In the tradition of such obsessively driven directors as Erich von Stroheim and Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola approached the production of Apocalypse Now as if it were his own epic mission into the heart of darkness. On location in the storm-ravaged Philippines, he quite literally went mad as the project threatened to devour him in a vortex of creative despair, but from this insanity came one of the greatest films ever made.
Robert De Niro stars as Bruce Pearson, a baseball player stricken with Hodgkin's disease. During his illness, he befriends the team's star pitcher Henry Wiggin (Michael Moriarty), who not only helps Bruce hide his illness from the materialist owners, but also emotionally supports his dying friend. Moriarty and DeNiro's performances, as well as coach Vincent Gardenia's, are the high points of this tearjerker based on Mark Harris's 1950's novel. Academy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor--Vincent Gardenia.
Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr. star in James L. Brooks' 1998 Best Picture nominated hit comedy, "As Good As It Gets." Nicholson gives a show-stopping performance as Melvin Udall, an obsessive-compulsive novelist with Manhattan's meanest mouth. But when his neighbor Simon is hospitalized, Melvin is forced to baby-sit Simon's dog. And that unexpected act of kindness along with waitress Carol Connelly - helps put Melvin back in the human race. Magically written, directed and acted, As Good As It Gets is the best and funniest romantic comedy of the year.
Sean Penn and Benecio Del Toro, two of the most gripping actors around, play wildly different men linked through a grieving woman (Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive, The Ring) in 21 Grams. Del Toro (Traffic, The Usual Suspects) delves deep into the role of an ex-con turned born-again Christian, a deeply conflicted man struggling to set right a terrible accident, even at the expense of his family. Penn (Mystic River, Dead Man Walking) captures a cynical, philandering professor in dire need of a heart transplant, which he gets from the death of Watts' husband.
