DV delight: movie madness for the living room: from Clark Gable and James Stewart to Robert De Niro and Tom Cruise, from merry old England to modern America, here are over 20 films worth watching

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), May, 2004 by Robert S. Rothenberg

Born Yesterday (102 minutes, $24.95), the comedic tale of post-World War II influence peddling in Washington, marks one of the classic upsets in Academy Award history, as Judy Holliday, reprising her Broadway role as a ditzy blonde who turns out to be a lot smarter than everyone thinks and making her cinematic debut, topped a trio of stars turning in bravura performances as actresses in movies that still resound today--Bette Davis and Anne Baxter in "All About Eve" and silent screen diva Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard." The film, however, lost out for best picture to "All About Eve," and director George Cukor was beaten by that movie's Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The 1950 "Born Yesterday" comes off as a bit dated--not that D.C. isn't just as riddled with corruption more than a half-century later--but Holliday's unique charms continue to radiate on the screen, so maybe the Academy was right after all.

Jerry Maguire (139 minutes, $27.95), the romantic comedy that immortalized the cry "Show me the money!" from best supporting actor winner Cuba Gooding, Jr., is a treat, even getting an endearing performance out of Tom Cruise as an unscrupulous sports agent shown the path of virtue thanks to the love of a good woman and her appealing son. Renee Zellweger got her big break as the single mother who wins Cruise's affections, and Jonathan Lipnicki, the little kid with the big glasses, virtually stole the movie, as well as audiences' hearts. "The English Patient" knocked off "Maguire" for best picture of 1996, in a year when the latter was the sole major studio release nominated, and Cruise lost out as best actor to that film's Ralph Fiennes. The Special Edition release contains an entire second disc worth of extra features, including commentary by Cruise, Zellweger, Gooding, and writer-director Cameron Crowe; a "Making of ..." featurette; deleted scenes; rehearsal footage; a Bruce Springsteen music video; and a mock documentary, "My First Commercial," by Gooding in his screen persona as football player Rod Tidwell.

COURTROOM FIREWORKS

Anatomy of a Murder (160 minutes, $24.95) sends small-town lawyer James Stewart into the fray to defend an Army lieutenant charged with the murder of his wire's rapist. The courtroom exchanges crackle, especially when George C. Scott, in only his second Hollywood role, is on screen as a shark like prosecuting attorney. Filmed on location in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the film seamlessly blends in local townsfolk with top flight actors, including Ben Gazzara and Lee Remick as the officer and his wife; Arthur O'Connell as an alcoholic lawyer working with the defense; Eve Arden as Stewart's sarcastic secretary; and, in a casting coup by producer/director Otto Preminger, real-life attorney Joseph Welch, famous for his role in the senatorial McCarthy hearings, nearly stealing the picture as the presiding judge. The film ran into the "Ben-Hur" buzzsaw in 1959, losing out for best picture; Stewart being beaten by Charlton Heston for best actor; and O'Connell dropping best supporting actor to Hugh Griffith. The sole special feature worth mentioning is a photo montage of scenes from the movie and shots of the cast on location, accompanied by the musical score composed and played by famed jazz musician Duke Ellington.