Posted on 07/30/2006 1:02:24 PM PDT by MotleyGirl70
I've seen Chinatown a dozen times, and while it's a great movie, two specific things about it stick in my mind: Jack Nicholson's bandaged nose and the final line of dialogue. Acting, directing, a great script… these are essential to any film. But a classic ending, now that can really make a movie.
We spent literally months brainstorming and corralling the 50 films with the absolute best endings we've ever seen. We're not talking about the last half hour. We mean the last minute of movie. You know, the ending.
Needless to say you can consider this entire article one monster SPOILER ALERT. Most of the films here are classics that you've probably seen several times over. But if not, skip past the ones you haven't seen and put 'em in your rental queue, otherwise you're going to ruin a whole lot of good films. Check out the flicks and we promise you won't be disappointed when the credits roll. As always, apologies in advance for the ones we stupidly forgot (and we know you'll be writing to let us know -- yes, Jaws, The Sixth Sense, Seven, Carrie, we're sorry!).
- Christopher Null, Editor-in-Chief
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25. Real Genius (1985) - The entire film builds and builds to this exquisite ending, where Chris Knight (Val Kilmer) and his brainiac pals finally revel in their revenge plot against the evil Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton). How they pulled off the stunt to make an entire house look like it was filled with popcorn I still can't figure out. The effect is, ahem, genius. Growing up, my little sister called this film "the popcorn movie." -CN
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1. Dr. Strangelove (1964) - You may remember otherwise, but the climactic scene where Slim Pickens rides the bomb down is not actually the ending of Strangelove (though even if it were, it would still be #1 on our list). Rather, there is a strange scene afterwards in which the leaders of the free world wait for the end of the world while having a demented argument about how to survive the impending nuclear winter ("We must not have a mine shaft gap!"). Then, signaling apocalypse, Peter Sellers' titular mad scientist, wheelchair-bound for the entire movie, stands up and begins to walk, before the War Room (and the rest of the world) explodes to the tune of "We'll Meet Again." It's all weird but absurdly logical, like everything about Kubrick's
Ping
The ending in "Brigham City" has stayed in my mind. If you plan to watch the film, do not read about the ending.
Funny, that's what I called the movie "Diner." :)
I don't agree with most of them actually. But it isn't my list.
Although I do think they missed Field of Dreams. That last scene with the father and the son throwing the ball together with the line of cars coming down the driveway is something else to me.
I know that "Top ___ of all time" lists are subjective , so it's just for fun discussion.
I've seen some of these movies on this list and The Usual Suspects should be in the top five.
My list would have Shawshank Redemption on it.
Also, Primal Fear is a really good movie with a jaw-dropping ending.
Also the ending of Saving Private Ryan was very touching as well.
The ending of "Life Is Beautiful" was also very bittersweet.
The surprise ending of "Body Heat" was pretty good too.
In no particular order, some good ones:
Usual Suspects
Field Of Dreams
Goodfellas
Pay It Forward
"Although I do think they missed Field of Dreams"
See #11.
yep
I liked that film. My wife still gives me grief about taking her to it. She's seen far worse on TV, but Dutcher was able to pull of some Hitchcockian tension and creepiness, leaving much to your own vivid imagination, to make the film a bit intense. I guess her imagination is a bit more vivid that I knew and she didn't enjoy watching that film. I bought the DVD when it came out and have watched it a couple of times since.
Good choice. One of my favorite movies.
ping
I liked the ending of Bronson's "10 to Midnight."
"Saboteur" by Hitchcock where the villian falls off the Statue of Liberty, and most of his other McGuffin filled movies!
"The Thing" and the newsman's warning to "look to the sky! (cause they are coming!)
Great endings:
Citizen Kane--when we the audience but not the characters learn the meaning of Rosebud--pure film, as no one who's actually IN the movie learns the answer.
The Wild Bunch--the Bunch go out in an astonishing blaze of glory, and the surviving member and the man who's been pursuing them carry on.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly--after the greatest Mexican standoff in movies, the Man rides off into eternity.
Shadowlands--C.S. Lewis and his late wife's son walking through a beautiful landscape, the music surges and, if you look closely, both characters come together, finally.
North by Northwest--all of the plot threads are wrapped up--satisfyingly--in a matter of seconds.
Session 9--the ending of this incredibly creepy (to me) movie always reminds me of The Shining, even though it has nothing to do with that movie. The tone, the sense of bewilderment at what's happened in this haunted place...
Alien--been done to death since, but the final confrontation just works perfectly.
Brazil--devastating.Seven--you see the ending coming a mile away--I believe the moviemakers intend that--but think there will be an "out". There isn't.
Heat--pursuer and pursued at the end of the line.
Return of the King--I've never read the books, so my reaction to these movies is untainted by prior knowledge. I found Gandalf's goodbye, with Howard Shore's exquisite score behind it, quite moving.
King Kong (1933)--"It was Beauty killed the Beast."
Bonnie and Clyde
It's a Wonderful Life--I'm not a fan of the movie, but the ending is astonishing; after showering George with misery for two hours, the audience sees how overjoyed he is just to be alive.
Enoughy for now...
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