At the tender eld of four , a freckle - faced son with a toothy smiling began a moving-picture show career that would last several decades . America would soon arrive to acknowledge Ron Howard as a loveable little tike onThe Andy Griffith Showand afterwards as a loveable teenager onHappy years , two of the most democratic shows in the history of television . But Howard was n’t contented to be an histrion ; he had dreams of directing . With a penchant for state a dependable news report , Ron Howard has been criticize for sometimes being too schmalzy , but you ca n’t fault him for having a nitty-gritty – and legion of moving-picture show fans prove that , whacky or not , Howard ’s heart is in the correct office .
1. Splash (1984)
Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah ace in this picture about a new man in beloved with a mermaid . Splashmade a bundle for Disney ’s new Touchstone division and was the studio ’s most successful live - action feature film up to that prison term . burgeon star Hanks took the function of Allen ( after it was turned down by John Travolta and Bill Murray ) , then watched as it launched him as one of Hollywood ’s most pop adept . With Splash , Ron Howard proved his power to warm audience ’s hearts while keeping them laughing .
2. Cocoon (1985)
Hot on the heels of the mermaid love storey , Ron Howard call for on another seemingly too - freaky - to - body of work game and made a hit out of it . In 1985 , audiences watched a bunch of older hoi polloi discover the jet of youth in a swim pool concern byaliens . Not only did the uplifting movie go over well with audiences of all ages , the Academy saw an animate performance by lead Don Ameche and gave him the Best Supporting ActorOscarin 1986 . Another Oscar lead to the special effects team that worked onCocoon– incredibly enough , those foggy , glow foreigner from the mid-1980s still hold up in today ’s world of computer - generated imagery .
3. Willow (1988)
If you were a kid in the eighties , chances are undecomposed you sawWillowat least once . This sci - fi / phantasy write up , compose by George Lucas , survey the adventures of a midget husbandman and amateur magician name Willow as he attempts to deliver a babe princess from death at the hands of evil fagot Bavmorda . With the assistance of a swordsman named Madmartigan ( played by Val Kilmer ) , Willow executes his quest with courageousness , will , and more than a few lucky breaks . The moving picture did pretty well at the box post , but not well enough for a continuation . Willowwas a big break for Ron Howard , who , until the movie ’s outlet , had been stamp as a director of abstemious drollery .
4. Parenthood (1989)
Producer Brian Grazer , along with writers Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz , team up up with Ron Howard to germinate this taradiddle , loosely establish on their own experience as parent . Steve Martin stars as a pitiful dad with a wildly extended middle - family mob , including Dianne Wiest as a frazzle mother of two , Rick Moranis as a type - A father , Jason Robards as Grandpa , and a host of other quirky theatrical role . Parenthoodwas a hit , grossing more than $ 100 million , a coup for a part - drive , non - action moving picture at the time .
5. Backdraft (1991)
Ron Howard established himself as a bona fide megahit conductor withBackdraftin 1991 . The story follows a brace of fire - fighting brothers as they work and toil in the Chicago Fire Department . Kurt Russell and William Baldwin ace as the brothers who play true cat and creep with a orphic firebug . Robert De Niro star as the write out - the - crap arson investigator and Donald Sutherland shines as his creepy-crawly bane . While some of the line inBackdraftare a little heavily - handed , the filming of the fire is substantiation of Howard ’s directorial artistry . The ardour itself was often cite by critic as being the most interesting character in the film .
6. Far and Away (1992)
Years before he was lambasted for his frenzied behavior , Tom Cruise and then - wife Nicole Kidman made a respectable motion picture with Ron Howard about two immature Irish immigrant in the Oklahoma Territory in the late 19th century . life history is operose for the young brace , but with making love on their side , anything is possible . Well , except for good review and a bighearted box office staff draw . ThoughFar and Awayhad many fans , the studio was let down with the corner power replication and confound about why it was n’t a giving bang . After all , Cruise and Kidman were huge stars at the time , and Howard had more than established his report .
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7. Apollo 13 (1995)
Not much care was paid to the many moon missions in the age follow the first lunar landing – until something went wrong . Apollo 13is base on the genuine level ofNASAastronauts Lovell , Haise , and Swigert , who encounter massive technical trouble when hark back to Earth . The phrase " Houston , we have a job " develop on this deputation and is deliver by Tom Hanks ’s Lovell in this bound - of - your - backside motion picture . The rest of the cast includes Bill Paxton , Kevin Bacon , Gary Sinise , Ed Harris , and Kathleen Quinlan . Apollo 13was a summertime blockbuster , raking in more than $ 175 million at the box government agency and score twoOscars .
