My movie viewing life as I knew it changed forever in 1994. That year, I fell in love with the movie Forrest Gump. I saw it at the theater two nights in a row and was rooting for it to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. I had been a Tom Hanks fan since he donned a wig in “Bosom Buddies.” And to this day, I remain a Tom Hanks fan. I was elated when Forrest Gump won Best Picture. Then, about six months later, I realized I was wrong.
I was on a business trip with a co-worker. We were sharing a hotel room and one night, there was nothing to do so we decided to rent a movie. Both of us had heard a lot about the film that won Best Original Screenplay that year, Pulp Fiction. It was on the pay-per-view, so we decided to rent it. That film changed my movie viewing forever. It introduced me to a new term – independent film. What is an independent film? Traditionally, it is a film produced outside of the major studios. It doesn’t cost a billion dollars to make and it may or may not have big name stars in it. It may never make it to your local theater and you may only hear buzz about it at one of the movie festivals.
In 1994, director Quentin Tarantino opened the eyes of many to independent films. By 1997, I was searched for independent films to rent and it was a great year. The Sweet Hereafter is a haunting tale about a school bus wreck in a little town and the affect it has on its villagers. Are you looking for a quirky, but funny film? Check out Box of Moon Light with John Turturro and Sam Rockwell. That film always makes me smile. It also stars Catherine Keener, often referred to as the Indie Film Queen.
Until 1997, I had never heard of actor Billy Bob Thornton. He has since become one of my favorite actors and that all started with 1997’s Sling Blade which he wrote, directed, and starred in. He won a Best Screenplay Oscar for his efforts. Trees Lounge is another gem written, directed by, and starring one of my favorite Indie actors – Steve Buscemi. If you are a big fan of “Without a Trace,” you will enjoy a co-starring role by Anthony LaPaglia.
If you don’t normally watch independent films, you may want to give one a look to see what you are missing. A good place to start is to see what was nominated for awards at the Sundance or Cannes film festival.