Oscars Sunday: Who’s who of the Midlands share favorite movies
Sunday’s Oscars will honor the best of the best in film from the past year.
And that got us to thinking about our favorite movies of all time.
We asked some fellow Midlands movie watchers to share their lists, expanding on one of their favorites.
We have to say, we’ve added several new entries to our own movie bucket lists after reading their lists. We hope you’ll find some, too.
Bill Stangler
Congaree riverkeeper
“Jurassic Park”: “I can still remember seeing this movie in theaters. During the T. Rex chase scene, my brother, who had voted against seeing the movie because it seemed scary, turned around in his chair and yelled, ‘I told you guys I wanted to see ‘Dennis the Menace.’ If ‘Jurassic Park’ is on TV, I’ll watch it. I regularly quote lines from the movie to this day, seriously, all the time. ‘Life finds a way,’ ‘Clever girl,’ ‘Must go faster’... so many great lines. But perhaps more importantly, ‘Jurassic Park’ sparked my interest in science-fiction literature; the film inspired me to later read the novel, then ‘The Lost World,’ then several other Michael Crichton novels.
“The Usual Suspects”
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”
“Reservoir Dogs”
“The African Queen”
Emily Miles
Associate media relations director, USC men’s basketball
“Home Alone”: “Because when you’re little, I think every kid wanted to be Kevin McAllister. I remember we went to the movies to go watch it, stood in line, stood in line, stood in line, and it’s sold out. So we had to go back another time. I was 9 or 10. Every kid in school saw it. When you’re kind of that age, you start thinking, ‘Ah, c’mon, Mom, I can stay home alone.’”
“For Love of the Game”
“Pirates of the Caribbean” (the original)
“The Little Mermaid”
“Titanic”
Matt Moore
Chairman, S.C. GOP
“The Shawshank Redemption”: “This is a story of hope, perseverance and redemption that only gets better with age. Amazingly, it wasn’t seen as a classic when it was first released. I’ve seen it over 100 times. There are so many memorable scenes and lines. My favorite line, from Andy to Red near the end of the movie, is, ‘Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things – and no good thing ever dies.’ ”
“Forrest Gump”
“The Godfather”
“Back to the Future”
“The Sound of Music”
Andy Smith
Executive director, Nickelodeon Theatre
“A Bigger Splash”: “An impactful hit for all of the senses. This film stood out for the grace of its cinematography and vibrancy of Ralph Fiennes’ performance. I would recommend keeping an eye out for director Luca Guadagnino’s latest film, ‘Call Me By Your Name,’ which premiered at Sundance this year. It maintains Guadagnino’s imagistic style while telling a fearlessly personal and important story.”
“Moonlight”
“Anomalisa”
“Other People”
“Captain Fantastic”
Chad Holbrook
USC baseball coach
“Remember the Titans”: “I love ‘Remember the Titans’ just because of a community that’s coming together and what sports can do for a community or what sports can do within a team. To watch a group of young men together that are brought up on different sides of the street that have come together and become one, black and white ... whereas people in that community didn’t think that was possible before that season started and before they were put on a team. The power of sports in that movie kind of sits with me.”
“Footloose”
“Forrest Gump”
“Silence of the Lambs”
“Rocky”
Army Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston Jr.
S.C. Adjutant General
“We Were Soldiers”: “‘We Were Soldiers’ has the theme of strength through conviction and illustrates personal sacrifice for the greater good. I enjoy films that show individuals who stand up to do the right things, despite the odds. The battle scenes in this film are incredible. The portrayal of the personal convictions of LTC Hal Moore and the sacrifices of his men and their families, who overcome tremendous odds, makes this film among my favorites.”
“To Sir with Love”
“The Lost Battalion”
“The Patriot”
“The Sound of Music”
Leon Lott
Richland County sheriff
“Serpico”: His all-time favorite movie is “Serpico,” the 1973 account of New York City police officer Frank Serpico’s whistleblowing of corruption in the police department. “That’s what influenced me to get into law enforcement and undercover police work,” said Lott, adding he’s watched the movie about 100 times.
