61. The Ice Storm

The strength of a family depends on how well it can communicate and act as a unit. When that communication breaks down, so does the family -- even if its members refuse to acknowledge it. Set in 1973, Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm is a beautifully tragic morality tale about the consequences of poor family communication. Or in this case, no communication at all.

The 1970s were a time of moral transition. The Watergate scandal and the ensuing fallout proved that America wasn’t all good and pure. Trust was a thing of a bygone era. Moral values were forever changed. On the surface, Ben (Kevin Kline) and Elena Hood (Joan Allen) lead a normal, middle-class life. They’ve got two kids and a nice house. The only thing they’re missing is a furry pet and love. Over the course of the Thanksgiving holiday, Ben and Elena’s refusal to acknowledge their problems comes to a head. Lee puts them on the verge of falling apart completely for the entire length of the film, but refuses to let them escape.

The Ice Storm is a haunting tale of innocence lost that’s loaded with symbols, nuance and subtext lurking just beneath the surface. Instead of getting preachy, Lee allows the story to play itself out and effectively makes his point that communication is a necessary ingredient for family life. (Ryan Cracknell)