When Billy Crystal’s career is all said and done, he’ll most likely be remembered as the pre-eminent Oscar host of the modern age. There’s no doubting that Crystal is talented and funny, but that has rarely translated to a good screen vehicle. City Slickers is the best vehicle he’s had to showcase his wit and dramatic chops, playing one of three friends suffering a collective midlife crisis on a dude ranch vacation. City Slickers deserves permanent props, if for nothing else, than it provided Jack Palance with his Oscar and one of the best Oscar moments of all-time.
Good Morning Vietnam was the film that launched Robin Williams into the stratosphere, proving that his lightning-in-a-bottle humor could be effectively mixed into an affecting and moving motion picture. Director Barry Levinson got a signature performance out of Williams, who earned his first Oscar nomination for the role. It’s no surprise what my favorite scene is. It’s iconic: one of the signature scenes of Williams filmography: Adrian’s first broadcast to the troops (minus the musical intervals).
