Best Buddy Movies- Part 5
Posted on 1 Oct 00:00
There are multitudes of movies in the film industry, and sometimes, the number and variety make it hard to find the best. It depends on a person and what he or she wants at the end of the day. Buddy films are among the most popular genres of movies. This article shared seven movies in part five of the best buddy films.
1. Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
Howard Hawks wrote and directed 'Only Angels Have Wings', he used many of his real-life experiences. The movie could have the same plot as other films that Hawks worked on.
Plot: This film's plot depicts a team of flyers who put their lives at risk to go to a mountainous South American country on a mission to deliver mail.
Director: Howard Hawks.
Main Cast: Cary Grant (as Geoff Carter), Jean Arthur (as Bonnie Lee), Richard Barthelmess (as Bat MacPherson), and Rita Hayworth (as Judy MacPherson).
Critical Reception: This movie generally received positive reviews from critics. Abel Green of Variety comparing it favorably to 'Flight from Glory' and praised Barthelmess's performance. The New York Times’ Frank S. Nugent praised the films aerial scenes and also recognized the talents of the star-studded cast by making the following remarks, ‘Mr. Hawks has staged his flying sequences brilliantly ... He has made proper use of the amiable performing talents of Mr. Grant, Miss Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, Mr. Barthelmess, Sig Rumann, and the rest.’
Radio Adaptations: On May 12, 1939, 'Only Angels Have Wings' was adapted as a one-hour radio play. In the radio adaption, the lead actors, Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Richard Barthlemess, and Thomas Mitchell, all reprised their roles.
Awards and Nominations: In 2017, 'Only Angels Have Wings' was selected by the American Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being aesthetically, culturally, or historically fit. At the Cannes Festival, the film was selected as one of the movies representing the USA. However, due to the events leading up to World War II, Only Angels Have Wings was canceled. The Academy Awards nominated Joseph Walker for Best Cinematography, Black-and-white, while Roy Davidson and Edwin C. Hahn were nominated for the first-time Best Effects, Special Effects.
James Dickey wrote the film’s screenplay from his 1970 'Deliverance' novel.
Plot: 'Deliverance' portrays four guys who, head out to the wilderness, and go down a river in the Georgia backcountry on a weekend canoeing trip. During their trip, they face huddles and their worst nightmares.
Director: John Boorman.
Main Cast: Jon Voight (as Ed Gentry), Burt Reynolds (as Lewis Medlock), Ned Beatty (as Bobby Trippe), and Ronny Cox (as Drew Ballinger).
Critical Reception: This movie had tremendous critical success and was a major box office hit. Rotten Tomatoes gives 'Deliverance' an 89% approval rating based on 62 reviews, with the site’s consensus reading, ‘Given primal verve by John Boorman's unflinching direction and Burt Reynolds' star-making performance, 'Deliverance' is a terrifying adventure.’ Chicago Tribune’s Gene Siskel awarded the film four out of the possible five stars and made the following remarks, ‘tis a gripping horror story that at times may force you to look away from the screen, but it is so beautifully filmed that your eyes will eagerly return.’ Not all reviews were positive. Vincent Canby of The New York Times was also generally negative, calling the film ‘a disappointment’ because ‘so many of Dickey’s lumpy narrative ideas remain in his screenplay that John Boorman’s screen version becomes a lot less interesting than it has any right to be.
Awards and Nominations: 'Deliverance' has received picture landmark acclaim, and is recognized for a soundtrack scene near the beginning, with one of the city men playing ‘Dueling Banjos’ on guitar with a banjo-picking country boy. This piece won the 1974 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Additionally, it is acclaimed for its notorious rape scene. The New York Times selected Deliverance as one of The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made. At the same time, the viewers of Channel 4 in the United Kingdom voted it #45 on a list of The 100 Greatest Films. In 2008, Deliverance was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.’ The movie received three Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (John Boorman), and Best Film Editing (Tom Priestley). The Golden Globe nominated the film for five award, including Best Motion Picture- Drama, Best Director (John Boorman), Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Jon Voight), and Best Screenplay (James Dickey).
Plot: Top notch, but reckless pilot, Maverick, loses his best friend in a flying accident. Following the loss, though racked with guilt, he is given a second chance to redeem himself. This turns out to be a struggle. He finds love and redemption along the way.
Director: Tony Scott.
Main Cast: Tom Cruise (as LT Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, a US Navy pilot), Kelly McGillis (as Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Blackwood, Top Gun's instructor, and Maverick's love interest), and Val Kilmer (as LT Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, one of Top Gun's students and Maveric’s rival turned wingman).
Critical Reception: When the film was released in 1986, it was a subject of mixed reviews, but many critics particularly praised the action sequences, the effects, the aerial stunts, and the acting performances, with Cruise and McGillis receiving the most praise. Despite the mixed reactions, 'Top Gun' grossed $356 million on a $15 million budget.
