Team Top Ten: Steven Spielberg for his 75th Birthday

by... our team here at TFE!

West Side Story, now in theaters. is Steven Spielberg's 32nd motion picture. Though he directed one self-financed "feature" at 17 (shown at one movie theater), Duel (1971) a made for television movie was his first Hollywood gig. His movie career proper began with the spring release of The Sugarland Express in 1974. By the end of the following summer, due to Jaws, he was globally famous and a bankable A list director, lists he'd never fall off of. To celebrate Spielberg's 75th birthday (today, December 18th) we recently polled the team about the work of America's most beloved auteur: his best, worst, and most underappreciated.

It was fascinating to be reminded how widely viewed Spielberg's filmography is. Of his 31 pictures prior to West Side Story, not a single one of them went unmentioned in the answers to our three-part poll which 23 members of our team participated in. That said the least often cited for any reason (so probably the least seen?) were Sugarland Express and 1941. Of Spielberg's blockbusters Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom  and War of the Worlds were the two that had the weakest turn out under any section of the polling.

In the end we opted not to focus on the Worst as that isn't celebratory and, what's more, there was not a clear consensus but if you're curious Ready Player One, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Terminal, The BFG, and Lost World Jurassic Park all sprung up regularly. Hey you can't win them all but Spielberg has won more than most. Ready for the Best of List? Enjoy...

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"Young Adult" at 10

by Mark Brinkerhoff

Where were you when you first saw—hell, even learned about—2011’s Young Adult? For me, it was at the Angelika, an arresting poster of a scowling Charlize Theron with the perfectly judged tagline:

“Everyone gets old. Not everyone grows up.”

Boy, if that ain’t the truth...

Young Adult opened nationwide on this day a full decade ago (!!!) to rather muted buzz but with a pedigree that couldn’t be denied: Conceived by the brilliant, Oscar-winning screenwriter, Diablo Cody (on the heels of her cult-masterwork, Jennifer’s Body), and helmed by Jason Reitman, following up his Oscar-nominated Up in the Air while re-teaming with Cody after their similarly lauded Juno, Young Adult managed to assemble an incredibly rich ensemble of under-sung or underrated character actors—yes, including those inhabiting the body (and careers) of movie stars (Theron and Patrick Wilson)...

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Lucas Hedges at 25. Where to next?

by Nathaniel R

A month ago we celebrated Tye Sheridan's 25th to crickets from readers. Today it's Lucas Hedges turn and he bears the notable distinction of being the youngest male actor working to have already been Oscar-nominated (Timothée Chalamet, also a December baby, is a full year older).

If an actor isn't yet famous the quarter century mark is a great time to start landing roles, honing their skills, and finding a breakthrough project. If the actor is already established, chances are they were already a teen or child star; They have easier access to offers but it's much trickier career navigation. There are already years of pop culture baggage, preconceptions, and expectations before they're even right / ready for the leading man parts that can make a career enduring. 

From our purely anecdotal evidence, Lucas Hedges has already been through several stage of film stardom...

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Almost There: Charlize Theron in "Young Adult"

by Cláudio Alves

Ten years ago, Young Adult arrived in theaters, signaling the second collaboration between director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody. It was also the creative duo's first work alongside Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron. Polarizing to this day, the picture divided critics and audiences alike, even as it gained champions heading into awards season. Cody's work and Patton Oswald's supporting turn won many admirers, but Theron's acidic star turn proved to be the movie's biggest Oscar bid. While already blessed with much critical recognition for her dramatic efforts, the actress wasn't known for comedy. Her casting was, thus, a bit of an against-type choice and her success a surprise. 

In retrospect, it sounds silly that there were any doubters. A decade after its premiere, Young Adult shines bright as Charlize Theron's greatest achievement…

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Almost There: Maggie Smith in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"

by Cláudio Alves

It's time to wish a happy anniversary to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. John Madden's unlikely box-office juggernaut was first screened ten years ago on the Sorrento Incontro Internazionale del Cinema. Truth be told, it's not a fantastic flick, adapting a Deborah Moggach novel into a toothless feel-good comedy that reeks of good intentions corroded by colonialist condescension. Where it triumphs, however, is in casting. Madden managed to gather a remarkable ensemble, made up of charismatic British thespians who could deliver great performances with their eyes closed and a hand tied behind their back: Judi Dench! Maggie Smith! Bill Nighy! Penelope Wilton! Tom Wilkinson! And more. 

Indeed, their collective work singlehandedly makes the movie into a middlebrow delight. From that collection of beloved British entertainers, Maggie Smith probably came closest to an Oscar nomination…

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