My Top 10 movies of all time (well, O.K., 11)

Movies I've watched many times and will watch again. In chronological order, and with apologies to the many great films that didn't make the list.

*Ordinary People (1980) -- simply a perfect movie; the book by Judith Guest is even better; Timothy Hutton endeared himself to me forever (despite many questionable choices since)
*The Big Chill (1983) -- defined a generation; Kasdan at his very best, with a stellar cast of people who went on to appear in some of the finest films of the following decades
*The Cotton Club (1984) -- a fabulous movie, by Francis Ford Coppola, inexplicably dismissed by critics and ignored by audiences; I'm not a huge fan of Richard Gere and have no particular fascination with gangsters, but this movie has it all -- romance, shattered dreams, race relations, great music and performances by some of the finest actors in America, including Gregory Hines, Diane Lane and Nicolas Cage; a tour de force
*Tequila Sunrise (1988) -- with apologies to my sister (Mel's #1 fan), I've never really understood the appeal of Mr. Gibson, except in this moody crime thriller/romance with Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell and the inimitable Raul Julia; sexiest love scene ever ("Just looking at you hurts more." Sigh.)
*The English Patient (1996) -- not everyone was impressed by this subtle love story, but I was completely swept up in the tragedy and sheer beauty of this multi-layered story of loyalty, identity, and fate
*Gattaca (1997) -- best tag line ever "There is no gene for the human spirit"; though I'm not a fan of Ethan Hawk in general, I loved this atmospheric exploration of a future world where advances in genetics has led to discrimination against "naturals" -- people born without genetic engineering; bonuses: features a cameo by Gore Vidal and an early (and excellent) performance by the too-beautiful Jude Law
*Inventing the Abbotts (1997) -- as far as I can tell, no one saw this family melodrama with Joaquin Phoenix, Liv Tyler and Billy Crudup, as well as Will Patton and the incomparable Kathy Baker, but I've watched it over and over and adore it every time
*American Beauty (1999) -- deserved all the awards it got; amazing performances, gorgeous cinematography, incredible writing
*Traffic (2000) -- one of the few mainstream movies with explicit political themes; thought-provoking and full of excellent performances, especially Benicio Del Toro
*Gosford Park (2001) -- you can watch this gem over and over and catch something new each time; funnier and more touching than you're led to expect; Clive Owen is riviting (as always) and no one compares to Helen Mirren; I cry at the end every time I watch it ("He'll never know me now.")
*Igby Goes Down (2002) -- some of the best dialogue ever, Kieran Culkin will break your heart as a anchorless young man trying to find a place in the world; also featuring Jeff Goldblum, Susan Sarandon, Ryan Phillippe, Claire Danes and Amanda Peet