The year 1983 was one of the best years for Hollywood, one that offered something for audiences of all ages. Productions released that year included Oscar-caliber dramas, crowd-pleasing adventure movies and popular comedies. My list of favorites (and honorable mentions) includes many of the year's biggest box office hits and ones that I think capture Hollywood's spirit in that long-gone time.
1.
Terms of Endearment - When Hollywood made movies for adult audiences it made some fantastic movies, and this is one of them. Debra Winger, Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson star in director James L. Brooks' Oscar-winning tale of a demanding mother and her relationship with her adult daughter and her family, and a former astronaut. The movie won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (MacLaine), and Best Supporting Actor (Nicholson). The movie is at times funny, and a true tear-jerker. The great supporting cast includes Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow, and Danny DeVito.
2.
The Big Chill - Director (and writer) Lawrence Kasdan's tale of seven former college friends reuniting for the funeral of another friend from their college days was a hit with fans and critics alike. The movie received three Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Glenn Close) and Best Writing). In addition to Close, the stellar cast includes William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Jeff Goldblum, JoBeth Williams and Meg Tilly. Oh, and it has a rockin' soundtrack.
3
The Right Stuff - Director Philip Kaufman's engaging and gripping telling (Kaufman shared script-writing credits with Tom Wolfe, the book's author) of the Mercury Project during the early days of America's effort to put a man into space. A talented ensemble cast delivers wonderful performances and includes Sam Shepard, Dennis Quaid, Veronica Cartwright, Levon Helm, Fred Ward, and Pamela Reed. The movie earned five Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and won for Best Sound. And it has a powerful soundtrack.
4.
Risky Business - Tom Cruise stars (in his breakthrough performance) as a high school student who gets involved with a high-end prostitute and her friends. Rebecca De Mornay and Richard Masur also star. And Joe Pantaliano is terrific as Guido, the killer pimp.
5.
Trading Places - The best comedy of 1983, in my opinion. Director John Landis hit gold with his tale of what happens when a snobby blue-blood (Dan Akyroyd) is manipulated into trading places with a slick con man from the streets (Eddie Murphy). Jamie Lee Curtis and Denholm Elliott also star.
6.
Silkwood - Director Mike Nichols' film received five Oscar nominations, including Best Actress (Meryl Streep), Best Supporting Actress (Cher), and Best Director. Kurt Russell delivers a solid dramatic performance, and the supporting cast includes a number of noteworthy actors. The movie is largely forgotten today, but is well worth watching, or watching a second time.
7.
A Christmas Story - It's now a holiday classic and needs no summation. You know it and love it.
8.
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi - The third installment of the original Star Wars trilogy earned four Oscar nominations (all in technical categories). The movie was a hit with critics and audiences alike, and the original trilogy remains the best of the Star Wars franchise, in my opinion.
9.
Scarface - Al Pacino stars as a Cuban migrant who makes it big in Miami's cocaine distribution market in the early '80s. The movie closely matched real life in 1983, struck a chord with audiences and remains popular with younger audiences today. The cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert Loggia, and the late Mark Margolis. Good stuff.
10.
Valley Girl - Director Martha Coolidge scored a commercial and critical hit with this work, one of the best of the teen romance movies, which were a Hollywood staple in the 1980s. A young Nicholas Cage and Deborah Foreman star as a dude from the wrong part of town in love with a girl from the Valley. The supporting cast includes Michael Bowen, Elizabeth Daily, and Frederic Forrest, who delivers a memorable performance as the girl's father. This one is reflective of the early '80s and includes an impressive soundtrack.
11.
Lone Wolf McQuade - Chuck Norris stars as J.J. McQuade, Texas Ranger. Norris was well-established as an action star with a loyal and growing fan base, and this one certainly added to his popularity. Norris stars opposite David Carradine ("Kung Fu"), who plays a gun-running drug king. As one might expect, there's a climatic fight featuring Norris and Carradine. The supporting cast includes L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong, and William Sanderson. It still packs a punch and captures the basic formula of the Norris films to follow.
12.
Under Fire - Gene Hackman, Nick Nolte, and Joanna Cassidy star as three journalists covering the final days of the Somoza regime in Nicaragua in 1979. Many things are not what they appear to be. While the politics of the late 1970s seem a bit naive today, the film remains engaging and entertaining. Hollywood lost its interest in political thrillers some time ago, and that's unfortunate for audiences. The supporting cast includes Richard Masur, Ed Harris, Hamilton Camp, and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
Honorable Mentions - (Ten entertaining productions that I think reflect the spirit of 1983 and are worth viewing.)
All the Right Moves
Blue Thunder
Breathless
Flashdance
Gorky Park
The High Road to China
National Lampoon's Vacation
The Outsiders
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Wargames
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