The Plot: Part documentary, part tone poem, “Men and Dust” is an examination of the life of coal miners in the tri-state area (Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri). The film looks at what the effect of mining has on the health of not only the miners, but of their families and fellow townsfolk.
Why It Matters: The NFR calls this “a stylistically innovative documentary and a valuable ecological record”. Also included is an essay by film lecturer Adrianne Finelli, who according to this also lives in the Bay Area. Hey Adrianne, wanna grab coffee and talk classic movies sometime?
But Does It Really?: This is an historical yes, primarily for its frank (albeit artistically manipulated) depiction of life in a mining town. It’s an interesting time capsule of an era and its liberal beliefs, plus an introduction to the works of Lee & Sheldon Dick. It gets a pass from me.
Everybody Gets One: Very little is known about director Lee Dick (Mary Lee Burgess), apart from her being married to writer/cinematographer Sheldon Dick. Sheldon was already an established photographer by 1939, having done several assignments for the Farm Security Agency. An assignment in Joplin, Missouri inspired Sheldon to make this film. The FSA did not support this decision, so Sheldon financed the whole thing himself.
Wow, That’s Dated: This thing has New Deal, Dust Bowl-era leftist filmmaking written all over it.
Other notes
I know it’s the print’s fault, but that is a quick title card.
Sheldon isn’t the writer, no sir. He’s the “Director of Commentary” (a title I’m pretty sure belongs to Kevin Smith).
They keep saying that America is “the richest country in the world”. Give it a few decades, that’ll change.
There’s so much Dust Bowl devastation I keep expecting Roy Rogers to show up and sing about it.
The film has four different narrators! Three of them (Storrs Haynes, Robert Porterfield, Eric Walz) have languished in almost total obscurity, while the fourth (Will Geer) seems to be permanently stuck in the Dust Bowl era.
Good thing the health and safety of our nation’s miners isn’t a major problem anymore, right? …Right?
Legacy
Sheldon and Lee Dick separated at some point following “Men and Dust”. Lee’s life afterwards is not prominently documented, but we know that Sheldon married his third wife in 1950, and that definitely did not end well.
“Men and Dust” was supported by labor unions across the country, and private screenings led to revised laws and safety regulations within various mining communities. Now that’s change I can believe in.
Further Viewing: Fellow NFR entry “Harlan County U.S.A.”, Barbara Kopple’s documentary on the struggles of coal miners in the ‘70s. Keep fighting the good fight!
Written by Albert Mannheimer (More on that later). Based on the play by Garson Kanin.
Class of 2012
Thanks, Heather
The Plot: Wealthy junk dealer Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford) takes up residence in a Washington D.C. hotel suite while he’s in town to “buy” a senator. He brings along his equally brash fiancée Billie Dawn (Judy Holliday), a stereotypical dumb blonde and former showgirl. Realizing her lack of intelligence could ruin his chances of impressing the political elite, Harry requests Billie be tutored by freelance D.C. reporter Paul Verrall (William Holden). Though initially hesitant, Billie soon finds herself becoming enlightened and more self-assured through her lessons. As time goes on she starts to question the tumultuous relationship (both personal and professional) she has with Harry, and develops feelings for Paul. Hilarity (and political/social commentary) ensues.
Why It Matters: The NFR compliments the script, and calls Judy Holliday’s performance “one of the era’s most finely realized comedy performances.” An essay by film archivist Ariel Schudson gives an overview of production, as well as I’ll assume a mandatory emphasis on the film’s scenes in the Library of Congress.
But Does It Really?: I’m gonna chalk this one up to “minor classic”. It’s good, and still very funny, but the material shows its age in just enough places to prevent full enjoyment. This all being said, Judy Holliday’s performance is worth the trip out. She’s giving easily one of the best comic performances on film. I just wish the movie as a whole matched Judy’s level of comic genius.
