322. Cars (2006)

Okay, here we go. Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner, forty-two losers. I eat losers for breakfast. Breakfast? Maybe I should have had breakfast? Brekkie could be good for me. No, no, no, focus. Speed. Faster than fast, quicker than quick. I am Lightning.

In 2006, Pixar was renegotiating its contract with Disney. All signs pointed to Pixar breaking away and distributing its own movies. This movie was to be the last film that they created with the giant movie studio, and when I saw the trailer I thought for sure that this was exit-door sabotage. Why make a good movie for a company that you felt was ripping you off? Add to this the fact that one of the main characters was being played by fake redneck (it's true, look it up)
Larry the Cable Guy, and my hopes for this film were very low.

Yet, when I finally saw the movie, I was assured of the one constant in cinema: Pixar doesn't make bad films. I especially loved it because I grew up watching NASCAR every Sunday and listening to Car Talk most Saturday mornings. I found the movie to be a fun exercise in doing what Pixar does best: having inanimate objects show us the absurdity of our ways and reminding us of the important things in life.

321. Children of Men (2006)

And now one for all the nostalgics out there. A blast from the past all the way back from 2003, that beautiful time when people refused to accept that the future was just around the corner.

Odds are you haven't seen this movie, and that is simply a shame. It is one of the best looks into the not-too-distant future in all of movies. Unlike normal science fiction with time travel, spaceships, and aliens, this simply feels real. The problems encountered in a future without children are simply an amplified version of the problems we already face today: terrorism, bureaucracy, drugs, and the overwhelming power of corporate entities. If you like action, sci-fi, politically conscience, or even simple edge-of-your-seat thrill ride movies, then you are doing yourself a disservice by skipping this film.

320. Clerks II (2006)

All right, look, there's only one "Return," okay, and it ain't "of the King," it's "of the Jedi."

"Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back" was supposed to be Kevin Smith's fifth and final entry into the "Jersey Trilogy" of his View Askewniverse, but it was more of an inside joke than an actual film. It also did not capture what makes his films great, the self-deprecating relationship humor that all started with Dante and Randall in the original "Clerks." This film recaptures that vibe and is probably my second favorite of Smith's movies behind "Chasing Amy". Even if you are not a fan of the films, this one is almost worth it for the "pillow-pants" scene alone!

319. Deliver us from Evil (2006)

Sooner or later God'll cut you down.

This is probably the scariest documentary I have ever seen. Everyone knows that a handful of Catholic priests and young boys have had a rather checkered past, but to actually hear the first-hand accounts of abuse and witness interviews with relatively unrepentant molesters and defenders was astonishing. This is a super effective documentary in that it refuses to preach to the viewer, but at the same time presents the content in such a way that is completely immersive to the absolutely horrifying ordeal.

318. Flushed Away (2006)

Poor, poor Roddy / Flushed down his own potty / Rita, can't you find it in your heart... to help him?

The British geniuses behind the "Wallace & Grommit" claymation shorts get Dreamworks funding to do a feature length movie in their signature style and have the main characters voiced by Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian Mclellan, and Jean Reno. As awesome as that sounds, what really puts this movie over the top are the slugs. Whenever I discuss osmosis in Biology class, I always draw a "screaming" slug in this style as it awaits the inevitable shaker of salt.

317. Follow My Voice (2006)

"And if you've got no other choice, you know you can follow my voice..."

The picture above is actually not from this documentary (mainly becuase I couldn't find a screencap I liked). It is from the climax of another movie on this blog, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". This film is simply the story of how the filmmakers of Hedwig convinced awesome musicians to perform songs from that movie for an album that would raise money for the Harvey Milk school in New York (a school for at-risk young people in the LGBT community). Pretty cool little story and lots of performances from the likes of Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, Yo La Tengo, and Rufus Wainwright.

316. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

You know what? #*$& beauty contests. Life is one $*#&ing beauty contest after another. School, then college, then work... %*#( that. And $*#( the Air Force Academy. If I want to fly, I'll find a way to fly. You do what you love, and %*$& the rest.

This movie is a really witty look at a very dysfunctional family, and that's why most people like it. I appreciate that, but I love it primarily because of the scene preceding the screen capture above. Around this time of year five years ago, I came to the realization that the career I had worked towards my entire life was not going to become a reality. There really isn't anything that can compare to that feeling. It's not the sadness that you get from losing a loved one, or the disappoint that comes with losing an athletic contest. It is a completely gut wrenching feeling of worthlessness that can only be remedied by being surrounded by those that love you. Lucky for me, I found out my news right before my sister's wedding, and, just like Olive comforts Dwayne, I was reinvigorated by the love of my family as it simultaneously grew larger and closer together.