8. Ransom (1996)
Mel Gibson stars in this mod remake of a 1956 flick of the same name . Gibson plays Tom Mullen , the wealthy father of a of late kidnapped son . When theFBI’splan goes wrong , Mullen takes matters into his own mitt by going on home television to offer up a mess to anyone who can bring his Logos safely home . It ’s a wild marriage offer and the film takes audiences through a the great unwashed of twists and turns before the resolution . Ransomwasn’t an Oscar contender , but it pleased audiences nonetheless , drag in almost $ 140 million .
9. EdTV (1999)
In the early day of reality TV , even Ron Howard jump on the bandwagon . EdTVis the story of television system manufacturer Cynthia ( act as by Ellen DeGeneres ) , who believes that the way to redeem her station ’s ratings is to beam a someone ’s animation , 24 hour a twenty-four hour period , 7 day a week . Matthew McConaughey plays the feckless Ed Pekurny , whose life starts out passably normal but does n’t stay that means for long . It ’s a commixture of love story , ethics play , and societal comment , but it did n’t make a vast impression at the box business office .
10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Theodor Geisel , better known as Dr. Seuss , wrote the children ’s bookHow the Grinch Stole Christmasin 1957 . After countless attempts to create a live - action film version were denied by Geisel , Howard won the luck to take an adaptation of this zany but magic chronicle of repurchase and the conjuring trick of Christmas . Jim Carrey plays the Grinch , a large , green monster who steals the present of the defenseless Who s of Whoville . Carrey ’s makeup and costume were notoriously awful , requiring three hours in the makeup professorship each day . But it pay off for the makeup artist – they won an Oscar for their campaign and the costume section was also nominate for their work . The movie did fairly well at the box office , gross $ 260 million , but critics did n’t find much to like – it ’s sturdy to ameliorate on Seuss , even if your name is Ron Howard .
In his latest stretch of films , Ron Howard made some introspective dramas . study about them in the next few pages .
11. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Ron Howard showcased his passion of a good underdog story in this biopic about mathematician John Nash . The picture follow the genius Nash as he settle deeper and profoundly into paranoia after the U.S. political science asks him to facilitate break Soviet codes – it does n’t facilitate that Nash is a diagnose schizophrenic . Only his married woman , Alicia , played by Jennifer Connelly ( in the role that garnered her anOscar ) , can aid bring him back to world . A Beautiful Mindswept the box office and the Oscars , make Howard his first Best Director and Best Picture awards , and pick up an award for Best Screenplay . You ’ve come a tenacious way , Opie .
12. Cinderella Man (2005)
In 2005 , Ron Howard brought Depression - era prizefighter Jim Braddock ’s liveliness story to the fully grown silver screen . The film receive external accolade for its nuanced performances and what many matt-up was flawless death penalty . The tale is dramatic : As an wiped out ex-wife - packer work unmated Job , Braddock was unable to plunk for his family during the bleak Day of the Great Depression . In a genuine - grit change of heart , the combatant step into the ring again and goes on to become a true underdog legend . Russell Crowe star as Braddock , Renée Zellwegger plays his married woman , and Paul Giamatti pull in an Oscar nod as Braddock ’s manager , Joe Gould .
13. The Da Vinci Code (2006)
If you desire to cause controversy , interrogate the whole foundation of Christianity via numerology , secret societies , and theMona Lisa . Dan Brown ’s novel came first , sell around 60 million copies before Ron Howard released his motion-picture show version ofThe Da Vinci Codein 2006 . Tom Hanks stars as Robert Langdon , a symbologist caught up in the midsection of a slaying mystery with ancient implications . He is wait on / thwarted by Gallic worker Audrey Tatou and Jean Reno and British star Ian McKellen . The Da Vinci Codescored serious hype before its release and take the highest - gross alien start in history , raking in $ 152.6 million in its first Clarence Shepard Day Jr. in theater around the existence . The film captures rarely seen look-alike of Paris ’s Louvre museum and the story , which is full of twists , turns , and machination , is captivating even if you do n’t buy into the premise .
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Helen Davies , Marjorie Dorfman , Mary Fons , Deborah Hawkins , Martin Hintz , Linnea Lundgren , David Priess , Julia Clark Robinson , Paul Seaburn , Heidi Stevens , and Steve Theunissen
