#341. Harrison Ford

If you don’t know who Harrison Ford is, then you’ve likely never seen any number of successful or timeless classics. While Ford has been in many thrillers and dramas, including Best Picture nominees American Graffiti (1973), The Conversation (1974), Apocalypse Now! (1979), Witness (1985) (wherein he obtained his one and only Best Actor Oscar nomination), and The Fugitive (1993), he is perhaps best known for his leading roles in such franchises as Star Wars and Indiana Jones (both of which also obtained Best Picture nominations over the years). He’s so recognizable that it’s sometimes shocking to find his appearance altered in movies like 42 (2013), only to eventually recognize that trademark smirk and gravelly voice and know it’s really Harrison Ford. This week’s two films highlight some of the best roles of Harrison Ford.

Blade Runner
Year: 1982
Rating: R
Length: 117 minutes / 1.95 hours

The sci-fi genre has been kind to Harrison Ford, offering him many memorable roles throughout the years. Not only has Han Solo from Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) been placed as #14 on the American Film Institute’s list of Top 50 heroes, but the role has been repeated by Ford in the sequels, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), and The Force Awakens (2015). While Han Solo is certainly iconic, Ford doesn’t bring him into his other roles, like Colonel Hyrum Graff in Ender’s Game (2013), thus showing he has a certain amount of range when it comes to his sci-fi characters. Of course, some of this is dictated by the movie itself. The cyberpunk-inspired Blade Runner (1982), and its sequel, Blade Runner 2049 (2017), have a darker tone than his other sci-fi roles, and he adapts the character of Rick Deckard to fit the theme.

Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is put on task as a Blade Runner to track down four androids who have recently arrived on Earth. Androids aren’t allowed on Earth, having been relegated to the outer worlds of the human empire, so their presence in Los Angeles is illegal. While most androids can be identified via an “emotion test” known as the “Voight-Kampff,” some of these newer models have figured out how to outsmart it. With this added challenge, Rick manages to find these androids as they search for their “maker,” Tyrell Corporation founder Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel). Along the way, Rick learns from the androids’ leader, Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), that they want to live longer than the four-year lifespan the androids have been given. As sentience and humanity become increasingly ambiguous, Rick continues to fulfill his duties as a Blade Runner and eliminate the android threats.

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Year: 1981
Rating: PG
Length: 115 minutes / 1.92 hours

George Lucas really liked working with Harrison Ford. Not only was he cast in Star Wars, but he was also included in Lucas’ breakout film, American Graffiti (1973). Obviously, Ford made an impression, because he was eventually given the titular role of Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). A role he went on to repeat in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008). It’s no wonder that Indiana Jones was placed at #2 on the American Film Institute’s list of Top 50 heroes, only bested by Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Time will tell if the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise will recreate the magic of the original Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it hopefully isn’t as bad as Crystal Skull, which almost feels serious next to the camp of Cowboys & Aliens (2011).

After a failed expedition in Peru, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) returns to his academic job at Marshall College where he teaches archaeology. Following one of his lectures, two men from Army Intelligence approach Dr. Jones and inform him of a plot by the Nazis to obtain the fabled Ark of the Covenant. They want him to go to Egypt to try and find this artifact before the enemy does. After a short stop in Nepal to recover a piece of the Staff of Ra, Jones makes his way to Egypt and uses his archeological knowledge to find the Ark amongst a Nazi excavation site. Unfortunately, the Nazis intercept Jones and take the Ark away, leaving him in a pit of snakes. Using some ingenuity, Jones escapes and intercepts the Nazis again, but fails to stop them from testing the artifact. Fortunately, the power of the Ark is too much for the Nazis to handle and Jones manages to safely return it to the United States.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 fantastic Harrison Ford roles

Bacon #: 2 (Apocalypse Now! / Robert Duvall -> Jayne Mansfield’s Car / Kevin Bacon)

#206. Robert Duvall

Certain actors just seem to be in absolutely everything. However, it can be challenging to take center stage for as often as these actors are on the screen. Many times, their roles are merely supporting, but they’re still there. It then stands to reason that people who have been in many films would eventually win awards for these performances, even if they are just supporting. On the flip side of this phenomenon, they are also bound to end up in some terrible films as well. Acting for over 50 years, Robert Duvall is just such an actor. His filmography is impressive, not only by its size but also for the timeless movies in which he has appeared, many of which are Best Pictures. This week’s two films will highlight the bookends of Robert Duvall’s lengthy and illustrious career.

