There are many movies with the theme of running away.. either running away from the bad guys or the good guys. There are many movies that come to mind but I have three that I want to mention because those were the first that came to mind. Plus one that I’ve already mentioned and will mention again, as a bonus.
1. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, 2002
There are so many good Leonardo DiCaprio roles but I think with Catch Me If You Can he had the most fun with. It’s the joy and playfulness of Frank Abagnale Jr. that allows us to connect with him all while he is breaking the law. And I like the twists and turns of his cons, and the fact that he did it all before he was 19 years old.
2. O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, 2000
For whatever reasons O Brother, Where Art Thou? is still one of those movies I keep forgetting but which I keep remembering every now and then. It’s that damn song that brings me back to it, and that quirky George Clooney performance which makes me smile. And the movie just has this feel good vibe I sometimes want to go back to.
3. THE AGE OF ADALINE, 2015
Alright, so this pick is sort of a long shot but it works, right? I mean, Adaline is on the run from her own past. Constantly changing her own name to keep herself from being discovered and it has always kept her away from everyone except her daughter. Compared to my other two picks it’s definitely less criminal but Adaline herself still symbolises a person running from something quite amazingly.
BONUS: The Fugitive, 1993
As mentioned last year, in regards to movies based on TV shows, The Fugitive fits another theme oh so well and I’ll take any excuse to list it again. It’s the perfect on the run movie because it’s the entire point of the movie. Plus, it has such great, veteran actors as leads, that you can’t say anything bad about it. Just, watch it now if you haven’t yet!
THIS SERIES IS CREATED BY WANDERING THROUGH THE SHELVES
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All great choices, especially The Age of Adaline.
Thank you so much!
I love Catch Me if You Can! Even though some of its subject matter is serious it’s handled with such a deft hand that the whole picture is FUN right from its very cool opening credits to its conclusion.
I liked O Brother but wasn’t overly swept away by it. Clooney was obviously having fun with his role and it had a nice period feeling it was just missing that extra something special.
I haven’t seen Age of Adaline yet but it’s on my list.
I’m a big fan of this genre which has so many choices available and the ones I chose are older but three of my favorites. All are on the heavier side so I included a comic extra for a bit of balance.
The Clouded Yellow (1950)-Fired and seeking tranquility after a case goes wrong British Secret Service agent David Somers (Trevor Howard) retreats to the Fenton country estate and a quiet job cataloging butterflies. Upon his arrival he meets and becomes enamored with the Fenton’s niece, the fragile Sophie (Jean Simmons). His peace is short-lived though when Sophie is framed for the murder of menacing handyman Hick. Escaping to London he uses his skills and a network of old friends to evade capture as both the police and the real murderer chase them across Britain as they attempt to flee to safety. Tidy thriller that benefits from location filming throughout England and a superior cast.
Dust Be My Destiny (1939)-Down on his luck but honest Joe Bell (John Garfield) gets into a fight with a crook and is sentenced to a work farm for 90 days. There he falls for Mabel Alden (Priscilla Lane), much to the displeasure of her stepfather Charles Garreth (Stanley Ridges) the farm’s foreman. Goaded into a fight Joe knocks Garreth out and the panicked pair flee. To avoid suspicion and hard up for cash the couple endure an audience wedding then learn Garreth has died and Joe is wanted for his murder. Moving from town to town to elude capture they try to build a new life when Joe get a job as a photographer on a newspaper after capturing pictures of fleeing bank robbers but destiny is still on their trail. Solid Warner Bros. social issue drama with two excellent lead performances.
You Only Live Once (1937)-Ex-con Eddie Taylor (Henry Fonda), recently released due to the influence of his fiancée Joan (Sylvia Sidney) the public defender’s secretary, attempts to stay to the straight and narrow after they marry. Things go wrong however when he’s accused and convicted for a bank robbery he didn’t commit in which six people were killed. Sentenced to fry in the electric chair he escapes on the eve of execution with the aid of a smuggled gun, accidentally killing the prison chaplain while fleeing. Taking Joan with him they go on the lam but only tragedy lays ahead. Bleak Fritz Lang directed film, an amalgam of the Bonnie & Clyde legend and Lang’s reaction to his first wife’s embrace of Nazism, is considered the precursor to film noir.
Lighthearted Extra-Midnight Run (1988)-Fun adventure comedy/buddy film of bounty hunter Robert DeNiro taking fugitive mob accountant Charles Grodin cross country to collect his reward and dogged every step of the way by the FBI, Mafia and other bounty hunters all of whom want Grodin for reasons of their own. DeNiro & Grodin have a spiky exasperated chemistry with each other that adds greatly to the comedy of the situation.
I haven’t seen the Age of Adeline but like your other choices. Catch Me if You Can is well acted and the real man is brilliant. O Brother is a quirky film putting the story of Ulysses into more modern times. The Fugitive is a fun action film and I did enjoy the original TV show
Catch Me If You Can is so fun. I never got around to seeing The Age of Adeline, even though it got pretty good reviews. Someday. lol
Worth the watch for sure, I’d recommend it for a rainy day.. or a cold afternoon. 😀
YEY The Fugitive! Though I still don’t understand how Jones won with Fiennes that year
Yay! But indeed, it’s an interesting award win for sure.
Catch Me If You Can is such a great pick!
Thank you so much!! It felt like the perfect fit as well.
Sorry I’m on a bit of a comment marathon with your blog today. I miss a week of commenting, and this is what happens. lol Love all of these picks! Catch Me If You Can is one of Leo’s best, and same for O’ Brother Where Art Thou for George Clooney. I really need to give The Age of Adaline another chance since I wasn’t too crazy about it the first time ’round.
It’s awesome, don’t apologize for it! 😀
I love The Age of Adaline.. it’s a very sophisticated rom-com if you strip away the sci-fi element of it.. I mean, books with flower names instead of flowers!? Camon!!! That is amazing! 😀
Forgot how good Catch Me If You Can is, of course has some of the best opening titles.
True! And I agree, there’s lots of good in that movie, including the opening titles!