MICHAEL’S TOP 1980s ENSEMBLES IN 2011 FILMS

Those of you who know me know that I am a sucker for nostalgia, so when I was given the opportunity to simply invent a 2011-related list of some sort, I knew I had to give it a nostalgic slant. Since I lived my formative years in the 1980s (experiencing everything from my first kiss to my first car to my first … well, I’ll stop there), I began wondering what happened to all of those stars I saw in movies in the 1980s. I wondered what they were doing today.

It turns out they are doing A LOT! And they are doing it together!

Oh sure, there are stars from the Decade of Decadence who are the only major oldies-but-goodies in their respective 2011 films – people like Tom Cruise (Risky Business in 1983 and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in 2011); or Robert Downey Jr. (Weird Science in 1985 and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows in 2011); or Meryl Streep (Sophie’s Choice in 1983 and The Iron Lady in 2011).

But this list isn’t about individual longevity or greatness. Nor is it about artistic achievement or box office dominance. It’s pretty much just a celebration of Hollywood for employing the elderly in easy-to-manage herds. So, faster than you can say, “Soylent Green is people,” I present to you my youth … aged.

Checking in with six … SIX! … ‘80s throwbacks in its cast is Larry Crowne, starring:
Tom Hanks (Bachelor Party, 1984)
Julia Roberts (Mystic Pizza, 1988)
Rita Wilson (Volunteers, 1985)
Pam Grier (Above the Law, 1988)
George Takei (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 1982)
Dale Dye (Platoon, 1986)

Three films have employed five ‘80s stars. The first is Kung Fu Panda 2, featuring the voices of:
Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man, 1989)
Gary Oldman (Sid and Nancy, 1986)
Jackie Chan (Cannonball Run II, 1984)
Dennis Haysbert (Major League, 1989)
Jean-Claude Van Damme (Bloodsport, 1988)

The second is Margin Call, starring:
Stanley Tucci (Monkey Shines, 1988)
Kevin Spacey (Working Girl, 1988)
Jeremy Irons (Dead Ringers, 1988)
Demi Moore (St. Elmo’s Fire, 1989)
Mary McDonnell (Matewan, 1987)

The third is Rango, featuring the voices of:
Johnny Depp (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984)
Ned Beatty (Back to School, 1986)
Alfred Molina (Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981)
Stephen Root (Black Rain, 1989)
Harry Dean Stanton (Red Dawn, 1984)

Registering four ‘80s stars each is … Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, starring:
Alan Rickman (Die Hard, 1989)
Michael Gambon (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, 1989)
John Hurt ( History of the World Part I, 1981)
Helena Bonham Carter (Lady Jane, 1986)

… and …

Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Jim Carrey (Once Bitten, 1985)
Carla Gugino (Troop Beverly Hills, 1989)
Angela Lansbury (The Pirates of Penzance, 1983)
Jeffrey Tambor (Mr. Mom, 1983)

Finally, there were many, many films to choose from in the We-Employ-Three list, so rather than list them all, I thought I’d list the one that is both high on the 2011 domestic gross list (it’s #5 for the year) and stars someone with a solid 1980s pedigree. That’s why I went with …

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Johnny Depp (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984)
Geoffrey Rush (Twelfth Night, 1987)
Ian McShane (Cheaper to Keep Her, 1984)

I hope you enjoyed the list! Like, totally!