- Barnyard directed by Steve Oedekerk (2006)
[3/10]
"Imagine that Gary Larson had made a feature length version of his sentient cows from the 'Far Side' comics, then you might have an idea of what director Steve Oedekerk attempted with Barnyard."
- Cider House Rules, The directed by Lasse Hallström (1999)
[6/10]
"Movies often use an innocent outsider like Homer to bring the viewer a new perspective of contemporary issues. The Cider House Rules effectively uses this cliched character to present its pro-abortion agenda. As Homer falls in love (and has sex), he must adjust his views on abortion, especially when faced with the implications of the unwanted pregnancies of Rose, a fellow apple picker. "
- Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, The directed by Peter Care (2002)
[7/10]
"The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys tells a touching story that really captures the essence of growing up as a teenage boy in a staunch Catholic family, and in spite of all the anachronisms, I found the movie completely engaging."
- Ghost World directed by Terry Zwigoff (2001)
[7/10]
"Ghost World defies most of the conventions of both comedy and romance movies. The comedy comes in dark waves of irony and sarcasm. The romance doesn't follow a typical reunification and happily-ever-after ending."
- Hearts in Atlantis directed by Scott Hicks (2001)
[6/10]
"Without Hopkins, Hearts would join the long list of ho-hum we-preferred-life-in-the-1950s movies."
- L.I.E. directed by Michael Cuesta (2001)
[8/10]
"Through the excellent performances of Dano and Cox, L.I.E. embues each character with both positive and negative qualities. These people don't live in a black and white world, but in a grey world where we have to accept the good we can find."
- Quatre Cents Coups, Les [The 400 Blows] directed by François Truffaut (1959)
[10/10]
"Every time I watch François Truffaut's Les Quatre Cents Coups (The 400 Blows), I have scenes of the main character Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud) running through my head for days."
- Road to Perdition directed by Sam Mendes (2002)
[6/10]
"Visually, Road to Perdition delivers almost a duotone effect with its high contrast and low color. In almost every scene, we feel the coldness of the gangster's soul -- often accompanied by rain. The visual appeal almost makes up for the cliched plot, but the heavy-handed salvation of the sweet angel child with a quickly attached anti-gun message takes away from the film's effectiveness."
- Smoke Signals directed by Chris Eyre (1998)
[8/10]
"Smoke Signals succeeds on many levels: as a coming-of-age movie where two young men learn that they have more in common than they thought; as a road-trip movie; as a light comedy; and as a portrait of Native American life. Alexie successfully weaves these aspects together into a story that you can watch again and again."
- Stand by Me directed by Rob Reiner (1986)
[8/10]
"Rarely does a collection of child actors have so much talent bundled together, and the list of talent doesn't stop with the main characters. Stand by Me also has excellent performances by young Kiefer Sutherland and John Cusack."
- Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse by John D. Fitzgerald (1961)
[6/10]
"You get a pretty clear picture of life in a frontier mining town, and you care about what happens to Will, even though the successes in his life come way too easily."
Average score: 6.82