Everybody Gets One: Though not a prolific screenwriter throughout his career, Albert Mannheimer got the plum task of adapting the hit Broadway play into a film. After the powers that be were unsatisfied with his screenplay, playwright Garson Kanin was brought in to adapt his own work to the screen. For legal reasons, Kanin remained uncredited, and Mannheimer received an Oscar nomination and an NFR credit, despite very little of his work actually being used.
Wow, That’s Dated: Evening papers, and the stigma associated with wearing glasses (he said while adjusting his glasses). Also pretty dated is the speech about how all senators are honest, hard-working, and not corrupt at all. Uh-huh.
Seriously, Oscars?: In a year dominated by “Sunset Boulevard” and “All About Eve”, “Born Yesterday” managed five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. With major competition from Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and Gloria Swanson, Judy Holliday won Best Actress in a victory so surprising even Holliday herself didn’t think she would win. The film lost in all of its other categories to “All About Eve”.
Other notes
A few words about Judy Holliday’s performance: For starters, it’s pretty damn perfect. Her Billie is somehow shrill and uneducated without being annoying or one-note. The joy of her performance is watching the gears turn in Billie’s head as she starts to think (or doesn’t) for herself. I suspect her Oscar win is considered an upset because the film is not the classic “Sunset Boulevard” or “All About Eve” is. But Judy is giving a performance that’s just as electric as the work of Swanson or Davis or Baxter. Plus there’s no way the Academy could have known which of these films would become classics. Further proof that awards of artistic merit are, in this film’s parlance, bull.
Man, between this and “Sunset Boulevard”, William Holden had a great year. Don’t call it a comeback.
If Harry’s looking for a corrupt politician I can think of a Huey Long-esque gentleman that he might get along with.
I may need subtitles for Billie.
Harry does the Donald Trump power handshake move. So that’s where he got it from!
The gin game is pretty hilarious. The dialogue is scarce, but you still learn plenty about the relationship between Billie and Harry.
Billie would understand politics a lot better if “Schoolhouse Rock!” was a thing back now.
This on-location trip to D.C. takes up a lot of screen time. Are we going to see every historical monument?
The concert Billie and Paul attend is at the Watergate steps, which housed outdoor concerts until the mid-‘60s. And yes, they are walking distance from that Watergate.
The scene where Harry is abusive to Billie is tough to watch, even though Broderick Crawford is clearly not actually hitting Judy Holliday.
“Wouldja do me a favor, Harry? Drop dead.” Classic.
Paul pronounces Washington as “Warshington”, a regional pronunciation believed to have its roots in New England, with traces in the mid-west. William Holden was born in Illinois, and had ancestors who emigrated from England to Virginia. Dialects!
The cop at the end is definitely played by a different actor in the on-location long shots. A little continuity is all I ask.
Legacy
Judy Holliday leveraged the success of this film to sign an exclusive “one film a year” contract with Columbia, allowing her to continue living/performing in New York. She did mostly light comedies throughout the ‘50s, including something with Jack Lemmon called “Phffft!”
The role of Lina Lamont in “Singin’ in the Rain” was written with Judy Holliday in mind. When she was unavailable, Stanley Donen cast Jean Hagen, who scored at her audition with a pitch-perfect Judy Holliday impression. Coincidentally, Hagen played Billie Dawn on Broadway after Holliday left the show.
George Cukor would direct a similar play-turned-film about a woman who reinvents herself through tutoring: 1964’s “My Fair Lady”.
“Born Yesterday” was also performed on live TV in 1956 starring…Mary Martin? Doesn’t quite seem like a match.
Don’t worry, they remade this in 1993 with Melanie Griffith. It sucks the life out of everything this play has going for it.
“Born Yesterday” has been revived on Broadway twice: in 1989 with Madeline Kahn and Ed Asner, and 2011 with Nina Arianda and Jim Belushi (whom critics were forced to admit was quite good as Harry Brock).
Written by Eric Roth. Based on the novel by Winston Groom.
