aNewDomain — Like so many, I am a fan of movies. All sorts of movies. But I realized something when I was doing research for another article. Since 1962, the year I was born, I have seen all but five Academy Award Best Picture movies. Here they are. And you should see them, too.
Five Best Pictures To Watch Right Now
1. “Tom Jones” (1963): A British comedy starring Albert Finney. Those facts alone should have been good enough to draw me to this movie. Tom Jones, played by Finney, is a rascal and woman-pursuing illegitimate child of a Squire Allworthy in the English countryside. Sex, affairs and an escape to London mark this movie, which finds Jones in love and star-crossed for Sophie. Of course, I was less than a year old when this movie was in theaters, so I didn’t see it then. Unfortunately, Netflix isn’t currently streaming it.
I might have to go the old-school route and, dare I say, rent it.
Video: Tom Jones Official Trailer #1 – Albert Finney Movie (1963) HD
2. “A Man for All Seasons” (1966): This is another British production, based on a play, and it’s about the life of Sir Thomas More, the man who opposed the Protestant Reformation led by Henry VIII. Okay, that admittedly doesn’t sound like a summer blockbuster. But it did win the Best Picture Oscar. I’ll have to check it out. This movie is not currently available for streaming on Netflix, either.
Video: A Man for All Seasons – Trailer [1966] [39th Oscar Best Picture]
3. “Out of Africa” (1985): Described as an “epic romantic drama,” this stars Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, two of the finest actors to grace the silver screen. However, the plot does not grab my attention, which is probably why I’ve never seen it. It’s about a Danish plantation owner (Streep) who marries for convenience, then falls in love with a big-game hunter (Redford) and struggles in colonial Kenya. In 1985, I would have been old enough to see it in theaters, but never did. This movie is also not currently available for streaming on Netflix. I’m starting to sense a pattern here …
Video: Out of Africa Official Trailer #1 – Robert Redford Movie (1985) HD
4. “The Last Emperor” (1987): Okay, this one is a real mystery. The story is about Puyi, the last emperor of China, his rise to power and then his fall. History, political intrigue and cultural perspective — it sounds like a movie I should have already seen. It’s first on my list (even though it’s No. 4 here). And, you guessed it, this movie is not currently available for streaming on Netflix.
Video: The Last Emperor (1987) Trailer
5. “The English Patient” (1996): Another romantic drama, this film is about a nurse in World War II and the badly burned, amnesia-ridden soldier patient with whom she falls in love. That synopsis is why I have never seen this movie. Under normal circumstances, that is just too much romanticism at one time for me. I’ll have to withstand it if I want to scratch it off the list. Unfortunately, this movie is currently available for streaming on Netflix. It’s the only one of the five on my list that’s on Netflix. So I guess I’ll have to see this one first.
Video: The English Patient | Official Trailer (HD) | MIRAMAX
Movies to Watch
Clearly the key component in why I haven’t seen these movies, except for “The English Patient,” is their lack of availability on Netflix. I don’t understand why the people or production companies that own the rights to these movies have not made a deal with Netflix or some other streaming service. Keeping a movie out of circulation would, at the very least, seem to be a bad business decision. Not to mention denying a new generation of fans the chance to see classic, award-winning movies.
Is there a movie, Oscar-winning or not, that’s on your list of movies you want to see but haven’t? What is it and how long has it been on your list?
For aNewDomain, I’m Mark Kaelin.
Featured image: Film reel by Coyau via Wikimedia Commons
