We asked 65 African-American industry players to tell us about the film that had the greatest impact on their personal lives.
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1. Samuel L. Jackson (actor, The Long Kiss Goodnight, A Time To Kill). "When I saw Street Smart, I was deeply affected by Morgan Freeman's performance. That movie definitely inspired me. I hope some day to be as effective in my work as Morgan was in that movie, and I hope I might move people just as deeply."
2. Carl Franklin (director, One False Move, Devil in a Blue Dress). "The movie that changed my life was On the Waterfront. I saw it on television for the first time when I was eight or nine. It's not the kind of movie I would ordinarily have been interested in at that age. For one thing, it was in black and white. It was drab-looking. But I was magnetized, I was blown away by Brando. I had never seen anyone like him. I would trace the fact that I went into this business back to that movie."
3. Alfre Woodard (actress, Crooklyn, How to Make an American Quilt). "My answer could go in two entirely different directions. I could tell you how Creature From the Black Lagoon kept me awake and on my guard well into young adulthood. Or I could tell you this: I was 16 years old when I first saw The Battle of Algiers and it was a nervous-making experience. Before I had only known movies to entertain me (laugh, cry, barf or dream) or tell me something I already knew. This film was an unflinching look at a people's complex struggle for self-rule. Never before had the effect of colonization and its relationship to me appeared so immediate. Black liberation was what I saw I wanted, and see-ing the price that some contemporary people paid for it was sobering. I understood, mainly, the power of the medium of film and that made me nervous. It is one of those essential things that must be approached with the respect one would have when, say, working with explosives."
4. Stephanie Allain (president of production, Jim Henson Pictures). "The Godfather was the first movie I saw where I had also read the book. The transition from page to screen was revelatory. It showed me that a movie starts on the page but grows bigger and better than what you could possibly visualize from the page."
5. John Singleton (director, Higher Learning, Boyz N The Hood). "The Godfather was the movie that changed my life. I consider it the quintessential American film."
6. Eriq La Salle (actor, "ER"; director, Rebound: The Legend of Earl the Goat Manigault). "The Godfather was definitely the movie that had the greatest impact on me. As a director, I'm sure there's going to be a little piece of The Godfather in anything I do."
7. Topper Carew (producer, "Martin," DC. Cab). "My two favorite films are about change. The Godfather is one, because it stresses the importance of family, no matter what the situation. Whatever changes are taking place inside or outside the family, that story points up that the sense of family must be maintained. The other movie is Eddie Murphy's film debut, 48 HRS. It was the first time I saw a black comic take control of an event rather than react to it. My favorite comic, Richard Pryor, always ran from the action, whereas Eddie Murphy would always walk up to it. That film mixed comedy and action in a way that had never been seen before."
8. Kevin Hooks (actor, Sounder, director, Fled). "At first I was going to say The Godfather, but in thinking about it, the film that really had the most profound impact on me was Sounder, and not just because I was in it. When I made the movie I was 13, and I didn't really appreciate it fully. I knew it was a landmark film-- it was one of the first to address the African-American experience in a significant way--but I was not able to understand the complete nuances and sub-texts until I got older. In fact, I've watched it over and over again as my life has progressed, and it's been interesting to grow up with that movie. The relationship between Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield is some-thing I didn't understand until I was an adult. That film has such strong family values, which is what it has in common with The Godfather. To me, family is at the heart of everything,"
9. Dianne Houston (director of the Oscar-nominated short, Tuesday Morning Ride). "The movie that most influenced me when I was growing up was Sounder, It was a beautiful story and it was beautifully shot. But it also impressed me because it featured people of color. It was the first time I could relate directly to the characters onscreen."
10. Reggie Rock Bythewood (screenwriter, Get On the Bus). "I first saw Sounder when I was about 12 years old. That movie meant a lot to me. It is a love story/social commentary/coming-of-age story rolled up in one. After seeing it, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would be involved in film-making and try to do work that would raise people's consciousness. My only regret is that I never got a dog like Sounder."
11. Whoopi Goldberg (actress, Ghosts of Mississippi, The Associate). "Every movie I've ever seen has had an effect on me. I love the movies, and always have."
