The Ice Storm and Miller's Crossing are among the most underrated movies of the 1990s. See how they stack up to the rest of the great films of that decade:
http://cynicritics.com/2011/05/11/our-favorite-movies-of-the-1990s/
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I get what you mean in that it doesn't have an epic feel. But this movie still sticks with me, and I have no idea why. It definitely made a deep impression on me.
shareFunny, the thing I loved most about this movie was the way it felt so epic. It was just a snapshot of a small group of people but as the ice storm set in I felt the film building this apocalyptic atmosphere, like the whole world was *beep* and this was just a corner of it.
It's the same way I felt about the ending of Magnolia and the way that film builds this atmosphere of doom through the ensemble cast and the way the mistakes had built up across the generations to finally end in all-out disaster. Incredibly underrated movie, especially compared to PTA's films.
I grew up in the 70s and this is a snap shot of how things were. I love this movie
shareThink so too!
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Ugh! A movie has to be an "epic" to be great?
While it didn't have me gripping my armchair, I found this movie to be profoundly memorable (and not in a pleasant way). Ang Lee has a way of portraying basic, everyday human misery and anguish as few other directors do.
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This film was one of those that slips in under your ribs and twists and pulls, tugging at your deepest childhood, teen or even adult memories, depending where you were then! I was in college, and though my parents were too uptight to go to "key parties" (I doubt there wereany in our dismal New England neighborhood, the so-called "nice section" of a certain tourist town in south-central Mass.).
While was, like Tobey Maguire's character, off at college, (or maybe he was at prep school), doing my thing, I had no idea that my younger 4 siblings were at sea, left to their own devices to cope with drugs, sex and who knows what else, while my parents steadfastly denied it was happening! My brother took acid and rode his 750 Ducati all over New England, crashing many times. My sisters hung out with guys twice their age and got high. My friends were just as weird and confused as my siblings. The age of Aquarius was over and nobody knew what to do...least of all the parents!
Mom thought money equaled happiness and Dad thought that the harder he worked, the better things would be. He was wrong. The two of them were miserable, just like Kevin Kline and Joan Allen. But they were married to each other--EEK!
I'd come home from a huge campus where anything went and I'd ditched my hick town, to see my family floundering in post-sexual revolution throes! And Lee captured this whole mess as perfectly as a slo-mo, Quaalude-induced trip fueled by self-delusion and post-turkey L-tryptophan and vodka for the grown-ups. The outside colors (so important to Lee!) of gray, white and dun, with the muted interiors of 70's tan, rust, avocado and mustard.
And in this land of mutes, colors, sounds and really BAD music from two generations...people were supposed to "FIND THEMSELVES"?! Not bloody likely!
She deserves her revenge, and we deserve to die.
Great post! Growing up in the 70s in Greenwich, ct., you hit the nail on the head.
shareIt was a trip, wasn't it? And I even got blamed for leading my poor siblings astray, though they were FAR more "corrupt" than I ever was! lol If you ever want to reminisce about those weird times (I'm actually writing a novel abt. it) just message me!
Oh...thanks for the comment!
Don't get me wrong...
It might be unbelievable,
But let's not say so long
I'm sorry I missed this post. Perfect. I was there too.
Thanks caridwen, for the reply. It really IS hard to describe how it was to "Be there"! It reminds me of some lyrics by the Clash:
"London calling, well I was there too,/
You know what they say: that none of it was true."
The deuce it wasn't! We who were there...we know better.
P.S. want to share your experiences? I'm writing a book on it. Message me if you do.
Peace out! lol ;P
Don't get me wrong...
It might be unbelievable,
But let's not say so long
Both were well reviewed when they came out, so while I agree with the OP that they were both great films, I don't see how they can be considered "underrated".
I want to shake every limb in the Garden of Eden
and make every lover the love of my life
I agree with cafais that this did not have an epic feel...which I interrupted to mean that when you get finished watching it, you say: "Wow, that was one of the most incredible movies I've ever seen." And I would agree that most of the films from the 90s he/she listed that I've seen (e.g., Pulp Fiction, Silence of the Lambs, American Beauty, Fargo, Goodfellas and I would add Shawshank Redemption) surpass The Ice Storm. With that said, I agree with the OP that this is one of the most underrated movies of the 90s. I'd never heard of it and came across it on Fox Movie Channel while I was channel surfing one afternoon a year or so ago. It was a great character study and really hit on some of the hot topics that all families seem to go through. Having it set in the early 70s really added to the ambience as well since that era was kind of the clash of the old (50s and 60s Ozzie and Harriet traditional values) vs. new (free love, drugs etc.). Really good flick.
shareI grew up in Greenwich Ct in the 1970s and The Ice Storm nailed the look & feel of 1973 Fairfield County perfectly
It also helped that it was filmed on location, and we really did have an ice storm in 74 that kept us out of school for a week.
An epic film...,no, but a top three 90s flick for me, definitely!
I would easily put this film at the top of the list for the 90s. It came out in arguably the best year for film in the 90s, 1997. Boogie Nights, LA Confidential, Good Will Hunting, Deconstructing Harry, Lost Highway, Taste of Cherry, The Sweet Hereafter, Henry Fool, Histoire(s) du Cinema, Hana-bi, Grosse Pointe Blank, Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, Affliction, among others. There are at least 3 of these films in my top 50 of all-time.
http://spiritofthething.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/streamer-of-the-week-ang-lees-the-ice-storm/
"Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach, teach gym."
You are spot on with your appraisal of 1997. And I had never really thought about it, but all those great movies came out in that single year. 'Hana-Bi' still haunts me. I saw 'Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control' in the same movie theatre, where we could still *smoke* in our seats, if that seems plausible. (No, I don't miss smoking in theaters.)
'The Ice Storm' is still today just a bit underrated. Not a lot, though. There is appreciation out there for this film. But even here, there are people that don't understand its subtlety. Personally, I think 'Pulp Fiction' is ridiculous and way overrated in comparison, but there is no joy in arguing taste.
I think it's superior to the not dissimilar American Beauty (and 1999 was the best year of the 90s). Inferior to Ordinary People though (obviously from 1980, but thematically virtually identical)
99 had AB, Election (my vote for BP of the year), Being John Malkovich, The Sixth Sense, The Matrix, Office Space, Fight Club, The Insider, Boys Don't Cry.
So happy that somebody spoke about Miller's Crossing. One of my fav movies I scream about as it is so underrated might be cuz it doesn't have a Pacino or Deniro.
Heavenly Creatures
HARUMPH!share
Definitely Heavenly Creatures. It was one of the best films of the decade.
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I've got it at #3 for that decade. Exceeded only by Schindler's List and American Beauty.
HARUMPH!share
I couldn't agree more with "Dark City", "Gattaca" and/or "Heavenly Creatures". Great choices!
(I also think somebody mentioned "Happiness" and if so, that's a great call as well!)
Others that I really enjoyed & wish got more love:
Angus
Babe: Pig in the City
Barton Fink
Bringing Out the Dead
Can't Hardly Wait
Cosi
Cradle Will Rock
Detroit Rock City
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Galaxy Quest
Gods & Monsters
Jackie Brown
The Last Days of Disco
Mermaids
The Minus Man
Run Lola Run
Shallow Grave
Slums of Beverly Hills
That Thing You Do
The House of Yes
First ones that come to mind:
1. Dark City
2. The Player
3. The Cruise
4. Crumb
5. Gattaca