Sequels: Following the success of 'Top Gun', a sequel, 'Top Gun: Maverick' scheduled for release on June 26, 2020. However, the film was postponed to December 23, 2020, later to July 2, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Awards and Nominations: The United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’ in 2015. It received an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song – Motion Picture, among other awards.
4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
This movie is an adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s 1971 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' novel.
Plot: 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' is about a journalist and his lawyer's journey to Las Vegas to cover the mint 400 motorcycle race. In the course of journey, the two indulge in drugs which gets out of control leading to a series of problematic events.
Director: Terry Gilliam.
Main Cast: Johnny Depp (as Raoul Duke), Benicio del Toro (as Dr. Gonzo), and Tobey Maguire (as The Hitchhiker).
Critical Reception: Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 49% approval rating based on 69 reviews, with the site's critical consensus calls the film ‘visually creative, but also aimless, repetitive, and devoid of character development.’ Roger Ebert deemed the movie as disgraceful and awarded it one out of five stars and describing it as a horrible mess of a movie, without shape, trajectory or purpose–a one-joke movie, if it had one joke.’
Awards and Nominations: Despite the mixed praise and condemnation, the film still received recognition from both sides. Terry Gilliam was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, while Johnny Depp won the Best Foreign Actor award from the Russian Guild of Film Critics in 1998.
Neil Simon wrote the film’s screenplay based on his 1965 play, 'The Odd Couple'.
Plot: The plot depicts two men who, after divorce, decide to share a residence despite their completely opposite personalities which result in regular hilarious clashes.
Director: Gene Saks.
Main Cast: Jack Lemmon (as Felix Ungar), Walter Matthau (as Oscar Madison), and Herbert Edelman (as Murray).
Critical Reception: This movie was both a critical and commercial success, grossing over $44.5 million on a budget of $1.2 million. Consequently, it became the third highest-grossing film of 1968 in the United States. Rotten Tomatoes holds the film at a 97% approval rating based on 35 reviews. Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and praised it for its universally good performance.
Awards and Nominations: Frank Bracht was nominated for the Academy Award for Film Editing and for the American Cinema Editors ‘Eddie’ award for Best Edited Feature Film, while Neil Simon was nominated for the Academy Award for Writing-Adapted Screenplay. The American Film Institute recognized the movie in two lists; 2000: AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – #17 and 2005: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes.
Plot: This film’s setting is 1977. A teenage girl is in hiding but is assumed to have disappeared. Two individuals, a tough enforcer and a private eye work together to investigate the girl’s vanishing.
Director: Shane Black.
Main Cast: Russell Crowe (as Jackson Healy), Ryan Gosling (as Holland March), and Angourie Rice (as Holly March).
Critical Reception: This movie received positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 91% approval rating based on 315 reviews, with the site’s consensus reading, "The Nice Guys' hearkens back to the buddy comedies of a bygone era while adding something extra, courtesy of a knowing script and the irresistible chemistry of its leads".’ Metacritic holds ‘a generally favorable’ view of this film and rates it at 70%.
Awards and Nominations: In 2016, the movie won a San Diego Film Critics’ Society Best Comedic Performance Award (Ryan Gosling). The film received numerous nominations, including Saturn Award’s Best Film or Adventure award, Golden Tomatoes’ Best Comedy Movie 2016 Award, and Empire’s Best Female Newcomer Award nomination (Angourie Rice).
Leigh Brackett wrote the screenplay with a loose basis on Harry Brown’s novel 'The Stars in Their Courses'.
Plot: the film is about two friends who come to the aid of their friend, a rancher who is fighting another rancher who tries to steal the rancher's water. A drunken sheriff and a young gambler come to the rancher’s rescue.
Director: Howard Hawks.
Main Cast: John Wayne (as Cole Thornton), Robert Mitchum (as Sheriff J.P. Harrah), and James Caan (as Alan Bourdillion Traherne, otherwise called ‘Mississippi’).
Critical Reception: This film was a tremendous critical success. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 100% approval rating based on 21reviews. Roger Ebert awarded the film a near-perfect rating at 3 1/2 out of four stars, and said this, ‘El Dorado is a tightly directed, humorous, altogether successful Western, turned out almost effortlessly, it would seem, by three old pros: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and director Howard Hawks.’
Awards and Nominations: The Western Writers of America members chose the film’s theme as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. It also appeared in the List of American films of 1967 and the List of American films of 1966. At the 1967 San Sebastián International Film Festival, Howard Hawks was nominated for a Golden Seashell Award. The film emerged 8th among the Best Foreign Films during the 1970 Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD) Awards.
Conclusion
Watching family movies is a delightful and bonding experience for the all member, and choosing the proper movie is important for everyone's enjoyment. The buddy movies listed here are suitable for family viewing.
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