The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)

Mel Gibson at 26. Sigourney Weaver at 32. Linda Hunt at 37. All are a bit older now and have done some very popular, and not so, work.

Linda Hunt won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar here, and her character is the fulcrum point for the other 2 main characters played well by Mel and Sigourney. Bottom line, this is a story about learning to give up whats urgent for what's important.

It is beautifully photographed and set to music. The characters who come and go are well set for the story. While it is a difficult story to watch at times, it is a fairly historical look into a time in another country most of us are totally unfamiliar with.

The best way to watch this movie is to put yourself in the place of one of the 3 main characters and ask yourself what you would have done in their place.

Watch this movie with someone who may not be familiar with how international news was reported prior to the internet.

Edge of Darkness

Based at least partially on the 1980s British TV mini-series, this story is part Erin Brokovich and part Gran Torino. That is not a terrible thing. Those were great stories told very well. Watch this movie and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Mel Gibson plays a Boston cop investigating the death of his daughter. The deeper he goes, the deeper it gets. No real surprises there. His daughter is played by Bojana Novakovic.

This story is full of wonder characters. Wonderfully good, wonderfully mysterious, and wonderfully bad. To me, a good story has just the right mix.

This is yet another story about a Daddy-Daughter relationship. I like those for some odd reason. If that is not your thing don't worry. There are so many other things going on you won't have to focus on the relationship.

This happen very fast in this movie so bucket up. It is violent with just a touch of gore. But, as I've already said, it's fast, it action-packed, and it's interesting.

Watch this with someone who loves the conspiracy-theory stories. See if they click with this one.

Conspiracy Theory

If you are tired of the holiday genre, and want something different, please consider the 1997 thriller "Conspiracy Theory" starring Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, and Patrick Stewart. Directed by Richard Donner (Superman and Lethal Weapon sequels), this story is worthy of the most paranoid Oliver Stone followers.

Complete with twists and a surprise ending, this is not a lazy person's movie. It makes you think. You have to think about the subplots, but you also need to understand a little about how government works. It helps if you've visited or spent any time in DC and New York.

Even if you have never been to the locations, the movie is worth the watch just to see Gibson's neurotic performance.