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Smart Hollywood: My Top Ten Fave Films of the 00’s

the aughts

by Jonathan Fuhrman | 12:50 pm, December 4th, 2009

» 4 comments

10. Superbad (2007)

Let’s face it, Judd Apatow has dominated the 00’s comedy movie scene like no other writer/director/producer/mensch out there. I mean multi-hyphenate doesn’t even cover it when you consider everything he has brought to the table since his feature film directorial debut “The 40 Year Old Virgin” (a very very near miss to this list by the way). And yeah in case you were wondering, Judd also wrote and produced that one too. But anyway, thanks to Judd’s mentoring of a funny/furry young actor/screenwriter named Seth Rogen (another multi-hyphenate who in the next decade will add superhero to his name when he stars in “The Green Hornet”, which he also is writing/producing) and Judd’s newfound power in Hollywood, ‘Superbad’ was born. And in the process so was the defining high school comedy of the 00’s, a worthy successor to any of John Hughes 80’s classics – but without a doubt, raunchier and funnier than those films which seem almost chaste in comparison. A simple tale of some high school buds trying to buy liquor and lose their virginity, what the film lacks in originality (I think I pretty much just summarized the plot of every high school movie ever made including High School Musical – if High School Musical was made by any other studio besides Disney that is), ‘Superbad’ makes up for with its heart and its realistic depiction of two best friends’ bitter-sweet realization that things may never be the same when high school ends. And oh yeah, did I mention the blisteringly funny dialogue and spot on performances by a great cast on display? Well, for all of the above reasons, “Superbad” will live on and on. And if you want a fun double feature recommendation, watch “Superbad” back to back with “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (another all-time classic high school flick that has heart to go with its wit) and witness a high school world before cell phones and the internet, and where high school seniors looked like they were 30 (yes, Judge Reinhold, I’m talking about you).

>>>NEXT: “Into The Wild”

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kevinsemicolon

That’s a pretty interesting list. Of the movies I’ve seen, I would only disagree with a few of them (one in particular—I can guarantee I will not be rewatching any Russell Crowe movie in the next 20 years). Here’s my list, with the added restraint of only one movie per year:

Wonder Boys (2000)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
24 Hour Party People (2002)
The Saddest Music in the World (2003)
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Volver (2006)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Coraline (2009)

For Volver, you can substitute Pan’s Labyrinth if you prefer. 2006 was the year Madrid picked up the slack for Hollywood. That was a fun exercise. Thanks!
Rachel Sklar

What a great list. I admit that I can watch “Legally Blonde” anytime…or “Bring It On”…or “Mean Girls”…I think I just stumbled upon another idea for a list…

(I also like smart-people movies too, sheesh. Oh and I think I’d put Inglorious Basterds on any list. I still find myself thinking about it, and arrested by it.)
Jonathan Fuhrman

I agree re: “Basterds” but left it off the list for 2 reasons: 1) personal bias given I worked on it and trying to remain somewhat impartial; 2) and more importantly, it’s probably a case of timing hurting its chances to make the top 10 – its just too soon – need a little bit of time and distance to really determine its place on this list. That being said Quentin’s other masterpiece of the 00′s, “Kill Bill” (especially Volume 1) was definitely a near miss to this list. I can watch that scene where The Bride takes on the Crazy 88 over and over. What a movie.
lkruse

Excellent choices! I agree with all those films. I think if I had to try and do both: pick movies just from the 00′s that I’ll enjoy yrs from now (enjoy being the key word in this category as some of the best movies can be difficult to watch over and over again), as well as movies that stand up to critical acclaim I would have to add:

Both Joe Wright’ films “Atonement” and “Pride and Prejudice”
Steven Soderbergh’s “Erin Brokovich”
“Little Miss Sunshine”
“Tropic Thunder”

Smart Hollywood: My Top Ten Fave Films of the 00’s

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