Great Movies

Sunny here.

I saw The Fugitive for the first time in a long time tonight. Alth0ugh TV editing makes no sense to me (some of the bits and pieces removed weren't about bad language or nudity or adult situations, just shortening it without any merit, I guess), seeing that movie again reminded me that this is one of the greatest thrillers ever made. Although Harrison Ford is great here, Tommy Lee Jones and his team steal the movie with how "normally" they interact (like they've been hunting escaped prisoners together for years) and with how Jones finally comes to "see" Ford's innocence without saying so. Jones's best scene occurs on the stairway in the Chicago jail when his minute facial changes cause the audience to realize that Jones now believes Ford is innocent. He still does his job and chases after and even shoots at Ford, but he's started to wonder, and it shows (just barely, but at the same time, profoundly, which is why it's such a great acting job).

This is an incredible remake and just a plain ol' good movie. We root for Ford the whole time without losing our respect for Jones, who is just doing his job in chasing our hero. With a few exceptions (like the prison guard who not only leaves his partner to die on the train but then lies about being a hero), we also like the other characters who are chasing and/or aiding Ford, and we believe in their personalities. This is a great movie without being hinky.

Sunny