The “Dirty Harry” series:
“Dirty Harry”
“Magnum Force”
“The Enforcer”
“Sudden Impact”
“The Dead Pool”
John Crangle
Government relations director, S.C. Progressive Network
“Z”: “It’s a parody of the Greek dictatorship at the time. It’s about how a political system can become a tyrannical system, when the institutions of society are totally corrupted by politics – the courts, the press, the legislative bodies, the police. And how a corrupt regime victimizes the population. I only saw it once, but it’s one reason I’ve fought government corruption as much as I have.”
“On the Waterfront”
“The Victors”
“The Molly Maguires”
“All Quiet on the Western Front”
Josh Streetman
Bartender, Motor Supply Co. Bistro
“Heat”: “I’ll have to be in a thinking sort of mood to watch something like ‘Heat.’ ... It’s a classic hard-hitting, gritty cops and robbers movie, L.A. bank robbers with a surreal Michael Mann soundtrack. There’s plenty of action to keep you glued to your chair but the underlying theme deals with obsession and its consequences within relationships. In removing the criminal justice element I think the everyday guy can relate to the struggle of the two main characters, and the multidirectional pull of living two lives, the ‘work’ and ‘family’ elements that don’t always coincide. And that shootout scene is epic.”
“Point Break”
“Gangs of New York”
“Clueless”
“Spaceballs”
Steve Benjamin
Columbia mayor
“Saving Private Ryan”
“Glory”
“The Outsiders”
“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy
“Tombstone”
“All of the movies are action-packed. Two are heart-wrenching and historic, one coming-of-age, one fantasy (we all need some), and the last is just a good, old-fashioned Western. I’ve seen each at least a half-dozen times. I watched ‘The Outsiders’ as a teenager no less than 30 times!”
Molly Spearman
S.C. Department of Education superintendent
“The Sound of Music”: “When I was in the 5th grade, my daddy pulled me out of school to go see it when it played at the theatre across from the State House. I was star-struck by Julie Andrews, and my love for the movie transcended into my teaching career as I showed the film in all of my music classes and taught students about the wonderful music.”
“Sleepless in Seattle”
“La La Land”
“Mamma Mia”
“Sully”
Dick Harpootlian
Columbia attorney
“The Graduate”: “I was a chemical engineering major at Clemson when I first saw ‘The Graduate.’ As the anti-war anti-establishment tempest of the late 1960s swirled even around the Clemson campus, I was focused on formulas and test tubes in chem lab. It was that one word from the film – ‘Plastics’ – that helped me out of Chem E and into the storm. And the rest is history.”
“The Big Lebowski”
“The Wild Bunch”
“Judgment at Nuremberg”
“Miller’s Crossing”
Skip Holbrook
Columbia police chief
“We Are Marshall”: “Terrific, powerful and some would say healing. Although it was fantastic, I only watched it in its entirety once and this is why. This movie tells the story of the Nov. 14, 1970, Marshall University chartered plane crash that killed all 75 people on board – an entire college football team, coaches, fans and supporters. The story chronicles the recovery of the school and community and also the resurrection of the football program.”
Marshall is in Huntington, W. Va., where Holbrook was born and raised, and later became police chief.
“I grew up and worked with many friends and acquaintances who lost parents, grandparents and friends. It was a tragedy that affected everyone in some way and brought a school and community to it’s knees.” In 1972 a memorial fountain was unveiled on the Marshall campus. Every Nov. 14, the fountain is silenced during a wreath-laying ceremony and service honoring those lost. The “Memorial Fountain” remains silent until the water resumes flowing each spring.
“I have attended many of the Nov. 14 services ... as a student, a citizen and a police chief. It is more powerful and moving each time I attend and it is a symbol of the resiliency of the university and the Huntington community.”
