A baker's dozen of great movies you've never heard of

*Latter Days (2003) -- wonderful heart-breaking and heart-warming story of a closeted Mormon from Idaho sent on a church mission to Los Angeles where he meets an out gay man; they shatter each other's carefully constructed lives
*The Believer (2001) -- Ryan Gosling is brilliant as a Jewish skinhead, based on a real person (though the story has been substantially fictionalized); with Summer Phoenix as his erstwhile girlfriend
*The Broken Hearts Club (2001) -- probably my favorite romantic comedy ever, with Dean Cain, Zack Graff and Timothy Olyphant, among many others, as gay friends in Los Angeles
*The Third Miracle (1999) -- wonderful performance (as always) by Ed Harris as a priest who investigates saints for the Catholic Church and who is suffering through his own spiritual crisis; Anne Heche as the angry daughter of a potential saint who both provokes him and sets him back on the path to clarity
*The Siege (1998) -- the title is completely unconnected with the movie's content, which may be one reason this terrific political thriller has been overlooked; excellent performances by Denzel Washington, Annette Benning, and Tony Shalhoub, among others; it's scary how prescient this movie was, about efforts by the American government to manipulate the situation in the Middle East in order to declare martial law in the U.S.; "You're standing on my infrastructure." is one of many great lines.
*Priest (1994) -- totally absorbing tale of a gay priest (played by the always riveting Linus Roache) who faces a dual spiritual crisis ministering in a small blue collar town in England
*Call Me (1988) -- a weird romantic thriller with great performances by Patricia Charbonne (yum), Steve Buscemi and David Strathairn (who I'll watch in anything)
*Matewan (1987) -- hard to pick a favorite Sayles flick (Lone Star is a very close second), but this one really shines; about a coal miners strike in West Virginia; amazing cast (David Strathairn is superb, James Earl Jones is riveting), amazing writing, amazing film; I recommend this all the time and everyone who watches it becomes a fan
*Apology (1986) -- actually made for TV, though I saw it (unbeknownst) on video; basically a B movie, but a cut above most; Lesley Anne Warren is a performance artist whose exhibit provokes a serial killer; Peter Weller is the cop assigned to the case; the two have terrific chemistry and there's some great dialogue
*Choose Me (1984) -- my favorite of Alan Rudolf's films (though The Moderns is a very close second); twisty tale of romances gone right and wrong (mostly the latter); with fabulous performances by Keith Carradine, Lesley Anne Warren and Genevieve Bujold, among others
*The Adventures of Buckeroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) -- classic sci-fi satire with (among others) Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, and the incomparable John Lithgow (who all became favs of mine after this)
*The Man From Snowy River (1982) -- only the most romantic story ever, based on a poem no less; with Australian unknowns Tom Burlinson (sigh) and Sigrid Thornton (in a wonderful, strong, intelligent performance -- "If I'd wanted your help, mate, I would have asked for it.") Kirk Douglas appears in two parts, the overprotective father of Sigrid and crotchety friend of Tom. So fun.
*Who Am I This Time? (1982) -- Another made-for-TV movie (just 60 minutes long) that I saw on video; the cutest movie ever; based on a Kurt Vonnegut short story (though you'd never guess) with Christopher Walken (in a rare sweet performance) and Susan Sarandon; they fall in love during a community theater performance of A Streetcar Named Desire; trust me, this description doesn't do it justice -- just see it.