Movies of the Decade

'Trouble the Water'

Documentarians Carl Deal and Tia Lessin went to Louisiana for a project that did not work out. They were about to leave when Hurricane Katrina hit. But this Oscar-nominated film is not their story. They turned most of their movie over to Kimberly Rivers Roberts and Scott Roberts, local residents who bought a camera for $20 a week on the street just before the storm and walked around taking pictures of what was going on around them. These citizen journalists document the helplessness of the community and the failure of every possible resource or assistance. Roger Ebert, who included this film in his 2009 film festival, said, "the eyewitness footage has a desperate urgency that surpasses any other news and doc footage I have seen." The power of the human spirit to tell our stories will always triumph over failures of bureaucracy and even the ravages of storms.

Quote: "We lost our citizenship."

'Billy Elliot'

Jamie Bell is sensational as the 11-year-old boy who has to dance, even though everyone he knows is opposed to it. Ultimately his passion and his talent are so inspiring to those around him that they cannot help but give him their support. The play inspired a Tony-award-winning Broadway musical but the gritty authenticity of the original and its setting in a small mining town in Thatcher-era England makes the film version especially powerful.

Quote: "Sorta feels good. Sorta stiff and that, but once I get going... then I like, forget everything. And... sorta disappear. Sorta disappear. Like I feel a change in my whole body. And I've got this fire in my body. I'm just there. Flyin' like a bird. Like electricity. Yeah, like electricity."

'Spellbound'

Every family should see this m-a-r-v-e-l-o-u-s movie about the 1999 national spelling bee because it is about so much more. It is about the strength of American diversity and the commitment of this country to opportunity-- the eight featured competitors include three children of immigrants (one's father speaks no English) and a wide range of ethnic and economic backgrounds. It is about ambition, dedication, and courage. It is about finding a dream that speaks to each individual. It is about how even in the midst of one of life's biggest challenges--middle school--it is possible to find passion and confidence and to achieve excellence. Most of all, it is about family-- the opportunity to discuss the wide variation in styles of family communication and values is in itself a reason for every family with children to watch this movie together.

Quote: "My life is like a movie. I have trials and tribulations, and I overcome them."

'Finding Nemo'

This story of a father fish in search of his lost son is an epic journey filled with adventure and discovery, encompassing the grandest sweep of ocean vastness and the smallest longing of the heart. There are terrifying-looking creatures, but one of the movie's best jokes is that even the sharks are so friendly that they keep reminding each other that "we don't eat our friends." There really are no bad guys in this movie--the danger comes from a child's thoughtlessness and from natural perils. The movie has no angry, jealous, greedy, or murderous villains as in most traditional Disney animated films. And it has characters with disabilities that are handled frankly but matter-of-factly. Best of all is the way it addresses questions of protection and independence that are literally at the heart of the parent-child relationship.

Quote: "I have to get out of here! I have to find my son! I have to tell him how old sea turtles are!"

Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar

'Hotel Rwanda'

When the conflict in Rwanda exploded into violence in 1994, the Hutus began a full-scale slaughter of over 800,000 Tutsis and any Hutus who supported them. In the middle of the madness, Paul Rusesabagina hid more than 1000 Tutsis in his hotel. Using the same skills that made him successful as a hotel manager, he cajoles, barters, and bluffs his way into keeping them safe. Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo as Rusesabagina and his wife provide a center of decency in the midst of madness and cruelty. The sensitivity of their performances is matched by the script and direction, which make their points, both personal and political, with grace, not bitterness. Like "Schindler's List," this film takes us deeply into the horror of one of the 20th century's greatest tragedies by allowing us to focus on the illumination cast by one small story of grace, courage, and humanity.

Quote: "There's always room."