12. Blair Underwood (actor, "High Incident," Set It Off). "The first time I was inspired by a film and affected emotionally was when I saw The Spook Who Sat By the Door at a film festival when I was 15 years old. It was directed by Ivan Dixon in the '70s, and it made me look at life and survival from a completely different perspective. I was influenced by its humanitarian and political insights, which are as relevant today as they were back then."
13. Arsenio Hall (actor, Blankman, Coming to America). "I saw Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments when I was a young child. The casting of legendary screen gangster Edward G. Robinson in a biblical film damaged me severely. It changed my life. I've been in therapy ever since."
14. Glenn Plummer (actor, Speed 2, Showgirls). "The film that most affected my life was Cooley High, specifically the character played by Glynn Turman, 'Preach.' In the film, he's the only char-acter who got out. Preach never said that he was getting out, he just knew he could. Everyone but Preach was afraid to go. Preach made me feel I could go, too."
15. Sinbad (actor, The Cherokee Kid, Jingle All the Way). "There are so many movies that changed me, but the two that were the most important taught me to follow your dreams. I've seen Cornbread, Earl and Me about 20 times. When I was young, it influenced me to play ball harder. But after I saw Cooley High the first time, I knew I wanted to act. Glynn Turman makes it out, but you know because his friends have died, it's not going to be the same for him. Oh, when Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs died in that movie. I just cried and cried."
16. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (actor, Cooley High, The Jacksons: An American Dream). "The movie that changed my life was Edge of the City, which I saw when I was five or six. I admired Sidney Poitier's strength, resourceful-ness, intelligence, and the fact that he was willing to help anybody--anybody who respected him, that is. I was only a little kid, but he was me--he was like an older brother I looked up to."
17. Gregory Hines (actor, Waiting to Exhale, The Cotton Club). "Almost every movie with Sidney Poitier had a tremendous impact on me. The one that really got me was Edge of the City. When that came on The Million Dollar Movie, I must have watched it twice a day, every day that week. After that, I went to see every one of his movies. At the lime I was in a dance act with my brother and wasn't even thinking about acting. But seeing Sidney Poitier, I thought maybe one day I could do what he was doing. He was a role model in the truest sense. He never let anybody down."
18. Jasmine Guy (actress, Slash, "A Different World"). "My thanks have to go to Ted Turner, whose love of the classics kept Sidney Poitier's films alive for me to see on cable television. I was just a sentimental babe who loved The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins before I saw To Sir, With Love and Raisin in the Sun. Those two movies, and Poitier's performances in them, inspired me to act."
19. LeVar Burton (actor, Star Trek Generations, Roots). "I remember when I was about six there was this huge excitement in our house about going to see Sidney Poitier in Lilies of the Field. My parents thought it critically important that my sisters and I see one of our own up there on the big screen. It was rare to see a black man starring in a major motion picture, let alone for one to have above-the-title billing. Sidney Poitier's portrayal of a strong black man who lived life on his own terms, with quiet grace and dignity, greatly influenced my own desire to do the same."
20. RuPaul (actor, Fled, "The RuPaul Show"). "The Diana Ross movie Mahogany had a profound effect on me as a kid. A rags-to-riches story of a ghetto girl making it big in the glamorous world of high fashion--sound familiar? You're damn right, I've patterned my life after that movie!"
21. Troy Beyer (actress/writer, B.A.P.s, Eddie). "When I saw Mahogany, I wanted to be a star like Diana Ross. She was so beautiful and elegant--the ultimate diva. It was that movie that made me want to go into show business. I can still sing ail of 'Do You Know Where You're Going To?' In fact, I sang it when I auditioned for The Cotton Club, Unfortunately, I auditioned right after Whitney Houston, so I didn't get the part."
22. David Alan Grier (actor, McHale's Navy, Jumanji). "I have two. The first is The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Charles Laughton. He accomplished, in that one performance, everything I ever hope to accomplish as an actor. The other, even though there are few African Americans in it, is The Best Years of Our Lives. It's one of the best movies ever made, and it captures the essence of the American experience."
23. Natalie Cole (singer, Stardust; actress, "I'll Fly Away"). "The Women is probably my favorite movie in the whole wide world. It's an amazing movie for a number of reasons, most importantly because it's about women. I will never forget Norma Shearer's quote at the end of the film: 'No pride at all. That's a luxury a woman in love can't afford.' That really hit home."