Class of 2011
The Plot: Tom Hanks is Forrest Gump, a well-meaning but simple-minded man from Greenbow, Alabama. While sitting on a bus stop bench in 1981 Georgia, Forrest reminisces about his life. From his upbringing with his strong-willed mother (Sally Field), to a stint as an All-American Football player, to his service in the Vietnam War alongside shrimp enthusiast Bubba (Mykelti Williamson), to his business endeavors with embittered veteran Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise), Forrest has worn lots of shoes. Over the years, Forrest has an intermittent relationship with his childhood friend Jenny (Robin Wright), as well as several brushes with history.
Why It Matters: The NFR praises the film’s special effects, in addition to its approach to recent American history that is definitely open to interpretation.
But Does It Really?: “Forrest Gump” is what would happen if “Being There” had a baby with “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. I watched this movie a lot growing up, and as an adult it holds up pretty well. The special effects and historical touchstones are fun, but the key to this film’s success is a landmark performance by Hanks, and a blank-slate approach to modern Americana that, like “Being There” before it, can represent almost anything you want it to. Most of the boomer references may be lost today, and the metaphors are a tad on the nose (Don’t get me started on that damn feather), but ultimately “Forrest Gump” is still an endearing modern classic, with a cultural impact the NFR can’t deny.
Everybody Gets One: The major one is Gary Sinise, plus Haley Joel Osment, though I suspect his other famous film can’t be too far behind.
Wow, That’s Dated: Early CG is really starting to stick out in ‘90s films. It’s especially noticeable in “Gump” when they’re manipulating dead historical figures (LBJ looks like a Conan O’Brien “Clutch Cargo” sketch gone awry).
Seriously, Oscars?: As the L.A. Times predicted leading up to the 1994 Oscars, “When in doubt, go with ‘Gump’”. And the Academy did just that: “Forrest Gump” received 13 nominations (the leading film that year) and won seven, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Actor for Tom Hanks – his second consecutive win. The most surprising (but understanding) of its losses was Alan Silvestri’s iconic score losing to the equally iconic work of Hans Zimmer for “The Lion King”. The “Gump” sweep was inevitable, but did screw over fellow NFR entries “Pulp Fiction” and “The Shawshank Redemption”.
Other notes
Nothing about the original novel by Winston Groom reads as “Oscar Winning Classic”. Forrest has a cruder personality in the book and his physical appearance is more along the lines of Lenny from “Of Mice and Men”. As for the episodic adventures that didn’t make this adaptation, let’s just say there’s an orangutan in one of them. Eric Roth earned the hell out of his Oscar.
As far as metaphors for life go, a box of chocolates is…pretty lame. It sounds great, but what the hell does that mean? Even the assorted boxes give you a general idea of what you get.
This film proves how strong Tom Hanks’ goodwill is: He dresses up like a Klansman for one scene and we gave him a second Oscar.
Whatever happened to Jenny’s sisters? They’re mentioned once and then never again. Where were they during all of this?
Welp, I have now seen almost all of Tom Hanks. I can never un-see that.
Forrest and Jenny are contemporaries, but Tom Hanks has 10 years on Robin Wright. Hanks plays his correct age in the bench scenes, Wright is closest during Jenny’s time in L.A.
Mykelti Williamson, bless you. If you’re going to be associated with one performance, Bubba is a winner.
Tom Hanks tends to lose his Forrest Gump accent whenever he screams.
This film’s stance on Vietnam is pretty vague. The war is a thing that happened that was…bad? It’s certainly the most accessible of filmdom’s Vietnams.
Just a reminder that Dick Cavett appears in not one, but two Best Picture Oscar winners. Carry on.
“If you’re ever a shrimp boat captain, that’s the day I’m respected Apollo 16 crew member Ken Mattingly!” Boy this movie was prescient.
Free Bird!
Aged-up Sally Field isn’t too drastically different from 24-years-older Sally Field. Well done, make-up team.