“In Harm’s Way”
“A Few Good Men”
“And Justice for All”
“To Kill a Mockingbird”
Bubba Cromer
Reading clerk, S.C. House
“Female Trouble”: “It lacks some of the way-too-over-the-top-to-even-think about-showing-your-friends elements” that other films by writer/director John Waters have, Cromer said. “It has the same shock value without all of the filth.” Cromer himself has directed two movies, “The Long Way Home: A Bigfoot Story” and “The Hills Have Thighs: An Appalachian Comedy” in the spirit of Waters’ shock-and-vile cult film movement.
“The Color Purple”
“Blue Velvet”
“The Shining”
“Waiting for Guffman”
Bryan Stirling
S.C. Department of Corrections director
“The Quiet Man”: Stirling’s love of “The Quiet Man” led to him naming his first dog, an English Labrador retriever, as an adult “Trooper Thorn,” after the lead character of the movie played by John Wayne. Watching the movie yearly has become a tradition. “It comes on every St. Patrick’s Day, so I watch it every time. I just think it’s a very good, classic movie.”
“Braveheart”
“Good Will Hunting”
“Godfather II”
“The Untouchables”
Liz McCary
Marketing director, Colliers International
“Elf”: “If you ask my friends and family what my favorite movie is, they would unanimously and without hesitation say ‘Elf.’ My favorite line of the movie is ‘I just like to SMILE! Smiling’s my favorite,’ because it captures my light-hearted, optimistic, fun-loving self. No matter where my friends or family are when they watch this movie, they always text or call me. That’s really, to me, what ‘Elf’ is about – connection with others. ... And besides, who else would name their chocolate lab Buddy the Elf?”
“Top Gun”
“Dirty Dancing”
“Remember the Titans”
“E.T.”
Justin King
USC’s associate athletics director for new and creative media
“Lord of the Rings: Return of the King”: “My favorite film of all time. Bringing together the entire trilogy perfectly, ‘ROTK’ has a great mix of action and emotion, an incredible soundtrack (Howard Shore’s best work ever), and was clearly made with a lot of love for the material. When it first came out, I would watch the film nearly on repeat and use it like something of a study guide.”
“Saving Private Ryan”
“Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring”
“Jurassic Park”
“Road to Perdition”
Sgt. Bob Beres
S.C. Highway Patrol spokesman
“Life is Beautiful”: “My favorite movie. It portrayed life in Italy around the 1930s. This hardworking and loving family ended up in a concentration camp. The father, Roberto Benigni, tried throughout the movie to humorously convince his son that they were there to earn points to win a real military tank. He loved his son so much that he tried to shield him from the heartache, starvation and death of the concentration camp. The movie teaches us to take care of our families, before ourselves, and that love for one another is just as important as life itself. I’ve seen the movie about 15 times and continue to watch it about twice a year.”
“Ray”
“The Sound of Music”
“The Old Man and the Sea”
“The Blind Side”
Tim Gardner
Owner, Mad Monkey Productions and Lula Drake Wine Parlour
“Lawrence of Arabia”: “I first saw this amazing film when I was a kid. Then, fresh out of grad school at UCLA, I somehow managed to get an invite to the newly restored 70mm premiere. I was stunned by (director David) Lean’s mastery. Every frame is beautiful, and Peter O’Toole’s performance is untouchable. As the credits rolled, the entire audience jumped out of their seat in applause. I’ve never experienced anything like that…ever.”
“The Godfather”
“Raging Bull”
“My Favorite Year”
“Gandhi”
Tyler Cupp
Sports director, WPUB; play-by-play announcer, Lugoff-Elgin football
“It’s A Wonderful Life”: “One of the most re-watchable movies of all time. All generations can enjoy it. More than just a Christmas movie to me. Shows how precious our life is and the people we impact on a daily basis. This movie stands out the most because everyone can watch it and take something away from it, that no matter who we are or what we do, we all matter to someone or something in life and shows how important our friends and family are.”
