Film Prozac - 10 Films To Kill Any Bad Day

by Brian Zitzelman

I love getting captured by a movie time and time again, especially those special films that manage to erase the worst parts of a problematic day with a single scene. The following is a deeply personal list. No matter how horrid I might feel, any of these 10 pictures can bring a smile to my face, blowing apart any miseries that try and linger in my head. The best films by no means, just ones that click with me when I need them to.

Almost Famous – Cameron Crowe: The most memorable scene of Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous takes place about halfway though the picture. The band, on the verge of breaking up after a night of egos and a whole mess of drugs, is riding on a bus when Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” starts to seep from the speakers. Everyone slowly nods along with the song, building to a complete sing-along and grins all around. The scene is magical, and in my opinion, the entire picture has the same stuff pumping in its 1970s rock veins. The love the creative team has for the material glows and infects me when watching, relighting my ambition and an admiration for simple loves no matter what level they are entering Almost Famous.

Amelie – Jean-Pierre Jeunet: The colors of Amelie are questionably legal. The slightest bit more vibrant and the hues of the film would be obnoxious and insufferable, certainly not proper for consumption. Luckily, all is just right in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s enchanting movie which revels in whimsy, quirks and romance. Amelie has such an uplifting presence to me due to its unwavering hope in people, their abilities to overcome loss, find joy in the little things and humanity’s desire to find a great happiness in helping others, be those strangers or family. Audrey Tautou’s portrayal of the titular character only embellishes the tale, a girl overflowing with glee, accompanied by her wide smile, sharp dimples and momentous eyes.

The Big Lebowski – Coen Brothers: Undoubtedly the funniest movie in my world, The Big Lebowski does not even need to be watched to make me beam like an idiot. Any mention of bowling, rugs or Jeff Bridges assuredly is followed by rounds of giggle fits by yours truly. Having lived in a house where all four residents owned the movie, accompanied by a Richard Nixon showing off his mad presidential bowling skills, the Coen Brothers’ tale of The Dude is impossible not laugh with. Countless hours have been lost to repeating any of the script’s lines, and each one has been perfectly spent. For now though, “I’m just going to go find a cash machine.”

Life of Brian – Terry Jones: If a good, hearty laugh is the best medicine then thankfully the Python crew created a tasty remedy with Life of Brian. Many, including myself, would say Holy Grail is a funnier work. Life of Brian, however, features a more consistent string of comedy lunacy stemming from longer scenes, where Grail is freer to jump around. The debate about what good the Romans have done for Jerusalem, the miscommunication over a group’s rebellious name or the not so simple act of stoning a man to death all draw belly laughs, and tears, each subsequent screening. No bad day can continue as such after whistling along to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

Love Actually – Richard Curtis: Schmaltzy movies are a turn off. Bothersome themes creep into every vital situation, characters get unbelievably clingy and any ounce of realism leaps a very tall window, probably due to that damn dramatic theme being stuck on repeat. Somehow, when Richard Curtis’ Love Actually hit the cinemas, with all the downfalls of schmaltz in gear, my eyes lit up and my heart leapt with joy, an astonishing turn of events. The characters, even the prepackaged types, are truly alive, no doubt buoyed by a cast featuring, to name only a few, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Martin Freeman, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy and Colin Firth. Each romantic endeavor is given just enough screen time to not be cloying, Curtis jabbing with inspired comic touches and even quicker traces of legit emotional resonance. Whenever Hugh Grant starts shaking his Prime Minister tush or Thomas Sangster’s little Sam asks to, “get the shit kicked out of us by love” all worries head for that same window the realism went.

Before Sunrise – Richard Linklater:

Erik Syngle of Reverse Shot recently wrote, “We can choose the films we like, but the films we love tend to choose us.” Syngle was discussing Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise and the sentiment is dead on. A story of two people who meet on a train, wander around Vienna, falling in love with each word and gesture is easily my favorite film romance. I’ve always warmed to films that take place within a short time frame and the few hours Ethan Hawke’s Jesse and Julie Delpy’s Celine have are fresh and deep, striking with a validity that grounds the seemingly naïve notion of the movie. I doubt I will meet someone on a train and then spiral into a whirlwind of love, hell, I do not even talk to strangers on the metro or bookstores or anywhere else. Yet, when Before Sunrise plays on my television or in my mind, I let myself dream, even just at the basic level of having anticipation for just finding someone new.

12 Angry Men – Sidney Lumet: Sidney Lumet’s 1957 film 12 Angry Men has a universal appeal that may be my favorite part of this classic picture. I have sat in rooms with people with whom I was on dreadful terms with when a tale of 12 jurors’ debate into the night starts. By the time Peter Fonda leaves the courtroom steps, a bond seems to grow with all of the viewers, one, as cheesy and silly as it sounds, built out of truth and standing up for a person’s beliefs. Heated problems mold into disagreements that can be figured out with civility. Reginald Rose’s screenplay is a dynamite one, packed with twists and rich characters, even if they have names like Juror # 3. A desire for humanity is embedded in Rose’s writing and Lumet’s direction and more than any other film, if I catch a glimpse of 12 Angry Men during the day, I know any previously held plans are on hold until the credits.

Rocky Horror Picture Show – Jim Sharman: If film is a community experience, one to be taken in with others, than Rocky Horror Picture Show is a prime piece of cinema. Besides the beloved trips for reenactments in theatres, quiet nights in with friends watching Tim Curry strut around in leather, well, never remain quiet. Impromptu dancing and singing becomes unavoidable in a way no other musical does. Truly, do people watch West Side Story and then shake their hips and swivel their feet in tune with the tunes. I think not.

The Royal Tenenbaums – Wes Anderson: Perhaps films cheat when using great pop and rock songs but who cares with the choices Wes Anderson makes. The Royal Tenenbaums has a plethora of classic tunes sprinkled all over the place, each accenting scenes with the perfect touch. When Royal takes Uzi and Ari around town, riding go-karts, throwing water balloons at taxis or teaching them how to steal alongside Paul Simon’s “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard,” it is sincerely invigorating. A lot of directors try their hands at similar situations, too often ringing untrue and flat. Anderson’s song selections are inspired but cease being a measure to show off his cool, they lift the direction and screenplay to new heights instead of coming off as commercials for travel lodges.

Seven Samurai – Akira Kurosawa: Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai is an invigorating watch and has got to be the shortest 207 minutes in the world. The action pops with tension, helped by the lush visuals that feel as if Kurosawa and company found a time machine to discreetly record the actual happenings of the screenplay. Furthermore, Seven Samurai features two of my all time favorite performances, Takashi Shimura’s Kambei and Toshiro Mifune’s Kikuchiyo. The duo carry a towering presence, never overshadowing the other actor’s in an overtly showy manner. Arguably the film world’s greatest epic, Kurosawa’s picture plainly kicks ass, a blundered drink of meticulous pacing, detailed characters and grand action which has been imitated but rarely, if ever, matched.