(PART 5)*

And, just like that, there were only eight films. Because we set aside one hour to finish the list. And promised each other that if we couldn’t figure it out in one hour we would strike the list from the book altogether. So we each, unbeknownst to the other, came to the meeting prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good of these stupid essays (and our brotherhood in general). We each knocked off not one but two films from our personal favorites.

And, just like that, the entire energy shifted. With two tiny acts of self-sacrifice, we had gone from the process of subtraction to addition. We had changed the energy in the room from compromise to collaboration. We smiled. And within the next six minutes we had our final list.

American Movie

Raising Arizona

Tootsie

Rocky

Hoop Dreams

The Crying Game (MD)

Dumb and Dumber

The Cruise (MD)

Henry Fool (JD)

The Horse Boy

You Can Count on Me

Close-Up (JD)

* To be continued…