to the doubters by playing an understated, fragile character who stands in contrast to the boisterous, fragile characters he usually plays. The arc is typical of a Sandler picture – a picked-on young man slowly learns to stand up for himself – but Paul Thomas Anderson’s bizarre storytelling style (what the heck was up with that truck crash?) is far from conventional.