Forrest says the shrimping business made him “more money than Davy Crockett”. Was Crockett known for being wealthy? Did he get a cut of the coonskin cap sales?
Between this and “Cast Away”, Zemeckis loves making Tom Hanks grow his beard out to biblical proportions.
My favorite shot in the entire film is Forrest watching the sunset while aboard his shrimping boat. It’s practically a painting.
Legacy
Winston Groom wrote a sequel to the book in 1995. “Gump & Co.” follows Forrest through the ‘80s as he meets President Reagan, gets roped into insider trading on Wall Street, inadvertently causes the fall of the Berlin Wall, and runs into the guy from “Big”. A film adaptation currently languishes in development hell.
Robert Zemeckis made a few more Oscar-bait movies before spending most of the 2000s in the Uncanny Valley.
I have been to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company here in San Francisco. I did very well at the trivia portion, but could not remember the names of Cunning Carla or Long Limbs Lenore. The food was fine too, I guess.
Lt. Dan has inspired the name of Gary Sinise’s U.S.O. band, as well as a flavor of ice cream.
Weird Al’s “Gump” is a fun ‘90s throwback (except for the part where he slut-shames Jenny).
Everyone has spoofed this movie. Everyone. Just Google it.
Further Viewing: Another “Premake”, this time featuring James Stewart as Forrest, Marlon Brando as Lt. Dan, and Babe Ruth!
Listen to This: Not since “The Big Chill” has a film had such a Baby Boomer soundtrack. Of all of the track listings, the National Recording Registry has selected “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival and “Respect” by Aretha Franklin.
Directed by Albert Maysles & David Maysles & Ellen Hovde & Muffie Meyer
Class of 2010
The Plot: Edith “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale and her daughter “Little Edie” were once East Hampton socialites, but a series of misfortunes has led to them living practically penniless in their beachside mansion, a decrepit shell of its former glory. When the Health Department threatens them with eviction, their famous relative Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis intervenes and helps finance a major repair on the house. Shortly after, filmmakers Albert & David Maysles start documenting the day-to-day life of the Beales. Most of their time is spent feeding their countless cats (and stray raccoons), reliving past victories and defeats, and endlessly arguing with each other about practically everything. Oh, and there’s a kid named Jerry who helps out around the house. He likes Big Edie’s corn.
Why It Matters: The NFR cites the film’s influence on documentaries, and calls it an “absorbing sometimes disturbing look” at its two leads.
But Does It Really?: Like many of the greats, “Grey Gardens” defies its own genre. Yes it’s a documentary, but beyond that it is a pure gothic horror story and a fascinating character study of a very intense mother-daughter relationship. These are two people whose present life is uninhabitable, leading to the constant hoarding of their past; reliving and revising it until it drives them insane. “Grey Gardens” is a Tennessee Williams drama that could only exist in the movies, yet unfolded in real-time. It is one of the most captivating documentaries ever made. Why it had to wait 21 years to make the list I have no idea.
Everybody Gets One: There is much speculation about what life was like for the Beales prior to the film. Little Edie returned home from New York in 1952, and stayed there for the next 25 years. The death of resident handyman Tom Logan in 1963 and a burglary in 1968 led to the Beale women shutting themselves off from the world. They came to the attention of the Maysles Brothers when a proposed documentary on Lee Radziwill (Jackie Kennedy’s sister) fell through.
Seriously, Oscars?: No Best Documentary Oscar nomination for “Grey Gardens”. That year the Academy voted for “The Man Who Skied Down Everest”, a film about… a man who skies down Everest.
Other notes
Every time I watch this film I have to remind myself, “This is real. These are real people. This actually happened.”
Oh Jerry. You just wanted to make some extra cash doing yard work. You weren’t looking for film immortality, it just turned out that way.
Speaking of, “The Marble Faun” is definitely not required high school reading any more.