“25th Hour”
“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
“Up in the Air”
“The Royal Tenenbaums”
Oscar nominees
The 89th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
Best Picture
“Arrival”
”Fences”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“Hell or High Water”
“Hidden Figures”
“La La Land”
“Lion”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight”
Best Director
Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”
Mel Gibson, “Hacksaw Ridge”
Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Best Actress
Emma Stone, “La La Land”
Natalie Portman, “Jackie”
Ruth Negga, “Loving”
Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins”
Isabelle Huppert, “Elle”
Best Actor
Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge”
Ryan Gosling, “La La Land”
Viggo Mortensen, “Captain Fantastic”
Denzel Washington, “Fences”
Best Supporting Actress
Viola Davis, “Fences”
Naomie Harris, “Moonlight”
Nicole Kidman, “Lion”
Octavia Spencer, “Hidden Figures”
Michelle Williams, “Manchester by the Sea”
Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”
Jeff Bridges, “Hell or High Water”
Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea”
Dev Patel, “Lion”
Michael Shannon, “Nocturnal Animals”
Best Adapted Screenplay
“Arrival”
“Fences”
“Hidden Figures”
“Lion”
“Moonlight”
Best Original Screenplay
“Hell or High Water”
“La La Land”
“The Lobster”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“20th Century Women”
Best Foreign Language Film
“Land of Mine,” Martin Zandvliet, Denmark
“A Man Called Ove,” Hannes Holm, Sweden
“The Salesman,” Asghar Farhadi, Iran
“Tanna,” Bentley Dean, Martin Butler, Australia
“Toni Erdmann,” Maren Ade, Germany
Best Documentary Feature
“Fire at Sea”
“I Am Not Your Negro”
“Life, Animated”
“13th”
“O.J.: Made in America”
Best Animated Feature
“Kubo and the Two Strings”
“Moana”
“My Life as a Zucchini”
“The Red Turtle”
“Zootopia”
Best Film Editing
“Arrival”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“Hell or High Water”
“La La Land”
“Moonlight”
Best Original Song
“Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” from “La La Land”
“Can’t Stop the Feeling,” from “Trolls”
“City of Stars,” from “La La Land”
“The Empty Chair” from “Jim: The James Foley Story”
“How Far I’ll Go,” from “Moana”
Best Original Score
“Jackie”
“La La Land”
“Lion”
“Moonlight”
“Passengers”
Best Cinematography
“Arrival,” Bradford Young
“La La Land,” Linus Sandgren
“Silence,” Rodrigo Prieto
“Lion,” Grieg Fraser
“Moonlight,” James Laxton
Best Costume Design
“Allied”
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
“Florence Foster Jenkins”
“Jackie”
“La La Land”
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“A Man Called Ove”
“Star Trek Beyond”
“Suicide Squad”
Best Production Design
“Arrival”
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
“Hail, Caesar!”
“La La Land”
“Passengers”
Best Sound Editing
“Arrival”
“Deepwater Horizon”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“La La Land”
“Sully”
Best Sound Mixing
“Arrival”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“La La Land”
“Rogue One”
“13 Hours”
Best Visual Effects
“Rogue One”
“The Jungle Book”
“Doctor Strange”
“Deepwater Horizon”
“Kubo and the Two Strings”
Best Short Film, Live Action
“Ennemis Intérieurs”
“La Femme et le TGV”
“Silent Nights”
“Sing”
“Timecode”
Best Short Film, Animated
“Blind Vaysha”
“Borrowed Time”
“Pear Cider and Cigarettes”
“Pearl”
“Piper”
Best Documentary, Short Subject
“Extremis”
“4.1 Miles”
“Joe’s Violin”
“Watani: My Homeland”
“The White Helmets”
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Oscars Sunday: Who’s who of the Midlands share favorite movies."