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We asked each of our five voters to describe one film they wish had made our top ten list.

Spider-Man 2

It's rare for a sequel to outperform its predecessor, yet Spider-Man 2 delivers the goods while defining the comic book genre in the process—and it's not because of the impressive special effects either. The filmmakers perfectly capture the angst of Peter Parker and his journey to balance great power with great responsibility, appropriately placing the focus on the characters and the struggles they face. Which is exactly why we can relate to them so easily, even if we can't crawl up walls, spin webs, or swing through downtown Manhattan. Like its central protagonist, Spider-Man 2 succeeds on the merits of its human qualities, not its flashy superpowers.

Mean Creek

Several teenagers plan revenge against a bully from school, only to see their plans go very, very wrong. The remarkable thing about Jacob Aaron Estes' first feature film is that, even though we know something terrible will happen, we can still taste those moments when the characters could have made better choices, but didn't. The performances are so powerful and realistic, you keep hoping the characters will call off their plans; the story is told so convincingly, you keep hoping there won't be a story to tell. The bully himself is a remarkably complex and dynamic personality, and so good at tugging our emotions in all sorts of different directions; he's a real jerk, but he's still a human being. Perfect fodder for discussions of sin, guilt, justice and shame.

Spanglish

James L. Brooks' story of two families—and their respective cultures colliding—straddles the line between comedy and drama in a way that movies rarely do and that actually reminds me of real life. Even its flaws are absurd in ways that ring true. Adam Sandler is winning as a family man whose wife (a fearless performance by Tea Leoni) is crumbling and whose housekeeper (Paz Vega) is a pillar of strength. His daughter, Bernice (Sarah Steele), is certainly the most engaging teenager I've seen on screen in 2004, and his mother-in-law, Evelyn (Cloris Leachman), spouts some of the most sane marriage advice ever seen on a movie screen. In some ways this movie is profoundly unsatisfying; I walked out of the theater wanting to follow the story a little longer, to know more. But, such is life.

Before Sunset

Were you there when it started in 1995, with the American/French romance Before Sunrise? As a sequel, Before Sunset is almost too good to be true. Richard Linklater and his excellent actors—Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy—have recaptured the chemistry of the original ten years later. Reunited for a stroll through Paris, the verbose, philosophical Jesse and Celine develop from cocky, impulsive teenagers to jaded, foul-mouthed, regretful, and yet still surprising adults, right before our eyes. Full of strengths and weaknesses, capable of deep sensitivity and astonishing blindness, they're still arrogant and lost, trying to make sense of life without faith. Their charisma provokes many to root for an adulterous fling, but Linklater refuses to indulge that appetite, concluding instead on the precipice of an ethical dilemma—setting us up for a challenging, exciting discussion with our neighbors about relationships, values, choices, and consequences.

Forgiveness

A South African cop, granted amnesty by the Truth And Reconciliation Commission but haunted by his actions during apartheid, travels to Pater Noster, an impoverished fishing village, to face the family of a young man he killed. Not a slick or perfect film but a substantial one that goes straight to the heart—and the heart of the gospel—without sentiment or easy answers. World-class performances (Arnold Vosloo, Zane Meas) and a gripping story that builds to an excruciating climax. Apparently too small, "foreign" and spiritual for distributors to touch, but it's available online.

Copyright © 2005 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

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