24. Reuben Cannon (producer, Get On the Bus). "The movie that's inspired me the most is Get On the Bus, which is the first feature that I've produced. For the past 15 years, my mission has been to see that small-budget films get made which show the diversity of the African-American community that you never get to see in movies. This story of 15 black men in the Million Man March showed such diverse types of African-American guys, I felt compelled to get the story on the screen. After Spike Lee said to me, 'I'll direct it if you raise the money,' I went out and raised all the money from friends like Danny Glover, Will Smith and Wesley Snipes. Because of a negative pick-up deal, I was able to return all the investors' money before the film opened. Hopefully, this deeply gratify-ing experience will inspire others to realize their dreams."
25. Stacey Dash (actress, "Clueless," Cold Around the Heart). "Excalibur is not just my favorite film, it also inspires me. I love all the wisdom that Merlin is always laying down on Arthur, and I carry it around in my head. Because I've got no patience at all, I find it really helps to recall Merlin's advice: 'Be still,"'
26. Vondie Curtis-Hall (actor, Passion Fish; director, Gridlock). "Sometimes the movies that have the biggest impact on you are not necessarily the greatest movies of all time. I was an actor on Broadway when I saw She's Gotta Have It. At that point you didn't see that many black actors and you certainly didn't see many black directors. To see Spike Lee get out and make a funny, innovative movie was really inspirational. The following year I went to film school. I thought I'd like to try to bring my experiences to the screen. So She's Gotta Have It definitely changed my life."
27. Lisa Canning (correspondent, "Entertainment Tonight"). 'The movie that changed my life was Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It. It wasn't an epiphany or anything, but it was one of the few females leads who I recognized as an African-American woman."
28. Russell Simmons (cochair, Def Pictures; producer, The Nutty Professor). "I have to say The Mack really had an impact on me. It made us all want to grow up to be pimps. I'm joking, but I really loved the fun and energy of that movie and the terrific cast of people like Richard Pryor and Max Julien."
29. Max Julien (actor, The Mack; author, Dark Clowns Kickin' Ass). "Probably the movie that had the most effect on me was The Birth of a Nation. I saw it when I was a kid and I was offended by it. My family taught us African-American history, so I was very upset by the film's inaccuracies of our history. The Birth of a Nation motivated me to want to alter things. After seeing it, I decided that when I grew up I was going to make films to help correct that."
30. Wynn Thomas (production designer, Mars Attacks!, Malcolm X). "At the tender age of 13, I saw Tennessee Williams's Summer and Smoke. It's a wonderful but sad story of Alma, the local preacher's daughter and town spinster, played by the brilliant Geraldine Page. She's in love with her neighbor across the lawn, the sexy and socially reckless Dr. John, played by the always moody Laurence Harvey. I was at the beginning of my insecure teenage years, and I completely related to the plain and sexually repressed Alma. I was shocked that a movie could convey such strong emotions, and that a movie could capture the very same emotions I was feeling at that time. That viewing of Summer and Smoke changed my life. I decided I had to be involved with a business that could communicate with people on such a stark and emotional level. It was at the age of 13 that I decided that I would one day work in the movie business."
31. Sharlette Hambrick (coordinating producer, "Entertainment Tonight"; producer, Ink). "The movie that affected me the most was Imitation of Life. Which version? I love them both. Watching the desire of that young woman who wants so desperately to fit in--and what that desperation costs her--brings tears to my eyes to this day. My mother and I used to watch that movie and cry like you can't believe. Years later, when I left to go to Hollywood, my mother's one piece of advice was, 'Be yourself.'"
32. Keith Jackson (actor, Reggie's Prayer; tight end, Green Bay Packers). "Imitation of Life showed that no matter what happens in life, you must always remember where you came from. Every time I see that movie, it makes me cry."
33. Tyger Williams (screenwriter, Menace II Society). "Star Wars was the first non-Disney movie that I saw, and it changed my life. I was amazed by the epic scope of it, and I was moved by the story of a conflicted hero and how the saga played out with his father. That movie made me say: 'I want to tell stories one day.'"
34. Lynne Moody (actress, "Knots Landing," Roots I and II). "I saw Peter Pan when I was a little girl, and it changed my life. I still haven't grown up, I'm still trying to fly, and I'm still looking for Never Neverland."
