Tonight I’ll be doing my TV critic’s duty watching MTV’s two new shows, Bromance and The City (horror-shows or guilty pleasures? we’ll decide tomorrow, OK?). But before they air, I’d advise you to check out tonight’s TCM special Ron Howard: 50 Years In Film (8 pm/EST). (This ends up being a coincidental follow-up to yesterday’s post on The Andy Griffith Show, in which Howard played Opie.)
Tonight’s documentary focuses, in extensive interviews, on Howard as an adult. Howard is nothing if not modest, and he’s built a tidy, modest career as a director. I really like the first feature he directed, a fast little B-picture from 1977 called Grand Theft Auto, which TCM will air after the documentary. Sure, this documentary is timed to promote Howard’s latest film, Frost/Nixon, but it doesn’t smell of plugola. Under the guidance of director Richard Schickel, Ron Howard: 50 Years In Film is as quietly thoughtful as its subject. Sure, Howard has directed some clunkers (How The Grinch Stole Christmas; Willow), but he’s provided a lot of undeniable mass-audience pleasure.
So I ask you: What’s your favorite Ron Howard-directed film? Splash? Cocoon? Apollo 13? A Beautiful Mind? Or some other work by the red-haired man, whom I’ll always admire for the way he narrated Arrested Development?
Favorite Ron Howard film would be a tie between Willow and Apollo 13. By far, my favorite anything he’s been a part of is Arrested Develpment!
If Ron Howard has had a “tidy, modest career as a director”, then I’d love to see what constitutes a blockbuster career in your book.
The guy’s movies are well over a billion worldwide, not to mention the “Best Director” Oscar on his mantle. I know his movies have been seen by a major audience worldwide, but I think he’s actually a little underrated for what he brings to the table.
My favorite movie of his is “Apollo 13″, but I have to say I think his best directing job was “A Beautiful Mind” for the clever and interesting way he portrayed mental illness. I’m not saying he should’ve won the Oscar over Peter Jackson for “Fellowship of the Ring” that year, but it was still a very good job out of him.
All that being said, “The Da Vinci Code” was a total clunker. He could NOT make going to libraries and deciphering clues look interesting at all.
While I was mixed about the gring when I saw it, I distinctly remember mostly positive reviews. When did this movie become a stinker? Is this from the movie critic vacuum your writers live in, where all a studio needs to do is make an animated feature to get an A-? (Bolt, Kung Foo Panda… Both good,but not great movies).
Willow is one of my favorites not a clunker at all
I think Howard’s career is described as “modest” and “tidy” because nothing puts a true cinephile to sleep faster than the words, “A Ron Howard Film.” The guy creates bland, forgettable audience-pleasers that few people will remember in decades to come.
That being said, he does seem like a nice guy, and his work on Arrested Development will forever make him awesome in my book.
Ok, DW, I totally get your point about Howard’s standing with “true cinephiles.” I’m merely a guy who really enjoys movies, so I don’t think he’s all bad.
I also have to agree with everyone else here about his earnest “Arrested Development” narration. It was both a great antidote and a nice complement to all the fantastic craziness in that show.
My favorite is “Cinderella Man”. Opie made me like Renee Zellweger.
He will always and forever hold a special place in my heart for doing Arrested Development. He was a great narrator! (Plus, just the fact that AD had a narrator made it a thousand times more amazing!)
Definately Cocoon. I love that movie so much.
Cinderella Man was underated.
However, I think Howard really ruined the Grinch and probably still needs to make a couple of good movies to atone for that.
it is so hard to pick just one! I have to go with Cinderella Man. Amazing, incredible, moving film. I resisted watching it for a while; I thought it would be a boring boxing flick. I was never so glad to be wrong. So sad it was so underrated.
Will you please make more WESTERNS! There are still people who love WESTERSN! Make an updated dynamite western starring today’s leading men & women! Please, more WESTERSNS!
“Apollo 13″ was amazing because even though I lived through the play-by-play when it happened, he manage to make the whole event so suspenseful in his movie, I doubted my own memory of the outcome!
I can’t believe no one has mentioned Night Shift with Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton. That movie just cracks me up and is one of my all time favs.
How can anyone call How the Grinch Stole Christmas or Willow clunkers!!?? They are bothy great movies (in my opinion obviously). My dad still calls me Peck and HTGSC gave me my all time favorite Christmas song: “Where Are You Christmas?” Also, would Tayler Momsen be on Gossip Girl if it weren’t for the Grinch? I totally think not! =) I don’t GG (teen soaps went down the drain after Dawson’s Creek!), but hey.