# The Critics' Top Ten Films List **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 29, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528 "2002-12-29T19:26:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/1 "2002-12-29T19:26:31Z")
[http://www.moviecitynews.com/awards/top\_10/index.html](http://www.moviecitynews.com/awards/top_10/index.html) This site does the really useful service of collecting all the top ten lists and combining all the ranking to produce a meta top ten list. It’s probably the best measure of the critical consensus for the year’s films. “Talk to Her” and “Far from Heaven” are almost tied at 1 and 2 with “Y tu Mama Tambien” also close behind. Since the weighting system is rather arbitrary you could say it was a three-way tie. Then you have the two comedies Adaptation and About Schmidt also practically tied. Then LOTR:TTT ,a pleasant surprise, and Spirited Away at no. 7, quite an achievement for an animated film. Finally you have the Pianist,Chicago and Gangs of New York. What do you think? I haven’t seen too many of the year’s films and only four of the top ten: Spirited Away, Far From Heaven, TTT and Y tu Mama Tambien. Of those I probably liked Spirited Away the best though the others had their strong points too. I am looking forward to the two comedies and if I feel up to watching depressing films I might see The Pianist and Gangs of New York. BTW has anyone seen similiar lists for past years? ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/2 "2002-12-29T20:40:01Z")
I think critics like nothing better than to rave about a bunch of movies that no one is ever going to see, then pat themselves on the back for being smarter than the movie-going public. The fact that TTT is in the top ten as a bona-fide blockbuster speaks to just how good this show really is, since movies with mass appeal rarely figure into the short lists for these people (as we all know, the masses have no taste and will only spend money on crap, never on anything with artistic merit). Just my opinion, of course. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/3 "2002-12-29T20:44:34Z")
Yeah, **Jimbo** , nothing says elitism like putting a Japanese cartoon and a Mexican titty movie in your top ten list. (By the way, I loved both **Spirited Away** and **Y Tu Mama Tambien**.) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/4 "2002-12-29T20:50:00Z")
I thought **Far from Heaven** and **Adaptation** were far more intellectually interesting than emotionally gripping movies. The former especially made me want to scream at the screen, I Got the Point, I Got the Point! Certainly both movies were technically excellent and well acted and directed (although Dennis Quaid’s role was too small and too underwritten for people to be talking about him as an Oscar contender) but quirkiness and cleverness – while they may be boons for critics who have to sit through all the movies I find too dumb to even imagine seeing – are not enough for a complete experience. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/5 "2002-12-29T21:37:27Z")
Yup I thought the problem with Far from Heaven was a lack of sublety and a tendency to push the “message” into every possible scene. Still Julliane Moore gave a terrific performance and the cinematography was excellent. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/6 "2002-12-29T22:09:37Z")
- Frida \* was a fantastic movie. I don’t think it’s getting enough credit. Selma Hyak deserves the Oscar for that one (although I haven’t seen \* The Hours \* yet, and the Times said that Nichole Kidman kicks all kinds of ass as Virginia Wolfe in that one.) I sure wish I could comment on \* Adaptation \*, but those who read my Pit thread from last week know that I have not seen it yet. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/7 "2002-12-29T23:08:20Z")
I agree – _Frida_ was fascinating. I was surprised at the depth of Selma Hyak’s performance. Maybe this is her “break through” role. I was happy to see that this movie did show up on the top ten list from the American Film Institute. Meanwhile, I’ve started wearing dangly earrings and wearing a braided hairpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Dryga\_Yes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Dryga\_Yes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryga_Yes)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/8 "2002-12-30T00:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dread Pirate Jimbo \* > \*\*I think critics like nothing better than to rave about a bunch of movies that no one is ever going to see, then pat themselves on the back for being smarter than the movie-going public. The fact that TTT is in the top ten as a bona-fide blockbuster speaks to just how good this show really is, since movies with mass appeal rarely figure into the short lists for these people (as we all know, the masses have no taste and will only spend money on crap, never on anything with artistic merit). > > Just my opinion, of course. YMMV. \*\* Somehow I get the feeling that you haven’t seen the movies you say shouldn’t be on the top ten list… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/9 "2002-12-30T01:25:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dread Pirate Jimbo \* > \*\*I think critics like nothing better than to rave about a bunch of movies that no one is ever going to see, then pat themselves on the back for being smarter than the movie-going public. The fact that TTT is in the top ten as a bona-fide blockbuster speaks to just how good this show really is, since movies with mass appeal rarely figure into the short lists for these people (as we all know, the masses have no taste and will only spend money on crap, never on anything with artistic merit). > \*\* That’s just plain wrong. Here’s a list of the top 25 films: 1. $601 Titanic 1997 2. $461 Star Wars 1977 3. $435 E.T. 1982 4. $431 Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 1999 5. $404 Spider-Man 2002 6. $357 Jurassic Park 1993 7. $330 Forrest Gump 1994 8. $318 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 2001 9. $313 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001 10. $313 The Lion King 1994 11. $310 \* Star Wars: Attack of the Clones 2002 12. $309 Return of the Jedi 1983 13. $306 Independence Day 1996 14. $293 The Sixth Sense 1999 15. $290 The Empire Strikes Back 1980 16. $285 Home Alone 1990 17. $268 Shrek 2001 18. $260 Jaws 1975 19. $260 How the Grinch Stole Christmas 2000 20. $256 Monsters, Inc. 2001 21. $251 Batman 1989 22. $250 Men in Black 1997 23. $246 Toy Story 2 1999 24. $242 Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 25. $242 Twister 1996 The only films on this list that got generally bad reviews when they were released are “The Phantom Menace,” “The Grinch,” and “Twister.” “Independence Day” got mixed reviews. The rest were applauded by critics (not 100%, but few films ever are). ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/10 "2002-12-30T02:16:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CyberPundit \* > “Talk to Her” and “Far from Heaven” are almost tied at 1 and 2 with “Y tu Mama Tambien” also close behind. FWIW, I thought _Talk to Her_ was amazing and probably the best new film I’ve seen this year, even though I’m far from a knee-jerk Almadovar fan. Conversely, I found _Y tu Mama Tambien_ watchable, but hardly the masterpiece it’s been talked up as (who wants to watch bad sex …). _Far From Heaven_ doesn’t get a UK release until next year, so I haven’t seen it. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/11 "2003-01-06T19:47:01Z")
