Movies About Underdogs

From Charles Chaplin, starring Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford
Rated G

Modern Times is a 1936 comedy film directed by Charles Chaplin in which his iconic Little Tramp character struggles to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film follows the Tramp as he is employed in a series of odd jobs, including as a factory worker, gateman and singing waiter. His attempts to stay afloat in the modern world are hindered by both the machine-like elements of industry and the authorities' efforts to keep him in line. He eventually meets a young homeless woman who he helps to survive in the city. In the end, the two of them manage to escape the industrialized world and find a place of their own.

From Vincente Minnelli, starring Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell
Rated Passed

The Bad and the Beautiful is a 1952 drama film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Kirk Douglas, Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, and Barry Sullivan. The film follows the story of a powerful but ruthless film producer Jonathan Shields (Kirk Douglas) and the three people he has hurt in his career. He is visited by a former lover (Lana Turner), a former business partner (Walter Pidgeon), and a former screenwriter (Dick Powell), all of whom have had their lives destroyed by him. As they tell their stories, Shields begins to realize the personal cost of his ambition and reflects on the life he has lived. Ultimately, he is forced to confront his demons and atone for his mistakes.

From Howard Hawks, starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers
Rated Approved

Ball of Fire is a 1941 screwball comedy film, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. The film follows the story of a group of professors who are working on an encyclopedia in their secluded mountain home. When one of the professors, Bertram Potts (Cooper), meets nightclub singer Sugarpuss O'Shea (Stanwyck), they are instantly attracted to each other. After Sugarpuss is forced to hide out in the professor's home, the professors, including Potts, discover the world of nightclubs and slang terms in the 1940s. With the help of Sugarpuss, the professors are able to update their encyclopedia. Despite their differences, Sugarpuss and Potts eventually fall in love and try to find a way to be together despite their different worlds. Ball of Fire is considered one of the best screwball comedies of the 1940s, and was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Writing and Best Music. The movie has been praised for its clever script, and for the chemistry between Cooper and Stanwyck.

From Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth, Richard Barthelmess
Rated Passed

Only Angels Have Wings is a 1939 American drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Rita Hayworth. Set in the small town of Barranca in South America, the film follows the story of a group of pilots, led by Grant's character, Geoff Carter, who work for the local airmail delivery service. Despite the dangerous conditions and lack of resources, the pilots are dedicated to their work and risk their lives to ensure the delivery of the mail. A new pilot, Bonnie Lee, arrives in town and quickly catches Geoff's eye, setting off a love triangle between them and Judy, Geoff's old flame. The story also features characters whose lives are strongly tied to the airmail service and the harsh realities of their work, making it a poignant tale of courage and dedication in a dangerous and unforgiving world.

From Jean-Pierre Melville, starring Roger Duchesne, Isabelle Corey, Daniel Cauchy, Guy Decomble
Rated PG

Bob le Flambeur is a classic French film noir about an aging gambler, Bob (played by Roger Duchesne), who is down on his luck. He hatches a plan to rob the casino in the wealthy Deauville neighborhood. To do this, he assembles a team of experts, including a driver, a locksmith, and a mathematician. But as Bob and his team move closer to the heist, police are also closing in, determined to stop them. In the end, Bob is left with a choice between a life of crime or a chance at redemption. With its memorable characters, stylish visuals, and suspenseful story, Bob le Flambeur has become an enduring classic and an influence on filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese.

From Robert Altman, starring Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden, Mark Rydell
Rated R

The Long Goodbye is an American neo-noir crime film directed by Robert Altman, based on Raymond Chandler's 1953 novel of the same name. It stars Elliott Gould as the wisecracking, laconic private eye Philip Marlowe. The plot follows Marlowe as he becomes entangled in the complex, mysterious circumstances surrounding his friend Terry Lennox's apparent suicide, and his subsequent investigation of the murder of a wealthy Mexican-American benefactor. The film is notable for its revision of the standard content and style of classic film noir, as well as its incorporation of 1970s counterculture elements. It received mixed reviews upon its initial release and has since gained a cult following, with many praising its darkly humorous tone and the performances of Gould and Sterling Hayden as the villainous Marty Augustine.

From John Boorman, starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, Carroll O'Connor
Rated Not Rated

From Blake Edwards, starring Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk
Rated Passed

From Michael Crichton, starring Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland, Lesley-Anne Down, Alan Webb
Rated PG