To Kill a Mockingbird
Year: 1962
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 129 minutes / 2.15 hours

Actors always have to start out somewhere. While To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) is a great film on its own, it also holds the distinction of being Robert Duvall’s first role. In the subsequent years after this breakout performance, he went on to act in such films as Bullitt (1968), True Grit (1969), M*A*S*H (1970), and The Godfather (1972), the latter of which was his first nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Repeating this role in The Godfather: Part II (1974) did not earn him a nomination, but acting in Apocalypse Now! (1979) and The Great Santini (1979) did: each gaining him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor, respectively. Not until 1983, with his role in Tender Mercies, did he actually win his solitary Oscar for Best Actor. And to think this award came a mere 20 years after a bit part in an American classic.

Arthur “Boo” Radley (Robert Duvall) is a shut-in who has not been seen in many years, thereby causing rumors to grow and spread in the small Alabama town of Maycomb. Jean Louise “Scout” Finch (Mary Badham) and Jem Finch (Phillip Alford) are two local children who try to get a look at Boo Radley, as their curiosity drives them to figure out why he doesn’t come out of his house. Their father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), is a lawyer who is defending a black man accused of raping a white, teenage girl. As such, Scout and Jem soon become the targets of the town’s anger toward their father. After Atticus’ defendant is killed, his children are attacked by the drunken father of the wronged teenager. Their sole salvation comes when the attacker is killed by a mysterious stranger. This stranger is not so strange to Scout, who recognizes it to be Boo Radley.

Get Low
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13
Length: 103 minutes / 1.71 hours

After his Best Actor win in 1983, Duvall’s career went into a bit of a slump. Sure, he was still acting in movies, but now he was receiving Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Supporting Actor. Rambling Rose (1991) and The Scarlet Letter (1995) marked the low point in his acting, but a few years later, he would be back on top again with a Best Actor nod for The Apostle (1997) and Best Supporting Actor nomination for A Civil Action (1998). Soon, he was acting in top-notch movies again like Secondhand Lions (2003), Thank You for Smoking (2006), and Get Low (2010). His most-recent nomination for Best Supporting Actor in The Judge (2014) just shows that he still has what it takes to act and act well. Although he didn’t win any awards for Get Low, he certainly was nominated for a lot of them: seven in total.

How often do we wish to attend our own funeral? We all want to know what others think of us. Quite often, their true feelings only surface once we are gone. Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) has decided that he wants to pay for a “funeral party” where he will hear what the townspeople think and know of him. Through this process, everyone begins to remember how Felix supposedly killed Mary Lee Troup (Arin Logan) and her husband 40 years ago. Part of the reason Felix wanted to have this funeral was to let everyone know the truth of the matter. While Mattie Darrow (Sissy Spacek), the sister of the late Mary Lee, was Felix’s girlfriend at the time in question, he reveals how Mary Lee was his one and only true love. An attempt to run away together went horribly wrong, resulting in the two deaths, even if Felix tried to save his love.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 delightful Duvall roles

Bacon #: 1 (Jayne Mansfield’s Car / Kevin Bacon)

#020. Francis Ford Coppola

There are some directors who have a few great movies that define their career but don’t end up making enough films to carry that prestige any further. Francis Ford Coppola just happens to be one of those directors. The films he is most well known for were all created in the 1970s, and that’s more or less where his influence stayed. Now, what I have just said might seem like it’s a bad thing, but it’s not. I think it’s actually better for a director to make a few quality movies than a lot of mediocre ones. Most critics will agree that he has created some high-quality movies. Not only have three of his films made the American Film Institute’s list of Top 100 films (in both iterations of the list), but these movies were also nominated for Best Picture (two of which won). In fact, The Godfather: Part II (1974) is the only sequel to win an Oscar for Best Picture. This week’s two movies are timeless classics from Francis Ford Coppola.

Apocalypse Now!
Year: 1979
Rating: R
Length: 153 minutes / 2.55 hours

While Francis Ford Coppola has only won an Oscar for Best Director for The Godfather, Part II, he was nominated for the award three more times during his career. Two of those instances were for The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather, Part III (1990). If you haven’t guessed already, the third instance was for Apocalypse Now! (1979). Resting in the top third of AFI’s Top 100 lists, Apocalypse Now! is one of the few Francis Ford Coppola films that are well known outside of the Godfather trilogy. It’s no wonder that this film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, considering that the source material of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was not actually set during the Vietnam War.

Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) has become disillusioned by the war and has been given a mission that technically doesn’t exist. The reason for the intense secrecy is that the mission is to take out Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). The Army believes Kurtz has gone crazy and has been launching guerrilla attacks from Cambodia. Of course, to get to Colonel Kurtz, Captain Willard must head upstream on a river that will lead him to what could only be described as “the horror.” Along the way, Capt. Willard’s crew meets some interesting individuals, but also meet a lot of resistance; an inherent danger of the jungle. Will Captain Willard survive long enough to see his mission through, or will the mission consume him?

The Godfather
Year: 1972
Rating: R
Length: 175 minutes / 2.92 hours

With the exception of Citizen Kane (1941), many consider The Godfather to be the greatest movie ever made. In fact, when AFI re-made their Top 100 list for a 10-year anniversary, this film moved up from #3 to #2: right behind the aforementioned Orson Welles masterpiece. The Godfather also won Best Picture for 1972, as well as Best Adapted Screenplay, the latter of which Francis Ford Coppola shared with Mario Puzo, the author of the book the film was based upon. With an iconic score and multitudes of famous scenes and quotes, there’s a good chance that if you haven’t seen The Godfather, you’ve at least seen it referenced somewhere.

The Godfather is perhaps the most quintessential mobster movie ever made. Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando, who won the Best Actor Oscar for this film), is the head of a New York mafia family. His youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino) comes back from the war and does not want anything to do with the business his father runs. As the times change, Vito’s ideals end up motivating the rest of the mafia families to plan his demise. Once Vito has been compromised, Michael must step in to keep the family together. However, in order to control the family, Michael must eliminate some of his competitors and distance himself from the ones he loves.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 great Coppola gems

Bacon #: 2 (Apocalypse Now! / Lawrence Fishburne -> Mystic River / Kevin Bacon)

#019. Riverboat Sailing

Something you just don’t see much of anymore is the small river steamer. Most river travel today is done with large barges for business, or motorboats for pleasure. Even the human-powered whitewater rafting is done mainly as an outdoor adventure. And yet, there are still areas of the world that rely on these modes of transportation, even if the journey may be dangerous or the integrity of the boat itself is brought into question. Sometimes the situation dictates that river travel must be taken. Perhaps the terrain is impassable by vehicles or is so densely packed with trees that landing a plane would be impossible. What if you need to get away quickly? What if you need to get in stealthily? This week’s two movies examine the hazards and adventures of traveling on the river.

The African Queen
Year: 1951
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 105 minutes / 1.75  hours

It seems that sometimes taking a small river steamer is the last resort. Especially when the ride could be more dangerous than the alternatives. Of course, when the alternatives disappear, all that’s left is the junker tub that can barely stay afloat. Some might argue that traveling on a river is relaxing and low stress. Well, that entirely depends on the river. While you don’t need to exert much effort to move forward, you certainly don’t have any control over your course. The battle comes with the struggle against nature as it hurtles you wherever it sees fit. Just remember, not all boats are designed to go down rapids.

In German-infested Africa during World War I, Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) needs a way to get out. After her brother was killed by said Germans, the pious missionary only has one way to escape: a riverboat by the name of “African Queen.” However, this boat is owned and piloted by the local drunk, Charlie Allnut (Humphrey Bogart). Her decision now is merely to choose the lesser of two evils. As the two conflicting personalities board the boat and head downstream, they must overcome unexpected maintenance issues as well as the force of the river itself. And yet, how far do they need to travel to really escape the influence of the Germans? Is going out to sea going to allow them to really escape?

Apocalypse Now!
Year: 1979
Rating: R
Length: 153 minutes / 2.55 hours

While Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was not set during the Vietnam War, it still gives a disturbing look into the psyche of man through a trip upstream on a riverboat. The interesting difference between going upstream and downstream in a riverboat is that, when you’re going downstream, you have an understanding of what lies before you. Usually, civilization lives downstream, whereas chaos and the unknown lie at the origin of rivers. Where The African Queen ran from chaos, Apocalypse Now! (1979) runs full steam ahead toward it.

Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) has just been given a mission to take out rogue Green Beret, Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Of course, to get to Col. Kurtz, Capt. Willard needs to stealthily head upstream into Cambodia, instead of taking the “burn it all” stance of Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall). The trip to take down Col. Kurtz, who has set himself up as a tribal god over some of the locals, is fraught with the dangers of the untamed jungle, as well as the untamed human mind. Using the boat to penetrate the wilderness is both a trip upstream and a descent into madness. Can Capt. Willard complete his mission without also succumbing to the very forces that caused Col. Kurtz to go mad in the first place?

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 riverboat adventures