Following the Oscars, Corey (@coreyrstarr) and Jonathan (@berkreviews) decided to pick an actor who they love but had major gaps in their viewing history. Thus, March’s theme is Best Actor goes to Jeff Bridges! That’s right, The Dude himself is our focus for Movie Club this month and March gives them five weekends which means five different Jeff Bridges movies. Corey gets to pick first and then they alternate every week as per usual.
Each episode features an in-depth review of the movie for the week initially spoiler free and then diving in completely after a spoiler warning. Before getting into the review Jonathan and Corey discuss what other movies they’ve seen since the last episode as well as anything else they feel like discussing. To help them decide which of the many films to watch each month they started creating themes for them all.
Week 1 – Crazy Heart (2009)
The first episode for our study of Jeff Bridges films is the only time he has won an Oscar; Crazy Heart (2009). The film is directed and adapted by Scott Cooper and stars Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Colin Farrell. Corey started the month of strong with this pick as it showcases Bridges in what at least the academy deemed his best work. The plot summary according to IMDb.com reads, “A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.”
Week 2 – TRON (1982)
Jonathan picked a movie that’s been on his gap list for far too long. TRON (1982) has always been on his radar, but the overall ’80s aesthetic has kept him from diving in; until now. Written and directed by Steven Lisberger, Tron stars Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, and David Warner. TRON is “A computer hacker is abducted into the digital world and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program,” according to IMDb.com.
Week 3 – Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Corey missed Bridges most recent film while it was in the theater so it makes perfect sense to revisit it. Jonathan enjoyed the film, but fell short of truly loving it, but he’s been looking for a reason to watch it again. This film is written and directed by Drew Goddard and stars Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, and Cailee Spaeny. In case you missed it, IMDb.com reads, “Circa 1969, several strangers, most with a secret to bury, meet by chance at Lake Tahoe’s El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one night, everyone will show their true colors – before everything goes to hell.”
Week 4 – The Last Picture Show
One of the big reasons Jonathan chose the Last Picture Show is its inclusion on the AFI top 100 movies list. He’s seen 56 of the 100 and is trying to include as many of the movies from the list into Movie Club this year. The movie is directed by Peter Bogdanovich and stars Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, and Cybill Shepherd. The film has a 93 Metascore to boast and is described by IMDb.com as “In 1951, a group of high schoolers come of age in a bleak, isolated, atrophied West Texas town that is slowly dying, both culturally and economically.”
Week 5 – True Grit (2010)
The last Jeff Bridges film for this months theme is one that Jonathan loves and Corey has never seen. Ethan Coen and Joel Coen direct this remake that introduces Hailee Steinfeld and co-stars Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Jeff Bridges. In it, “A stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father’s murderer.”
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