Favorite Movies Countdown — No. 10

10. Jaws (1975)

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, and Robert Shaw

About: "I think we're gonna need a bigger boat," Chief Martin Brody, "Jaws;" "I'm not going to stand here debating with someone who's lining up to be a hot lunch," Matt Hooper, "Jaws."

I first started watching "Jaws" films when I was in elementary school, and it's led to to things. First, I have a deep passion for shark tales, and second, I'm terrified of what might be lurking under the surface of the water in the ocean. Oh well, that's the breaks.

"Jaws," the second entry from director Steven Spielberg on this list, is a wondrous study in happy accidents. Many of the most iconic scenes and lines — including the quote from Chief Brody at the start of this post and Quint's incredible speech about the U.S.S. Indianapolis — were ad libbed. Many of the iconic scenes and cinematic decisions — such as not revealing the shark until the third act of the film — were accidents. In short, everything about "Jaws" was a disaster during production and made it an iconic and enduring classic.

Spielberg is a master at rolling with the punches. The fascinating documentary on the anniversary edition of "Jaws" (there is a similar one on the anniversary box set of "Indiana Jones") shows what happens when a true artist is at work. "Jaws" was Spielberg's first big film, and it wasn't ideal conditions. He was facing a labor strike, a short time period, and a littany of technical and script problems. In fact, they didn't even have a complete script. The screenwriter, Carl Gottlieb, was hired as a supporting actor so he could be on set writing new pages every day.

Yet, somehow, what we get as a finished product is an iconic masterpiece that continues to evoke an emotional response in viewers today. I think, in many ways, this is a metaphor for our lives and, I dare say, ministry.

What is also fascinating is how Spielberg altered the story. Peter Benchley's novel is dark, and that's putting it kindly. Spielberg, as he has been apt to do in his career, lightened it in a way that made if feel more earnest, drew the audience in, and made it more fan-friendly. Having read the novel and seen the film, I can appreciate the artistry in both but tend to gravitate more toward the way the film was put together.

I watch this movie every year on July 4, and every year I see something new. That's the mark of a truly great film. It was unique in it's day, created a whole new genre, and was one of the first summer blockbusters. Not bad for a movie that was nothing but disasters during production.