Since there’s no real audience surrogate in this film, my loyalty between the two leads shifts with each viewing of “Grey Gardens”. Sometimes I sympathize with Little Edie, never truly free from her mother’s passive psychological grip. But then other times I side with Big Edie, a woman whose sad decline is only exacerbated by her daughter’s frequent dramatics. It’s endlessly complicated, and ultimately sad, but the veil of cinema makes it all slightly more palatable.
One of my favorite shots is when the camera pans from the house to the street, where a few cars pass by. The “real” world of 1970s East Hampton is readily available to the Beales at any time.
Little Edie is funnier than Judy Holliday? Hold my beer…
Is there a greater metaphor for the Beales’ lives than the shot of the cat peeing on Big Edie’s portrait?
Oh my god: Other People! Lois Wright was actually a much more prominent figure in the lives of Big & Little Edie, even living with them shortly after filming wrapped. She has written several books (and painted many pieces of art) about the Beales through the years. Very little is known about the other party guest, other than his name: Jack Helmuth.
Part of the film’s unreliability is that Little Edie is always aware of the camera and seems to always be “on” for the Maysles. Look no further than her dance number. It’s practically an MGM screen test.
This may be one of the few films to offer a correction during the credits. The end crawl includes the correct version of the Robert Frost poem Little Edie tries to recite.
The version I saw ends with a delightful audio epilogue of Albert Maysles calling Little Edie towards the end of her life in the early 2000s, when she was residing in Bal Harbour, Florida.
Legacy
After Big Edie’s death in 1977, Little Edie continued to live in Grey Gardens for two years before selling the house to Ben Bradlee (of Washington Post/Watergate fame) and his wife Sally Quinn. The two restored the house over many years, with Quinn eventually selling it in 2017 for $15 million.
“Grey Gardens” is one of the rare documentaries to spawn a Broadway musical. The 2006 stage version speculates what life was like for the Beales before and during “Grey Gardens”, and provides a tour-de-force performance for whoever plays young Big Edie/old Little Edie.
In 2006, Albert Maysles cobbled together outtakes from “Grey Gardens” to make a second film, “The Beales of Grey Gardens”. It’s the “Wake Up, Ron Burgandy” of documentaries!
Similar to the stage version (but with less songs), the 2009 HBO movie “Grey Gardens” examines the Beales over the course of 30 years. This film also reminds us that, with the right material, Drew Barrymore can be a brilliant actor.
Jerry Torres still makes appearances at screenings of the film, as well as productions of the stage version, graciously answering questions about his time with the Beales. Fun Fact: At one point he was an assistant for Wayland Flowers and Madame!
The internet really wants me to mention Jinkx Monsoon’s performance as Little Edie on “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. “Snatch Game” is always a season highlight, and Jinkx wins this round hands down.
“Pitter patter, pitter patter, it’s just my heart, what does it matter…”
Written by Arthur Wimperis & George Foreschel & James Hilton & Claudine West. Based on the book (and newspaper column) by Jan Struther.
Class of 2009
The Plot: The Minivers are an upper class family outside of London. Kay (Greer Garson) runs the household, and hides her expenses from loving husband Clem (Walter Pidgeon). Their eldest son Vincent (Richard Ney) has returned home from Oxford and falls for Carol Beldon (Teresa Wright), the well-off granddaughter of Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty). But all of this is disrupted by the onset of World War II. Vincent joins the Royal Air Force, Clem volunteers his motorboat for various services, and Kay struggles to keep her family together during the darkest hours. They suffer loss and setbacks, but like the rest of their country, the Minivers never give up hope and keep fighting.
Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “sentimental wartime melodrama”, but praises the leads, director Wyler, and its contributions to the war effort.
But Does It Really?: This is an historical yes. The entertainment value is fine, Garson in particular is giving a wonderfully grounded performance, but my takeaway was a film commenting on World War II while still being in the war. The film’s message of hope and victory is even more inspiring given that there was no guarantee of either in early 1942. It’s propaganda to be sure, but “Mrs. Miniver” is an important document of addressing the war without the blessing of hindsight, as well as highlighting what every citizen could contribute to do their part.
