Patricia Abbott (pattinase): Clint Eastwood, Director

My favorite Clint Eastwood movie remains UNFORGIVEN although I have not seen all of them. What's yours?

J. Edgar

2010 Hereafter

2009 Invictus

2008 Gran Torino

2008 Changeling

2006 Letters from Iwo Jima

2006 Flags of Our Fathers

2004 Million Dollar Baby

2003 The Blues (TV series documentary)

– Piano Blues (2003)

2003 Mystic River

2002 Blood Work

2000 Space Cowboys

1999 True Crime

1997 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

1997 Absolute Power

1995 The Bridges of Madison County

1993 A Perfect World

1992 Unforgiven

1990 The Rookie

1990 White Hunter Black Heart

1988 Bird

1986 Heartbreak Ridge

1985 Amazing Stories (TV series)

– Vanessa in the Garden (1985)

1985 Pale Rider

1983 Sudden Impact

1982 Honkytonk Man

1982 Firefox

1980 Bronco Billy

1977 The Gauntlet

1976 The Outlaw Josey Wales

1975 The Eiger Sanction

1973 Breezy

1973 High Plains Drifter

1971 Play Misty for Me

1971 The Beguiled: The Storyteller (documentary short)

22 comments:

Erik Donald France said...: Letters from Iwo Jima is an important cultural document b/c it's the rare film that shows "the other side." A+ for that one.

More thoughts on Eastwood's efforts soon . . .; 1:59 PM
Dana King said...: UNFORGIVEN is probably the one for me, too, though GRAN TORINO, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, MYSTIC RIVER, MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, and THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES are also awfully good.; 2:15 PM
le0pard13 said...: UNFORGIVEN, for sure. I luckily saw again recently at The Autry Museum in 35mm as an introduction to my son also attending. It's lost none of its power. THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES remains a long-time favorite, too. BRONCO BILLY remains a wonderful love letter to the screwball comedy and the western. MILLION DOLLAR BABY was simply devastating and I've only seen it once (don't miss understand, I love it, but am still trying and failing to work myself up to watch it a second time). SPACE COWBOY is fun and is a joy to watch James Garner and Clint together on the screen once again. A PERFECT WORLD, WHITE HUNTER BLACK HEART, HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER are underrated fare. In any other year, MYSTIC RIVER would have garnered more praise, but LOTR: THE RETURN OF THE KING steamrolled everything in '04. The less said about THE ROOKIE the better, but I for one have really enjoyed Eastwood very much as a director. Heck, I enjoyed J. EDGAR, too. Thanks, patti.

p.s., if you're interested, I wrote an appreciation piece for PLAY MISTY FOR ME (his first stint in the director's chair) last month.; 2:31 PM
Dan_Luft said...: Wow there's a lot I haven't seen. He's kind of a stealth candidate for great director. I don't think people paid much attention to hi skills until Bird. I do love Outlaw Josey Wales. So much to still see.; 2:47 PM
Randy Johnson said...: UNFORGIVEN is up there. But THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES is probably my favorite. MILLION DOLLAR BABY is in there as well.; 2:55 PM
Paul D Brazill said...: The Outlaw Josie Wales and High Planes Drifter are ones I've liked more than a few times. I've only seen Unforgiven once but I liked that very much.

I also really liked A Perfect World (though it's a broken film, maybe because) & White Hunter, Black Heart.; 3:04 PM
Gerard said...: The Truth: MYSTIC RIVER is not as great as people said.; 3:26 PM
Anonymous said...: Definitely UNFORGIVEN, with MILLION DOLLAR BABY right up there. I do admit to a warm spot in my heart for BRONCO BILLY. And I really liked PLAY MISTY FOR ME.

Jeff M.; 4:12 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: I am sad to think MYSTIC RIVER may not hold up. Misty was terrific.; 4:53 PM
Erik Donald France said...: After Letters from Iwo Jima and of the other ones I've seen, I'd go with (not in any real order):

High Plains Drifter
The Eiger Sanction
Play Misty for Me
Hony Tonk Man
Pale Ruder
Unforgiven
A Perfect World
Midnight in the Garden
Gran Torino

Haven't sene anything since Gran Torino. Clint's films may have quirks & flaws, but nothing unforgiven . . .; 4:55 PM
Erik Donald France said...: p.s. Add Bird, which I liked better years after first seeing it.; 4:56 PM
YA Sleuth said...: So many I haven't seen (I feel a movie marathon coming on...)

Gran Torino was pretty great. Loved that character.; 5:18 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: I loved Gran Torino because it was set in Detroit. I also loved Million Dollar Baby, Bird, and the first of the WW2 movies. Never saw Iwo Jima.
I wonder if he makes too many movies though and why so few Westerns.; 5:24 PM
le0pard13 said...: patti, I do recommend seeing FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and LETTERS TO IWO JIMA as a set. Each makes the other bookend piece better, I think.; 5:32 PM
Graham Powell said...: I really like HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER. THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES is really well-told. May of the others are also good.

Then there's THE ROOKIE.; 5:32 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...: I know. I find war movies upsetting and one was enough at the time. I will try to remedy that. Never saw THE ROOKIE, I don't think. Graham, how are you!; 5:43 PM
Ron Scheer said...: Saw JOSEY WALES on a return to the US after 2 years in the UK. It was like a welcome home. UNFORGIVEN, though, tops it as an all-time favorite. What a story; his scene with the prostitute outside the shed breaks my heart.; 8:28 PM
Prashant C. Trikannad said...: I haven't seen many of his films as director but out of the ones I have seen I'll settle for HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER and THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, and yes, ABSOLUTE POWER based on David Baldacci's novel, for Gene Hackman and Ed Harris.; 1:34 AM
Al Tucher said...: I'm also partial to A Perfect World, in which I think director Eastwood gets the best out of Kevin Costner.; 9:26 AM
Mike Dennis said...: 1. THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
2. BIRD
3. THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES; 10:01 AM
George said...: I really like MILLION DOLLAR BABY.; 10:18 AM
Cap'n Bob said...: I guess you mean Clint as a director. My favorite acting role for him is Rowdy Yates on Rawhide, followed by Dirty Harry. The Man With No Name is right up there, too. As a director I agree with most of the pack: Unforgiven, Play Misty For Me, The Outlaw Josey Wales.; 4:55 PM