MovieChat Forums > Drugstore Cowboy (1989) Discussion > Best Van Sant film?

Best Van Sant film?

posted 14 years ago by Last_Entrance
14 replies | jump to latest

Anybody else think this is the best Van Sant film? (Well on a par with Elephant)
?

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[–] legendNYC 14 years ago

Maybe. "Your Own Private Idaho" is also very good.

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[–] SofaOnWheels 14 years ago

Ridiculous. Good Will Hunting was far and away his best film!

Elephant was garbage.

[–] Last_Entrance 14 years ago

I fail to see how my opinion is ridiculous but okay.

Yeah I like Good Will Hunting, a fantastic screenplay for sure, and a solid film.

Elephant was great! But not for everyone.

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[–] BarksdaleBaratheon 12 years ago

"Ridiculous. Good Will Hunting was far and away his best film!"

Just because Good Will Hunting was his most commercially successful film doesn't make it his best. Some even considered him selling out by making that.

[–] There_Will_Be_Plainview 14 years ago

I love this movie, but my favorite Van Sant movie (so far) is Paranoid Park.

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[–] preppy-3 14 years ago

For me it's a three way tie between "Good Will Hunting", "Milk" and "My Own Private Idaho". "Mala Noche" and this one are close though.

[–] yorktom58 13 years ago

Well thank's for the help guys. I've seen MOPI, Drugstore Cowboy and Gerry and thought they were all great (yes, even Gerry). I come here to decide which of his to watch next and you all pick a different film!

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] SeanJoyce 12 years ago

Having not seen Elephant, I'm going to declare that few directors in their lifetime make anything as astonishing as My Own Private Idaho. It's Van Sant at his most personal, creatively-inspired, and artistically-liberated, anchored by a remarkable performance from River Phoenix.

It's truly a breathtaking achievement with few peers. With Mala Noche and Drugstore Cowboy, he was just warming up. Since, despite a lot of fine work, he has never come close to scaling that summit. It's like everything came together for Van Sant with this one, and he spared no energy in throwing himself mind, body, and soul into it.

"...if that was off, I'd be whoopin' your ass up and down this street." ~ an irate Tarantino

[–] Ramoa 12 years ago

Good will Hunting. Inspiring & unforgettable.

[–] drexlermcstyles 10 years ago

I agree with the OP, this is his best work. Though My Private Idaho is not far behind, and neither is...... To Die For. Good Will Hunting?! That was his Spielberg movie..

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[–] Veritas_Lux_Mea 10 years ago

It is certainly my favorite of his films and one of the best performances Matt Dillon ever gave...Dillon is also good in Factotum.

[–] TheDurangoKid 8 years ago

Long time no post here, but no-one has mentioned Last Days.
I have seen several Van Sant films but am not particularly a fan of his, nor of Kurt Cobain (nor of heroin).
However, that film is a masterpiece of direction and editing.

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 8 years ago

I didn't really care for this film. His best is probably Elephant.

Good Will Hunting of course is the most mainstream and a film I really enjoy.

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