As we celebrate our first full year in the blogosphere, the Chicks want to thank their loyal followers in the Chick and Rooster nation. We wish you all a happy 2011 and hope you’ll continue to be part of the discussion here and on Facebook.
In the spirit of the Chicks’ diverse sensibilities, we thought it only fair to offer our individual picks for movies that made a special impression on us in 2010 – for better or for worse. Here are mine:
Best Movies of the Year. I refuse to pick just one, because there isn’t a single movie that I truly felt bested the pack. And that’s not a bad thing. Each one resonated for a very different reason. And if the Academy can expand its nominations list for Best Movie to ten, then I should be allowed to expand my top picks to three!
The Social Network. Love it or hate it, Facebook has changed our lives forever. And this movie taps into what we love and hate about our utilization of social networking tools and the freaks and geeks who make it all possible. It’s truly a story for our times.
The Fighter. This movie is the total package. The combination of story, characters, and ensemble acting should appeal to a wide range of folks. Really, it’s not just a “boxing movie”, so don’t let that stop you from checking it out.
Toy Story 3. This movie continues to resonate for reasons that are surely part nostalgic and part cinematic achievement. It’s a rare feat for sequels to pull off real-time story and character progression, not to mention make us care (even cry) for animated toys. I just loved it. And I loved that big kids who were little kids when TS2 came out seemed to like it too.
First Runner-Up. The King’s Speech. I caught this one just under the wire for 2010, and it’s a winner. I love Colin Firth and think he’s one of the best and most under-appreciated actors of our time.
Best Chick Flick. True Grit. As I said in my review, this one’s a chick flick wrapped in a western. And since most of the formulaic chick flicks were weak at best this year, this one wins by default!
Guiltiest Pleasure. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. So sue me, I got roped into reading the books before the movies came out. And I got hooked. The first movie was rather horrendous, but the second and third have gotten progressively better.
Best Movie You Probably Didn’t See (or even hear of). The Joneses. For some reason, this movie with Demi Moore and David Duchovny came and went in a flash. But if you’ve ever envied the lives and “things” of others, The Joneses offers a cautionary tale in a witty and well-acted way.
Best Documentary. Waiting for “Superman”. Granted, I haven’t seen all the top contenders this year, and this movie was far from perfect, but it did what any good documentary should. It raised awareness and generated some interesting discussion and debate about the state of the U.S. education system.
Best Mind-Bender. Inception. Love it or hate it or just not get it, Inception deserves kudos for its sheer creativity and complexity.
Most memorable mis-pronunciations. I chuckle every time I think about Megamind’s pronunciation of “melancholy” and “Metrocity”. Admit it – if you saw the movie, you just smiled at the memory!
Biggest Disappointment. It’s a tie between Sex and the City 2 and Eat Pray Love. Despite great clothes and locales, neither lived up to the hype.
Best George Clooney Movie. The American. Okay, so it’s the only movie that Clooney was in this year, and it was an odd one. But the chicks celebrate him nonetheless for his humanitarian efforts and overall suaveness.
Happy New Year Everybody!