35. Reginald Hudlin (director, House Party, Boomerang). "Tommy by Ken Russell was the movie that tipped me over and made me think I had to make movies. When I was a kid, I listened to Motown records and wondered why they didn't make movies to go along with the music. When I saw Tommy, I thought: finally, someone made a contemporary music movie. It wasn't playing in my neighborhood in St. Louis. I had to take two or three buses to get to a suburban theater to see it. I even bought the album. It cost a lot, and it was a 'white' album, but I had to have it. I know that's not the typical movie that people study in film school. But I think a lot of filmmakers are living to make a musical. I desperately want to make a rock opera like Tommy."
36. Warrington Hudlin (producer, House Party, Boomerang). "Sweet Sweetback's Baud Asssss Song by Melvin Van Peebles is the movie that inspired me to become a filmmaker. When I sat in the theater in 1971 watching this film, two things struck me profoundly: one is that African Americans can make movies, and two, we can change what the movies say."
37. Preston Holmes (president, Def Pictures; producer, Malcolm X). "Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song changed my life in a couple of ways. When I saw it, I was in college debating whether to leapfrog into a career in the movie business. That film showed me it was possible, Melvin Van Peebles faced a lot of obstacles getting the film made, but he triumphed. He released it himself in a four-wall strategy, made quite a bit of money and he instigated the whole blaxploitation craze of the '70s. He proved there was an audience starved for films about black experience. Beyond that, the boldness and militance of the film's message inspired me."
38. Mario Van Peebles (actor, Solo; director, New Jack City). "This may sound like blatant nepotism, but the movie that changed my life was my dad's movie, Sweet Sweetback's Baud Asssss Song. I acted in that movie as a kid. I carried cable. I was there when the whole crew got arrested because the authorities didn't believe that minorities could have camera equipment unless they stole it. I think that movie broke down barriers for the next generation. It showed a lot of us that we could be film-makers. Sweetback opened the doors for New Jack City and Boyz N the Hood, So it's important to me as a son, as a member of the human community, the African-American community, and the future filmmaking community."
39. Regina King (actress, Jerry Maguire, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate). "It seems timely that a movie that had a profound effect on me--both now and then--was Juice, which starred my friend Tupac Shakur. In the role of 'Bishop,' Tupac showed an energy and determination that was present both in his life and the lives of so many young men today. Juice exemplifies the daily struggles we encounter and the conviction that we need to over-come our obstacles."
40. Bo Jackson (actor, The Chamber, former baseball player, Kansas City Royals; football player, Los Angeles Raiders). "The Color Purple had the greatest impact on me. The final scene when Celie and Nettie are united and running toward each other in the flower field reminds you of the family connection and why family is important."
41. Rob Moore (actor, Jerry Maguire; wide receiver, Arizona Cardinals). "The film that changed my life was The Color Purple, for its sense of commitment, family, and most of all for its depiction of domestic violence--which ultimately shows a woman's strength and her ability to stand up for herself."
42. Eartha Kitt (singer; actress, Anna Lucasta, Boomerang). "What movie changed my life? Life changed my life! But I can say that Orson Welles's Citizen Kane had a tremendous effect on me. That film showed me that just because you're rich, you're not necessarily happy. My family is the most important pan of my life, and the movie's theme about materialism really gave me food for thought."
43. Tony Puryear (screenwriter, Eraser, founder, Black Rebel Digits multimedia company). "I saw Blade Runner 41 times when it came out. It's a great example of how movies can do things that novels can't, that television can't, that no other medium can do. Blade Runner made me want to make films."
44. Rose Jackson (actress, Dead Presidents, "The Crew"). "Although just a movie, Beaches reminded me of the importance of friendship. I saw it several years ago with a coworker, who from that day forward became my very best girlfriend."
45. Michael G. Moye (producer, DreamWorks SKG; cocreator, "Married...With Children"). "I'd have to say Dead Presidents. It brought home the old adage: 'We have seen the enemy, and he is us.'"
46. Bokeem Woodbine (actor, Dead Presidents, Edwards and Hunt: The First American Road Trip). "The Outsiders was one of my favorites when I was coming up. What endeared me to it was the fact that, although it had a tragic ending, the story gave birth to a new life for one of the characters. It makes you sad that a lot of Ponyboy's friends have died at the end, but even so, you're happy that he's going to be moving on to a better life."
