Top 25 Countdown — No. 15


Today I continue my countdown of my top 25 films of all time. Again, to make the list a film has to have been released at least five years ago. Starting this week, I'll have the list of previous selections at the bottom.

No. 15 — The Paper (1994)
Starring: Michael Keaton, Marissa Tomei, Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, and Randy Quaid
Director: Ron Howard
Quote: "We run stupid headlines because we think they're funny. We run maimings on the front page because we got good art. And I spend three weeks bitching about my car because it sells papers. But at least it's the truth. As far as I can remeber we never ever, ever knowingly got a story wrong, until tonight." — Michael McDougal
About: When I was younger, all I wanted to do was work for a newspaper. That was, in fact, what I studied in college and what I did for the first seven years of my post-college work life. One of the big inspirations for that was "The Paper." Many people of a certain age would point to "All The President's Men" as the movie that inspired them toward telling the truth and getting the story, but being a child of the 1980s and 1990s, it's "The Paper" for me. I saw this film when I was in middle school, and it struck a chord. As you'll see, there are plenty of 1990s films on the upper end of this list because I saw them at formative times and they stuck with me. I have seen "The Paper" a number of times since, and I still love it. Keaton gives a great performance and there are plenty of iconic moments in the film. The fight between Keaton and Close in the press room is among my favorite moments in the film, and something that needs to be seen. I like the pacing here and the story. This is my favorite Ron Howard film, and probably one that doesn't often get mentioned.
Rating: R for strong language. Enter with caution.

Top 25 Countdown:
16. Watchmen (2009)
17. LA Confidential (1997)
18. Serenity (2005)
19. Children of Men (2006)
20. Miller's Crossing (1990)
21. About Schmidt (2002)
22. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
23. The Matrix (1999)
24. Independence Day (1996)
25. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

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