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Ten Best List for the Year 1966
- And Now Miguel -- An engaging portrayal of a year in the life of a small boy (Pat Cardi) in New Mexico whose only wish is to become a shepherd like his father (Michael Ansara). Produced by Robert B. Radnitz and based on Joseph Krumgold's prize-winning novel, the film emphasizes the strength of Hispanic family life rooted in mutual love and respect. The natural beauty of the terrain and the naturalistic acting of the cast convey a satisfying sense of reality to this story of a pastoral family. A-I-general patronage (Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America) 1966
- Born Free -- Endearing wildlife story of an African game warden (Bill Travers), his wife (Virginia McKenna) and Elsa, their pet lion who, when grown, must be taught teach how to survive in the jungle rather than being confined in a zoo. Director James Hill relishes the natural beauty of the Kenyan game preserve and gets warm prformances from the leads but nothing can stop Elsa from stealing the picture. Splendid family fare. A-I-general patronage (Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America) 1966
- Georgy Girl -- Tragicomedy of a good-hearted, awkward young woman (Lynn Redgrave) who tries to make a life of her own after her friends (Alan Bates and Charlotte Rampling) break up and leave her to care for their neglected child. Under Silvio Narizzano's direction, Redgrave brings warmth and credibility to the title role, with James Mason adding a wry, slightly self-mocking performance as the aging millionaire who has long pursued her. Frank treatment of sexual matters. A-IV-adults with reservations (Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America) 1966
- The Gospel According to St. Matthew -- Straight-forward Italian dramatization of the evangelist's account of the life of Jesus and His message of salvation. It succeeds exceptionally well in placing the viewer within the Gospel events, avoiding the artificiality of most biblical movie epics. Director Pier Paolo Pasolini is completely faithful to the text while employing the visual imagination necessary for his realistic interpretation. English subtitles. A-I-general patronage (Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America) 1966
- A Man for All Seasons -- Engrossing drama of the last seven years in the life of Thomas More, Henry VIII's chancellor, who met a martyr's death rather than compromise his conscience during a period of religious turmoil. Robert Bolt's script is masterfully directed by Fred Zinnemann, with a standout performance by Paul Scofield in the title role, among other notable performances from a uniformly fine cast. The historical dramatization achieves an authentic human dimension that makes its 16th-century events more accessible and its issues more universal. Profoundly entertaining but heavy-going for children. A-I-general patronage (G) 1966
- The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming -- Inspired farce built around the accidental grounding of a Russian submarine off the coast of Cape Cod. Producer-director Norman Jewison ably handles a fine cast including Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Jonathan Winters and Paul Ford. The movie's satire can be appreciated at several levels and will be enjoyed by the whole family. A-I-general patronage (Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America) 1966
- The Sand Pebbles -- Steve McQueen stars as a hardbitten member of the crew of an American gunboat assigned to Chinese waters in 1926 to protect U.S. commercial interests by its presence during a time of social and political unrest. Director Robert Wise manages to sustain interest and suspense almost to the end of this convoluted epic which is mostly a serious, sometimes grim study of the causes and effects of intervention by one country in the affairs of another. Some rather intense violence. A-III-adults (PG) 1966
- Shakespeare Wallah -- Director James Ivory's gentle study of the old and the new in modern India centers around an itinerant group of Shakespearean actors who find it difficult to bridge the gap between the old Anglo-Indian past and the changing values of the new India. One of the highlights is its ironic contrast between the romantic notions of a young English actress (Felicity Kendal) and the materialism of an Indian movie star to whom she is attracted. Many adults will find it an utterly disarming picture of a culture in transition. A-III-adults (Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America) 1966
- The Shop on Main Street -- Czechoslovakian tragicomedy of life under a puppet Nazi regime sensitively details the unusual friendship that develops between a simple man (Josef Kroner) and an elderly Jewish widow (Ida Kaminska) over whose botton shop he has been appointed "Aryan Controller." Director Jan Kadar draws the situation with a loving sense of human character that helps underscore the movie's condemnation of moral passivity in the face of inhumanity. Subtitles. A-III-adults (Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America) 1966
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe? -- Director Mike Nichols' adaptation of the Edward Albee play amounts to a high-then-low-level encounter group session involving two college faculty couples who thrash out their bitterness and frustrations during a semi-drunken evening. The main event features Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor who are old veterans of marital bouts, while George Segal and Sandy Dennis are rank amateurs, and as the tension mounts and they begin going for each other's throats, verbally, the air turns rather blue. The very nature of the movie, with its rough language and unsavory slice of married life and human relationships needs an adult's perception for full comprehension and understanding. It is definitely not an entertainment for the casual viewer. A-IV-adults with reservations (Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America) 1966
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