5. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? (1988)

Surprise! Another Merchant-Ivory film.

In Room With a View, author E.M. Forster has stopped off on one of his journeys between the homeland and the colonies, and we're treated to the lovely vistas of Florence. The film focuses on the romantic adventures of Miss Lucy Honeychurch - who we know as the lovely Helena Bonham Carter - and her suitors under the Mediterranean sun. The stark differences in her admirers, George Emerson and Cecil Vyse, reflect the changes of the times, with George embodying the liberal and modern style of the fashions that threaten Cecil and his Victorian dictates.

Evidently, you're meant to be rooting for George in this little mnage, but with Daniel Day-Lewis brilliantly playing Cecil as a complete fop, you can't help but enjoy his scenes more than any other in the film. George is the carefree youth unleashing barbarian screams from Italian treetops, while Cecil is the starched bore reading poetry at the tennis court at English country homes. On paper, Cecil always loses, but he's so amusing in his ridiculousness that you can understand Lucy's difficulty in her choice.

Lucy's options embody the enduring options of following the heart or the mind, and the story is propelled by the drama of her choice. Because it is the proper thing to do, she has been engaged to Cecil and we must follow her through the process of determining whether that is the right decision. Along the way, we are treated to a pantheon of great performances from characters in supporting and scene-stealing roles.

Notes:

  • Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Maggie Smith)

  • Won 3 Academy Awards: Best Art Direction, Costume Design, and Screenplay

  • Nominated for 12 BAFTA awards, of which it won 4