The Best and Worst Films of 2008
Boone still waiting on year-end Oscar bait

By Jeff Eason

This past year I went to the movies over 45 times. I know a couple of people who go to movies more often than I do but most movie lovers are content to go to the theater less than once a month. They supplement their theater experiences with DVDs and movies seen on television.

When you fork over seven-to-ten dollars every time you see a movie, however, you tend to be a little more critical about whether or not the entertainment was worth it. With that in mind, here are a few thoughts on the good, the bad and the downright ugly when it came to movies in 2008.

Late 2007

Some of the best movies to play in Boone in 2008 were actually officially released late in 2007. Because of the way Hollywood releases its award contenders in big markets late in the year, many of these fine films won’t make it on the “best of” lists for this year, even though that’s when the majority of Americans saw them.
Late bloomers from 2007 that came to Boone in early 2008 made for an especially intriguing group that included Charlie Wilson’s War, Juno, No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood—all of which are high quality films. The one clunker from 2007 that came to Boone in 2008 was Lions for Lambs, the incredibly un-subtle anti-war film starring Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise.

Comedies on Parade

2008 was a better than average year for comedies and two of them, Get Smart and Tropic Thunder, successfully merged the comedy genre with action and adventure, not an easy combination to pull off. Not only were these two films critical successes, but they did well at the box office as well, ending the year as the 16th and 17th highest grossing films of the year respectively.

The two highest grossing comedies of the year were, you guessed it, animated family films. That said, WALL-E (#5) and Kung Fu Panda (#6) were both remarkable achievements that honestly appealed to kids of all ages.

Other comedies that made me, as the kids text today, LOL, were Pineapple Express, Four Christmases, Role Models, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the loveably sweet Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Although The House Bunny was a bit of a disappointment, it was buoyed nicely by Anna Faris’ fine comedic work.

The simple fact that there were so many comedies released this year without the witless mugging of Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler or Jim Carey is in itself a minor miracle.

The Good Stuff

While 2008 might not be remembered for exceptional dramas, it did have its fair share of high points, especially in the realm of comic book, superhero and action films. The top two grossing films of the year were the exceptional The Dark Knight and the better than average Iron Man. Both films featured flawed heroes but The Dark Knight wins the battle by having not one, but two intriguing villains: Heath Ledger’s scary turn as The Joker and Adam Eckhart’s good-guy-gone-bad Two Face.

After freaking out a portion of their fanbase with the film noire No Country for Old Men, the Coen Brothers returned to their black comedy best with the blackmail spy caper Burn After Reading. If you can get past some of the over-the-top antics of Brad Pitt and George Clooney, there’s an incredibly dark and clever spoof in this film.

Burn After Reading co-stars Brad Pitt and Tilda Swinton team up again for maybe the best movie of 2008, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (see review in this week’s focus section).

Of course, Boone is still awaiting the arrival of the some of the best reviewed albums of the year including The Wrestler, Slumdog Millionaire, Rachel Getting Married, Milk, Wendy and Lucy and Gomorra.

Worst Movie of 2008

When I left the movie theater after witnessing the painfully unfunny Drillbit Taylor, I had the incredible urge to call Owen Wilson and demand my money and two hours of life back. Then I remembered that it was the last movie Wilson made before his failed suicide attempt so I figured he was genuinely remorseful for having made this stinker.

Okay, maybe I’m being a little harsh. After all, I did sit through the mindless teenage slasher flick Prom Night, so maybe there’s hope that Wilson will redeem himself in 2009. From what I hear from my fellow movie buffs, he certainly didn’t impress anyone with Marley and Me.