A former child star and teen heart throb, now an accomplished filmmaker, Ron Howard is a true Hollywood veteran Despite many missteps, Old Opie has proven to be a talented and versatile director tackling a variety of genres, that is worthy of Spielberg.With the Han Solo prequel upon us, I can't think of a better time to look at the best of Mr. Ron Howard.
But first a Few Honorable Mentions
Cocoon (1985) A
Howard's first foray into science fiction, is a sincere sci-fi fable with obvious parallels to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It gets a little hefty but I will go far and say it does a better job with its reveal and closure to the extra-terrestrial life than in Close Encounters. Don Ameche and Steve Guttenberg, are terrific with Ameche winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Howard's directorial debut proves his talent behind the camera in this Roger Corman production. Campy and bonkers but Howard adds that nice guy sincerity to this wild ride. (Bears no relation to the popular video game franchise of the same name, but both share the same joy of car catastrophe)
A captivating clash between two men that was broadcast on live television. Similar to The Post on showing the power of the media, coincidentally both involving Nixon. Micheal Sheen and Frank Langella completely disappear in their respected roles.
Now that we got that out of the way let's go down the this list. Starting with.............
5). Rush (2013) A-
Biopics display's the best of Howard's skill and the sports account on Formula One racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda is no different. Like Frost/Nixon, Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl portray two men at odds with each other. Their rivalry is shown in full brevity along with the passion they share for racing and some immoral glimpses of celebrity life. Where Cocoon foreshadowed Solo: A Star Wars Story, ninety percent of Howard's other work hinted his love for cars, and we see in detail the automotive mechanics, design and velocity. If you wanted Pixar's Cars to be for Adults, look no further than with Rush.
4). Splash (1984) A
This is a tale of a mermaid who falls in love with a human. She gets a chance to walk on land but has little time to be with him before the sea calls back to her. If this story sounds a little fishy, you are right, however Splash came first long before The Little Mermaid was pitched to Disney. Tom Hanks (In his first movie role) and Daryl Hannah play the adorable couple from different worlds, with John Candy and Eugene Levy bringing in the laughs. It's a sweet romantic comedy for those who wanted to see a modernized live-action version of The Little Mermaid, minus the musical numbers.
3). Apollo 13 (1995) A+
Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton play real-life astronauts who go on a moon mission that goes horribly wrong. As the astronauts try to survive, everyone at NASA work on a plan to bring them home safely as the rest of the world anxiously watch. This true story served as the inspiration for two of my favorite sci-fi movies Gravity and The Martian. Showing humanity and science at its finest hour in saving the lives of these three men. Where space movies were limited to science fiction, Howard used those elements to craft an inspirational daring story.
2). A Beautiful Mind (2001) A+
The life of John Nash is not an easy one to tell, yet Howard magnificently captures the portrait of man who not only had a beautiful mind but a beautiful heart, in spite of the instability he went through. Things aren't what they seem and the movie plays with our expectations. By the time it all sinks in, it breaks our hearts that it must be this way but all is never lost. Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connolly (in her Oscar-Winning Role) are splendid as John and Alicia Nash and James Horner's score is hauntingly beautiful. Its hard to think about this movie with the recent passing of Horner and the real John and Alicia Nash.. They may no longer be with us, but A Beautiful Mind left them a beautiful memorial.
1). Cinderella Man (2005) A+
If you were to ask what was my introduction to Ron Howard, it would be James J. Braddock. A Heavyweight fighter on top of his game, only to lose everything in the Great Depression including his boxing license. Unemployment was at an all-time low making it difficult for Braddock to provide for his family. Despite the economic hardship, Braddock never fell into moral decay. Second chances are hard to come by and when it came to Braddock, not only did it give him the strength to return on the ring, he became a symbol of hope for everyone dealing with the hardships of the Depression. A modern day superman or Cinderella Man as he was called for his surprising comeback. After A Beautiful Mind, Russel Crowe re-teamed with Howard in his best performance as James Braddock. Renee Zellweger is equally amazing as his wife Mae and in his only Oscar-nominated performance (though there is some speculation that it was for his snub in Sideways, but I digress), Paul Giamatti gives a K.O. performance as Braddock's manger Joe Gould. This is Howard at his best, from recreating a Depression-Era New York, the boxing matches, and the score from Thomas Newman (one of my favorites that I still listen to). Cinderella Man is an intense but inspiring story, and is my number one Ron Howard movie.
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