I’ve seen a good number of the movies on the list (some quick math says 75- 85% - that’s the whole list, not just the top part), and although I haven’t yet seen **Far From Heaven** , **Y tu Mama Tambien** , or **Spirited Away** this list does put things pretty darn close to how I’d rank them. I, personally, think **Gangs of New York** is a little too low on the list, maybe number 3 behind a number 1 - **Adaptation** and Number 2 - **Igby Goes Down**. The rest are pretty good where they are. Igby is far far too low in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/12 "2003-01-06T19:50:28Z")
Oh, the three that I mentioned that I hadn’t seen were just the three I hadn’t seen from the top. There’s a bunch below that that I haven’t. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/13 "2003-01-06T20:01:55Z")
So, critics loved “Far From Heaven.” And what was the message of “Far From Heaven”? Why, that the Fifties were a terrible time, and that American suburbia is a horrible place, filled with repressed people, driven to despair by consumerism and conformity. Small wonder the critics loved it! Why, there hadn’t been another movie with THAT message in at LEAST ten minutes. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/14 "2003-01-06T20:33:51Z")
In case it wasn’t clear the rankings have changed since my OP. In particular Far From Heaven has opened a massive lead over the other films. It’s clearly the critical-consensus masterpiece of the year. I liked it but I don’t think it was that good. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/15 "2003-01-06T23:05:16Z")
One critic I read said this has been the best year for films since 1939. In case you don’t remember, the following were nominated for Oscars as Best Film in 1939: “GONE WITH THE WIND”, “Dark Victory”, “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”, “Love Affair”, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, “Ninotchka”, “Of Mice and Men”, “Stagecoach”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Wuthering Heights” Now, compare this year’s films - which films do you think will still be watchable and considered classics 60 years from now? My guess is that Lord Of The Rings (entire trilogy) will hold up well for generations to come. Is it this generation’s Gone With The Wind? Maybe - both were beloved books turned into a sprawling epics to critical and box office acclaim. But I think it is a safe bet to say people will still watch both films 50 years from now. Now it gets tricky - will audiences still warm up to The Hours, Adaption, Gangs Of New York, Chicago, Y Tu Mama Tambien, or Far From Heaven in 60 years? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/16 "2003-01-07T01:10:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DMark \* > \*\*One critic I read said this has been the best year for films since 1939. > \*\* Surely it was a joke. Look at 1940: Rebecca The Great Dictator The Philadelphia Story The Grapes of Wrath His Girl Friday Fantasia The Shop Around the Corner Waterloo Bridge The top 5 all in IMDB’s top 250 of all time. Or 1975: Jaws One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Monty Python and the Holy Grail Dog Day afternoon The Man Who Would Be King Barry Lyndon Nashville The Rocky Horror Picture Show Picnic at Hanging Rock I’m sure ther would be plenty of other vintage years if one cared to look. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-critics-top-ten-films-list/145528/17 "2003-01-07T03:04:25Z")
The reason that film critics like different films that the masses is not snobbery. Film, like most art forms, is a language. Cinema has it’s own tropes and metaphors and allusions. Just like with liturature, the more one studies film, the better one becomes at the language and the more likely one is to appreciate more complex pieces. Castro, of all people, understood that well. Like the Soviets (who have put out some of the best films in the world, and who have created innovations in film that we all use- there would be no MTV without Sergei Eisenstein), Castro recognized film’s value as a propaganda tool. He started a massive film education program, involving mass screenings and two television shows that actually taught the same kinds of film analysis one learns in film school here. All so that his people would be more receptive to more sophisticated cinematic propaganda. Film critics watch and think about a lot of films. Their background and understanding of film makes them more likely to enjoy film that uses more intersting (and less familier to the average film-goer) cinematic language. For example, **Far from Heaven** is a somewhat good film on it’s own, but it takes on whole new dimensions when you’ve seen a couple Douglas Sirk movies (which **Far from Heaven** is a comment on/tribute to) and have some understanding of Sirk’s methods. The anti-intellectual movement in this country is pretty strong, and people are pretty resistant to the idea that things they consider “pop-culture”, like movies, can have the same kinds of sophistication as things they consider “high culture”, like liturature. You don’t see anyone telling you not to analyze a novel, but lord knows I’ve seen plenty of people yelled at for looking a little closer at a movie. Nobody expects the New York Times Book Review to fawn over the lastest Tom Clancey novel, but people get upset when **XXX** gets bad reviews. All I can say is take a good film studies course at the local community college. It will change your view of film forever. For the record, the only thing I’d complain about on this list is the lack of **Monsoon Wedding**. I’d consider that the best movie of the year. It managed to do what no other film I can think of really has- make a feminist film that is actually watchable. Girl-directors always get the short end of the stick ☹