2003 FINISHED! Year #24: 1956

We got through 2003 nice and quick for y'all. We're starting to figure out how to be parents and do other things as well (like watch movies), so maybe this challenge will speed up a bit. But, hey, we can't make any promises. That being said, let's go!

2003 was the year of the Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as Best Picture. We've already stated our feelings about this film, so let's take a look at the movies we picked. First, Kim's pick was the Clint Eastwood thriller Mystic River, starring Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins (not to mention an excellent supporting cast). If you've never read the book, written by Dennis Lehane, go read it. If you don't read, and you have never seen this movie, go see it. It starts off with Bacon, Penn and Robbins as friends when they are children, and Robbins is abducted by men pretending to be cops. He is tortured and sexually abused for days before finally escaping. Flash forward 30 years or so, and Penn's 19 year old daughter is murdered. On the same night, Robbins comes home to his wife at 3 AM covered in someone else's blood. What really all went down that one fateful night, and how is it related to the terrible events of their past? Did I hook you yet? Go see it. Excellent film.

Then we watched my pick, a little known sleeper called Identity, which was also a psychological thriller, starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet. While this movie did not warrant Best Picture consideration, it was a fun and entertaining flick. It was essentially about 10 strangers, whose lives end up intertwined at a dinky motel and they all share a connection. One by one, they are murdered and the only way to stop the murders is to figure out that connection. Great twist in this movie and an ending you may not see coming. Rent it on a Friday night.

To put it simply, we both felt Mystic River should have won Best Picture this year. No disrespect to the LOTR trilogy, but their awards should have only come out of the more technical categories, like Art Direction and Special Effects.

Ok, next movie year comes from 1956. The Best Picture that year was Around the World in 80 Days. This was basically about a guy who went on an adventure to travel around the world in a hot air balloon. He made a bet with some guys he could do it in 80 days. He brought along this funny Spanish dude, who provided most of the entertainment of the film. Somewhere along the way he met and fell in love with Shirley McLaine, who played some kind of tribal queen. Strange, but for the most part fun, film. It was a bit long, and Kim felt many scenes could have been cut. I gave it a 4, while Kim gave it a generous 4.4, giving it a solid 8.4. Now let's see what we picked for 1956...

Kim: The King and I (vetoed! Adam has now used 2/5, Kim has also used 2/5)
Adam: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

So the veto comes into play this year, as I rejected Kim's attempt to watch yet another musical about a woman who comes to some guys house to take care of his kids. Surprisingly, Kim is allowing us to watch the classic horror flick Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which neither of us has ever seen. Should be fun!

Which movie from 1956 is your favorite? Around the World in 80 Days, The King and I, or Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Or is there another film you prefer? Let us know!!