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Thursday, August 24, 2023

My Ten Favorite Dramas -- 2023 Update

It's been ten years since I shared my list of my ten favorite dramas, and it is high time for an update!  Things have shifted around a bit from that last list, with several movies dropping off and getting replaced.


1. Ben-Hur (1959) When Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) is unjustly imprisoned by his former best friend (Stephen Boyd), he vows revenge, but eventually learns revenge is less sweet than he'd expected. If you ever get the chance to see this in the theater, run, don't walk!  Spectacular stuff.

2. Jane Eyre (1983) A young governess (Zelah Clarke) teaches her employer (Timothy Dalton) about love, respect, and honor. My favorite adaptation of my favorite novel.

3. Chocolat (2000) A mysterious woman (Juliette Binoche) opens a chocolate shop in a sedate French village and teaches its inhabitants to reexamine their attitudes and customs, and even welcome strangers like Johnny Depp.  Sweet and a little tangy here and there.

4. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Three veterans (Dana Andrews, Frederic March, Harold Russell) find returning to civilian life much harder than they'd expected. Bonus: this movie contains THREE love stories! You get love between a husband and wife getting reacquainted, between childhood sweethearts, and between new acquaintances.

5. Apollo 13 (1995) The true story of three astronauts (Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon) who must survive a space ship malfunction on the way to the moon. Never fails to inspire and awe me.

6. Giant (1956) A spoiled East Coast beauty (Elizabeth Taylor) marries a stubborn Texas rancher (Rock Hudson), and they spend twenty-five years trying to figure each other out. One of the first movies I can remember watching!

7. Risen (2016) A Roman tribune (Joseph Fiennes) is tasked with unraveling the mystery about some Jewish guy named Jesus whose body had mysteriously disappeared from his tomb. It's the story of the Resurrection told like a detective story -- who un-killed Jesus?

8. North and South (2004) A woman (Daniela Denby-Ashe) from the pastoral north of England moves to the industrial south and spends months ignoring the fact that a wealthy manufacturer (Richard Armitage) is in love with her.

9. Witness (1985) Detective John Book (Harrison Ford) goes undercover to protect a little Amish boy who is the only witness to a murder. Taut and tender at the same time.

10. And Now Tomorrow (1944) A wealthy young woman (Loretta Young) loses her hearing due to an illness. Though her family and fiance (Barry Sullivan) try to convince her she needs to accept her condition, a young doctor (Alan Ladd) with an experimental treatment holds out hope that she could regain her hearing.

Any movies here you particularly love too?

14 comments:

  1. And I’ve only seen like three of these!

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  2. How lovely to see Mr Armitage's North and South make your list. It's a favourite of mine, along with Witness.
    I must watch Risen and Chocolat from your recommendations.

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    1. Anon, mmmmmm, I have been wanting to rewatch that version of North and South for weeks now, actually. Just need to find the time!

      I hope you enjoy Risen and Chocolat :-) Very different movies, but both so good!

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  3. I just LOVE the films "Chocolat" and "Witness." They would make my Top Ten list of favourite dramas as well. And I would give a special mention to the classic chariot race action scene in "Ben Hur" because it still holds up very well in today's world of CGI where special effects are much easier to accomplish.

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    1. Debra, yes! That chariot race is spectacular in ever sense of the word, even today. I suspect it is still so thrilling because it was real, not faked.

      Chocolat and Witness are both so very re-watch-able.

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  4. Great list! Ben-Hur is a perfect movie. I'm a huge fan of William Wyler, so I love Best Years of Our Lives as well. BTW, I haven't seen Risen, but it sounds a lot like The Inquiry (1987), about a Roman agent investigating the death of Jesus (the film was remade in 2006).

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    1. Thanks, Maniac! Ben-Hur really is one of those jewel-perfect movies that can't be improved on. Same for TBYOOL.

      I haven't seen The Inquiry, but that definitely sounds like a similar idea to Risen!

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  5. A great list! I've seen six and have NORTH AND SOUTH in my "watch soon" stack. Noting your other favorites for the future!

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    1. Thanks, Laura! Oh, I think you will really enjoy North and South. It's so well acted, written, filmed, scored -- wonderful stuff. I'm forever indebted to DKoren for introducing me to it a few years ago. Hope you can see it soon!

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  6. I haven't watched most of these, but Apollo 13 is one of my favorites, too! And "The Best Years of Our Lives" sounds like something I would enjoy, so I may need to add that to my TBW...

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    1. Samantha, well, I consider The Best Years of Our Lives to be one of the best movies of all time, so I definitely think you should give it a watch if it appeals to you!

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  7. Good stuff, good stuff. I love a solid drama.

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    1. Olivia, me too. A good, solid, meaty drama is a wonderful thing.

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