PATTON (1970)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner

"Patton" tells the tale of General George S. Patton (George C Scott), famous tank commander of World War II. The film begins with patton's career in North Africa and progresses through the invasion of Germany and the fall of the Third Reich. Side plots also speak of Patton's numerous faults such his temper and habit towards insubordination. Faults which would, eventually, lead to his being relieved as Occupation Commander of Germany

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and Best Art/Set Decoration

Won 7, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Art/ Set Decoration and Best Sound

George C. Scott refused to accept the nomination and subsequent award

DVD Special Features:

Audio Commentary on the historical Patton

Documentary - The Making of Patton

MARIA FULL OF GRACE (2004)

Joshua Marston

In a small village in Colombia, the pregnant seventeen years old Maria (Catalina Sandino Moreno) supports her family with her salary working in a floriculture. She is fired and with a total lack of perspective of finding a new job, she decides to accept the offer to work as a drug mule, flying to USA with sixty-two pellets of cocaine in her stomach. Once in New York, things do not happen as planned.

Nominated for 1 Academy Award, Best Actress

DVD Special Features:

Feature Length Audio Commentary by Director, Joshua Marston

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Society scion Newland Archer (Daniel Day Lewis) is engaged to May Welland (Winona Ryder), but his well-ordered life is upset when he meets May's unconventional cousin, the Countess Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer). At first, Newland becomes a defender of the Countess, whose separation from her abusive husband makes her a social outcast in the restrictive high society of late-19th Century New York, but he finds in her a companion spirit and they fall in love.

Nominated for 5 Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Art/Set Decoration and Best Music (Original Score)

Won 1, Best Costume Design

DVD Special Features:

None

THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)

Directed John Ford

Based on the John Steinbeck novel published in 1939. Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) returns to his home after a jail sentence to find his family kicked out of their farm due to forecloseure.
They migrate westward to California, suffering severe misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression and end up little more than slave labor.

This film launched the career of Henry Fonda

Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing(Screenplay), Best Film Editing and Best Sound

Won 2, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress

DVD Special Features:

Biography: Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th Century Fox Founder

Feature length audio commentary by Scholars, Joseph Mcbride and Susan Shillinglaw.

Factual error by Joseph Mcbride - that Henry Fonda lost out the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1940 to Clark Gable (Gone With The Wind)
Correction - Henry Fonda was not up for the Academy Award in the same year as Clark Gable (Gone With The Wind).
His fellow nominees that year were:
Philadelphia Story, The (1940) - James Stewart (I) - The winner
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) - Raymond Massey (I)
Great Dictator, The (1940) - Charles Chaplin
Rebecca (1940) - Laurence Olivier

Clark Gable had won his only Academy Award for Best Actor in 1934's sweep, It Happened One Night

REBECCA (1940)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Based on the Daphne Du Maurier novel published in 1938

A naive young woman (Joan Fontaine) marries a rich widower (Laurence Olivier), they settle in his gigantic mansion, where she finds the memory of the first wife maintaining a grip on her husband and the servants.

A film encompassing methodical direction, startling plot twists, subtle chilling scenes and superb performances

Nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Other were Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction (Black and White), Best Cinematography (Black and White), Best Special Effects, Best Film Editing and Best Original Score

Won 2, Best Picture and Best Cinematography (Black and White)

Special features:

Audio commentary by film scholar Leonard J. Leff, author of "Hitchcock and Selznick"

Mr Leff's 1986 phone interviews with Judith Anderson and Joan Fontaine

CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)

WINNER OF THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE

Hugh Hudson

The story, told in flashback, of two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics. Eric (Ian Charleson), a devout Scottish missionary runs because he knows it must please God. Harold (Ben Cross), the son of a newly rich Jew runs to prove his place in Cambridge society. In a warmup 100 meter race, Eric defeats Harold, who hires a pro trainer to prepare him. Eric, whose qualifying heat is scheduled for a Sunday, refuses to run despite pressure from the Olympic committee. A compromise is reached when a nobleman allows Eric to compete in his 400 meter slot. Eric and Harold win their respective races and go on to achieve fame as missionary and businessman/athletic advocate, respectively.

Nominated for 7 Academy Awards, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design and Best Film Editing

Won 4, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score

DVD Special Feature:

None

BAREFOORT IN THE PARK (1967)

Directed by Gene Saks

Adapted from the hilarious play by Neil Simon, this movie combines love laughs. Robert Redford portrays Paul Bratter, a newly married lawyer. Jane Fonda portrays Corrie Bratter, a newly married woman who's main goal in life is to have fun and to have it with Paul. Together they learn how to live and love in an apartment that's laughably small in New York and located on the fifth floor of a building with no elevator. This film is full of great lines. Mildred Natwick, who portrays Corrie's mother, has some of the funniest lines.

Nominated for 1 Academy Award, Best Supporting Actress

DVD Special Features:

None