The Year I Made Contact: 1989

The Movie Waffler was asking bloggers to partake in a little blogathon. The idea is to write about the movies that came out the year you were born. Being that I am trying to branch out a little bit and write more than just reviews, I figured I would give it a shot. Plus, 1989 was a damn fine year for movies. I give you, my Top 5 films of the year of my birth, 1989 (in no particular order). 

“Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light?”

June, 1989 gave rise to Tim Burton’s Batman, forever changing the way we look at the Dark Knight and re-introducing the world to the superhero movie. Sure, Adam West had fun in the cape in 1966 in the movie that gave rise to the classic, campy TV show, but it wasn’t until Burton’s masterpiece that we saw the darker side of Batman and the sinister clown, the Joker, played masterfully by Jack Nicholson. The first Batman movie I ever saw and the start to one hell of an obsession. 

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” 

November, 1989 unleashed upon the world one of the greatest sequels in the history of film. Back to the Future Part II starts off exactly where the first one left us, and this time takes us to 2015, a year of Jaws 19, digital Michael Jackson waiters, and a Miami Marlins v. Chicago Cubs World Series. Some argue that Part II is much weaker than the first, but it is actually my favorite in the series. Best part of the movie? The future forseen has to happen. But keep in mind, Nike has released self-lacing sneakers and Mattel hopes to launch a hover board this holiday season. 

“Don’t call me Junior!”

May, 1989 saw the end of one of the greatest trilogies of all time. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade shows our favorite archaeologist chasing myth and searching for The Holy Grail, while fighting everyone’s enemy- Nazis. It also shows, in one of the best openings in recent memory, how Indy became who he was, showing us how he got the scar on his chin and the fedora on his head, as well as the reason he’s so afraid of snakes. Introducing Sean Connery as Indy’s dad was genius, and the two have gone down in film history as one of the greatest father-son duos. My favorite Indiana Jones movie and a perfect finish to a perfect trilogy. If only it truly was the end…

“Carpe diem. Seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.” 

June, 1989 also gave us Robin Williams’ finest performance and introduced us to the likes of Ethan Hawke (one of, if not my favorite actors), Robert Sean Leonard, and Josh Charles. Dead Poets Society is one of my favorite movies of all time and is one of the funniest most emotional dramas I’ve seen. I remember seeing this in an English class in high school, during my “awakening”, when I first began to obsess about movies in general. I was jealous of all the boys attending Welton Academy and I so desperately wanted to be taught by Robin Williams’ Mr. Keating. The movie teaches you about love, life, death, and most importantly, to seize the day. 

“If I lose my magic, that means I’ve lost absolutely everything.” 

Now, my last film did not see a 1989 release in the United States, but in Japan. I could never write a list of some of my favorite movies without including a Hayao Miyazaki film and thus I give you, Kiki’s Delivery Service. In my opinion, not Miyazaki’s greatest film (Spirited Away wins that title), however, it was one of the first of his movies I saw and introduced me to his magical story-telling that still holds a very special place in my heart. Never has the story of a witch been so colorful and full of life, let alone left such an impression in the imagination of a young boy. 

Five Films That Just Missed the Cut:

When Harry Met Sally

Say Anything…

Christmas Vacation

Driving Miss Daisy

The Little Mermaid

Five Memorable, but Not Too Incredible Movies:

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

All Dogs Go to Heaven

Uncle Buck

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland

Field of Dreams

Why Did I Ever Like These Five Movies?:

Look Who’s Talking

Weekend at Bernie’s

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Pet Sematary

Little Monsters