The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)

Seemingly to get stunner Billie Jean's attention, Hubie steals then trashes her little brother Binx's scooter. Reasonably, Billie Jean demands that Hubie pay the $608 it will take to get the bike fixed but instead gets nearly raped by his father who, in turn, gets accidentally shot by Binx, which forces the siblings to go on the lam, becoming folk heroes to all of the wronged youths along the way.

The acting is terrible and the story takes the path of most ridiculousness at almost every turn, yet I know for a fact that I would've been way into this if I'd seen it as a teen when it came out. I doubt I would've chopped my hair off, but I definitely would've bought a "Fair is Fair" bumper sticker.

C

Steel Magnolias (1989)

The opening moments contain so much manufactured chaos and attitude that it serves as a terrible introduction to most of the characters. But get through that and the first scene in Truvy's Salon -- which feels lifted straight from the stage play: YOU get a character moment and YOU get a monologue and WE find out what Shelby's deal is -- and you'll probably enjoy this tearjerking treat that showcases female friendships.

B-

Dead of Winter (2025)

Widow Barb decides to go ice fishing on the lake she and her husband visited on their first date. When she stops for directions at a remote cabin, she gets suspicious about some blood spatter. Later, her suspicions are confirmed and she makes it her business to rescue the young woman being held in the cabin. She's not a superhero and makes tons of mistakes, but she's tenacious enough to cause the captors real trouble.

The best parts of this movie are the flashbacks to Barb's marriage. Everything else is serviceable but forgettable.

C

An Honest Liar (2014)

Documentary about James Randi, aka "The Amazing Randi." He became very popular as an illusionist, escape artist and prognosticator, appearing on television for decades. He became a particular favorite of Johnny Carson, especially when, in his later career, he concentrated his efforts on exposing those using magic to perpetrate fraud on the public.

A really fascinating man who did so much good, but it goes on a bit long. The final scenes focus on legal troubles concerning his boyfriend's citizenship, which let the wind out somewhat.

B

The Remains of the Day (1993)

I was in my 20s when I first saw this and I liked it a lot then, but it hits even harder now that I've got some mileage on me.

Stevens, as butler to a large estate, is all about his work; he is there to serve, not to agree or disagree. When Miss Kenton joins the staff as housekeeper, he recognizes her as extremely capable ("I'd be lost without her") while also being able to speak her mind in a way that he refuses to, even in private conversation. And they fall deeply in love, though the emotions are so bottled up that you'd not notice them from the outside -- in fact, they don't even notice that their love is reciprocated by the other until decades after they've parted.

In addition to the tragically muted love story, we've got a political B story about the lead-up to the second World War and the rise of Hitler. It's a scary time for the world with people making honest yet terrible errors leading to huge consequences. Basically, it's life: the personal moments shake a few people as violently as the worldwide events shake millions.

A