47. Jaki Brown-Karman (casting director, Waiting to Exhale, Boyz N the Hood). "When my former partner Toni Livingston and I received the script of Stand and Deliver from producers Tom Musca and Ramon Menendez, I just flipped out. I said to myself. 'This is the kind of film I do this work for.' It was a Rocky story for kids in the 'hood, with a Cinderella ending. It changed my stand-ing as a casting director and gave me credibility in the industry. It's a film I will always be proud to be a part of--it changed people's lives."
48. Dolores Robinson (personal manager, Dolores Robinson Entertain-ment). "Well, I'm a strange bird and, also, a very biased bird, but two movies that moved me tremendously are Enchanted April and Sleepers. The very, very sweet Enchanted April is my favorite movie in the whole wide world. But I was also moved deeply by Sleepers--to see what those boys went through and then to see, ultimately, how it ended. I admit I'm biased: I do represent somebody in Sleepers [Jason Patric]. But whether I did or not, it's a very moving movie."
49. Holly Robinson Peete (actress, "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper," The Jacksons: An American Dream). "The movie that changed my life was Blazing Saddles. One of the stars of that movie was the late Cleavon Little, who was a close family friend. When we were broke, he let my family live at his house in Malibu for free. It was at his home that I saw my first video--_Blazing Saddles_--and I must have seen it 100 times. Not only is it brilliant, but it makes me laugh. Mainly, though, it reminds me of Cleavon, who made a big difference in my life. For years, I used that movie as a litmus test for guys I dated. If they thought it was funny, then they were in. My husband, Rodney Peete, is the only person I know who loves Blazing Saddles as much as I do. Whenever we need a lift, we watch it together, and we can recite the entire movie line for line."
50. Downtown Julie Brown (hostess, El's "The Gossip Show"). "The movie that made a big difference to me was The World According to Garp. It was a story about a woman who did what she wanted to do, no matter what. The story led you through a man's view of this strong and remarkable woman. He felt she was interesting instead of intimidating--and I thought that was inspiring."
51. Suzzanne Douglas (actress, The Inkwell, Tap). "The Sound of Music has always been a great inspiration to me. Looking at the movie, I still feel as though as I am looking in a mirror--the same way I did as a child--especially when Maria and her family flee the Nazis' persecution. I remember feeling so proud of my own mother because she was just like Maria; she would do any-thing to save her family. Our family liter-ally fled the projects of Chicago. Like Maria, my mother was determined to hold fast to her courage and strength, to raise her family with hope, and pass on her inspired ability to dream."
52. Dennis Haysbert (actor, Love Field, Waiting to Exhale). "The Young Lions was the first time I had ever seen a movie where a Nazi was portrayed as a human being. Marlon Brando created a character of such depth. I saw the film for the first time when I was a kid, and I've seen it many times since then. It had a lot to do with awakening my interest in acting. Then I would have to say Clint Eastwood's films also had a big impact on me because we were exactly the same height, and I realized a tall actor had a shot."
53. Sheryl Lee Ralph (actress, Bogus, "Moesha"). "The color and the beauty of Black Orpheus gave me great joy as a child. The music was so uplift-ing and the film had these beautiful black Brazilian dancers. I can't tell you what it meant to me seeing a film about black people who were so powerful. No other movie gave me so much hope in such a positive way."
54. Loretha C. Jones (producer, The Five Heartbeats, The Meteor Man). "A film that made a great impression on me was Lee Tamahori's Once Were Warriors. The performances were so raw and realistic that I felt as if I were peeking into the window of my neighbor's house. The film was a very powerful reminder that the problems of poverty, racism and oppression cross all cultural and ethnic boundaries."
55. Kim Coles (actress, "Living Single," "In Living Color"). "The movie that influenced me most was All About Eve. Bette Davis was an actress, 40-ish, beautiful, glamorous--and still working. Her character, Margo Channing, was a tough cookie with a vulnerable side. She made me want to be fabulous! I didn't want to be anything like Anne Baxter's character, Eve, who was a power-hungry backstabber. I had all these wonderful people in my family who were strong, and that influenced me to be more like Margo Channing."
