I'm going to see the new Star Wars movie on New Year's Eve. In January I hope to see The Post, a new movie that is getting Best Picture talk. I'm a Tom Hanks fan, so I would see it for that reason anyway.
I didn't get to see Dunkirk over the summer, or some of the other big name flicks. I just saw the comedy Father Figures. Not a classic but a fun two hours. I saw two other films that almost made my Best Movie of 2017. One was a summer sleeper called Meghan Leavey. It was about a female soldier in the Iraq war and the bond she had with her bomb-sniffing dog. It was a surprise hit, but couldn't compete with the popcorn summer action movies and animated films.
Another good movie was the recent Wonder starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, about a boy with a disfigured face. Very honest and well-made, Wonder did get more attention and may be in the Oscar conversation soon.
But the best movie I saw all year was one that came out around Labor Day, a film called Stronger. it starred Jake Gyllenhaal in a true story about one young guy and the Boston Marathon bombing. It was made for $30 million but only earned $6 million at the box office.I hope it doesn't get lost come Oscar time. At least, Gullenhaal deserves a nomination for his true performance as a guy struggling with life after losing both of his legs in the bombing.
The movie was never maudlin or overly sentimental.. It was honest and real. Hard to find a movie that revolves around a disability that is so real.
Rent it or buy it. You won't be sorry. Root for Stronger to get it's due when Academy Award season comes upon us soon.
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