Everybody Gets One: This is Greer Garson’s only NFR appearance! Her star may not shine as brightly as her contemporaries, but in her day she was a box-office sensation, a seven-time Oscar nominee, and one of those actors with that indefinable “star quality”. If you’re going to have one Greer Garson picture on the list, this is the natural choice.
Wow, That’s Dated: This film takes place during that time when a man could spank his wife and we were all okay with it for some reason. Also don’t forget to buy defense bonds and stamps every pay day!
Seriously, Oscars?: A massive hit in both the U.S. and England, “Mrs. Miniver” went into the 1942 Oscars with 12 nominations (a near-record), and took home six, including Best Picture and Director for William Wyler. Greer Garson and Teresa Wright won Best Actress and Supporting Actress, respectively. Both give good performances, but were no doubt aided by their work in other Oscar contenders: Garson with “Random Harvest” and Wright with “The Pride of the Yankees”. Greer Garson may also hold the record for longest acceptance speech, clocking in somewhere in the 5½-6 minute range. There’s no complete footage of that ceremony, so we’ll never know for sure.
Other notes
Of the Miniver family, only Greer Garson and Clare Sanders (Judy) were actually British. Richard Ney, Teresa Wright, and Christopher Severn (Toby) were American, while Walter Pidgeon was Canadian, and appears to not be attempting any sort of accent.
Greer Garson definitely had “movie star eyes”. So expressive, so full of emotion. You can’t help but watch her.
Purely by coincidence, this is my second consecutive film (and third in two months) to feature Henry Travers, a.k.a Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. If you’ve ever wanted to hear him say “horse manure”, this is your movie.
“Fun” Fact: Shortly after the film’s release, Greer Garson married Richard Ney, her on-screen son. Watching the film through that lens gives everything a disturbing Oedipal flavor.
Vincent does a lot of mansplaining in his first scene with Carol. And then he fat-shames her! And she’s not even fat!
Eddie Izzard was on to something about the Church of England. Spice it up, lads!
In one of my favorite Oscar What-Ifs, if “Casablanca” hadn’t missed the 1942 eligibility deadline, would it have beaten “Mrs. Miniver” at the Oscars? Or would it have been the other way around?
Toby, Shut. Up. Side note: How Christopher Severn never got cast as Tiny Tim in appalling.
The scene where Kay confronts a German soldier is when things really start to pick up for this film. Definitely a highlight.
Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon do have some lovely chemistry. No wonder they made so many movies together.
Dame May Whitty’s role would be played today by either Maggie Smith or Judi Dench. I love her scene with Kay regarding Carol’s marriage, which is comprised almost entirely of one uninterrupted take.
It’s kind of hard to tell if the gas detector changes color in a black and white movie.
It takes forever to get there, but the Vicar’s speech is worth the trip out. Word has it Henry Wilcoxon rewrote his own speech with William Wyler. Well done, team.
Aircraft flying in V formations. Subtle.
Legacy
Winston Churchill was often quoted as saying “Mrs. Miniver” did more for the war effort than most military action. FDR was so moved by the film’s final speech that he requested it be shipped out to theaters as a separate short.
Garson and Pidgeon had already worked together in “Blossoms in the Dust”, but this film led to six more pairings, most memorably in “Madame Curie”.
“The Miniver Story” was a 1950 sequel that followed the Minivers in their post-war life. Nothing is said about Vince, who presumably died in the war. And that’s why you don’t marry your leading lady!
“Mrs. Miniver” was remade for TV in 1960 starring Maureen O’Hara. [Footage Not Available]
Henry Wilcoxon would play another religious figure in… “Caddyshack”?
Further Viewing: A TCM tribute to Greer Garson narrated by Keith Carradine, who I guess is a big fan.
The Horse's Head 