James Philbrick

A good movie not only entertains someone, but it makes them think about the film and how it relates to life. An amazing movie makes viewers think about the film long after watching it and has an impact on their life. Million Dollar Baby is a spectacular example of all these factors. Million Dollar Baby is a dramatic film directed by Clint Eastwood and it stars Hilary Swank as Maggie Fitzgerald, a poor boxer who is determined to become the very best she can be. Million Dollar Baby is a perfect example of a drama film because it has a complex and engaging conflict, the characters are believable and appealing, and the conflict is constantly switching gears, taking captive of the audience’s attention and grasping it until the very end of the film, resulting in an enthusiastic viewing.  Million Dollar Baby tells the inspirational story of Maggie Fitzgerald, a hard working, dedicated, and inspired rookie boxer who will do whatever it takes to be the best. The story opens in...

   In 1999, Sam Mendes released his comedic drama film that was nominated for 8 Oscars and won 5, including Best Picture. The movie, American Beauty , is about two families whose members are all trying to achieve happiness in different ways. To achieve happiness, the characters go either with or against society’s norms.  This takes place throughout the entire movie and explores the different ways people search for happiness, along with the positive and negative results of their actions. The theme of American Beauty is that the pursuit of happiness is the driving force in everyone’s life, but is overall an impossible task to complete unless it is through death. The film explores how each character is set on achieving happiness and how it is always the most important thing to them, no matter how it affects other people around them. American Beauty was made in the very late 1990’s and was also set in the same time period.  The film reflects the time it was m...