56. Malcolm-Jamal Warner (actor, "Malcolm and Eddie," Drop Zone). "The film that had the greatest impact on me was one I saw when I was five years old: Cornbread, Earl and Me starring Laurence Fishburne at the age of 14. It was the first film I ever saw in a movie theater, and there was a scene that has haunted me ever since. The scene was a guy running down the street carrying a basketball who gets shot in the back. The whole thing was done in slow motion, and it was the first time I had ever seen that technique used. The image has stayed with me all this time."
57. Ken Norton Jr. (linebacker, San Francisco 49ers; actor, "The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr."). "Two films have changed I my life. The first is the TV miniseries Roots, because it shows the heritage of black families, and it's important to know where you came from. The second is Rocky, because it tells a story of a man who rises from nothing to something."
58. Dr. Mayme Agnew Clayton (founder/executive director, Black American Cinema Society). "One that comes immediately to mind is Nothing but a Man with Ivan Dixon and Abbey Lincoln. That was a very strong film, especially for that period of time. The lead character was an exceptionally strong man who, when pushed, decided to stand up For his rights, which really impressed me. After that film, a lot of people who had never really openly expressed themselves came forward and demonstrated that they were willing to stand up for their rights, too."
59. Sherman Hemsley (actor, "The Jeffersons," "Goode Behavior"). "The one film that changed my life was the musical Carmen Jones--the updated version of Bizet's opera with Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge. I saw that film seven times and bought the album. All of us kids from the neighborhood would pick a part and mimic the actors. So there we were, a bunch of kids from South Philly in one another's homes singing, dancing and carrying on. We had a blast. I always knew I wanted to be an actor, but that film clinched it for me."
60. Malinda Williams (actress, High School High, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate), "Lady Sings the Blues is the movie that made me get serious about acting. My girlfriend and I would have what we called 'LSB parties' every week, where we watched that movie over and over again. If took us on an emotional roller coaster. It dealt with racism, the blues and drugs. Diana Ross really did it for me. I wish she had done more acting. She truly inspired me."
61. Duane Boutté (actor, Stonewall). "Two movies, Priest and Dead Man Walking, played powerful roles in teaching me the value of a life devoted to service. They reaffirmed my desire to deeply affect people through my work and maybe to provoke some positive change in their lives. I don't mean just sending a positive message, but really reaching someone. That's not easy to do. But Priest and Dead Man Walking certainly reached me--so there's proof it can be done."
62. Rocky Carroll (actor, "Chicago Hope," Crimson Tide). "I was in college studying theater when I first saw The Deer Hunter. From the stars to the production itself, I found the movie absolutely riveting. That was the first movie that made me realize the magnitude of what I wanted to do as a career; it opened my eyes to the effect an actor can have on an audience. Before that film, I had never realized that acting can impact a person in such a way that it can actually change a person's perspective on life."
63. Jazzmun (actor, "The John Larroquette Show," Cay TV: The Movie). "The film that affected me most was my all-time favorite movie, Pinky. It's a '40s film about a black woman who raises her granddaughter (Pinky), puts her through nursing school, and then is slapped in the face by the granddaughter when she--a very light-skinned black woman--passes for white. The granddaughter falls in love with a rich while doctor but, when he finds out she's black, their relationship falls apart. Pinky taught me several things: that spirit knows spirit; strive for what you want no matter what", and that although you will not be loved by everyone, you will be loved. The truth will always prevail."
64. Leslie Uggams (actress, Roots, Sugar Hill). "Blackboard Jungle was the movie that changed my life. I grew up in Washington Heights where there were gangs, so I could relate to everything in the movie. And it had Bill Haley and the Comets singing 'Rock Around the Clock.' This wasn't a movie; it jumped off the screen. It was also the first time my girlfriends and I saw Sidney Poitier, and he had such a presence. Before that we had seen Lena Home singing in black movies. But Sidney had a different kind of impact. When I saw him, I thought maybe someday I could have a career as a performer."
65. Lydia Nicole (comic, Indecent Proposal, Stand and Deliver). "I would have to say my choice is This Property Is Condemned. Here was Natalie Wood as woman who, like me, came from the wrong side of the tracks. Robert Redford was the man she loved, and he gave her the chance of a lifetime by offering her an opportunity to make a break for it But all she knew was to lie, cheat and steal, so she didn't tell him the truth--and lost him and her life. After that, I never lied again, and I got out."
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Stephen Farber wrote about Daniel Day-Lewis for the October issue of Movieline.