Top Three Movie Moments

In no particular order:

The Empire Strikes Back, 1981  

Rebel forces see Imperial All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT) Walkers approaching their base on Hoth.  

This key moment in the beautfully-shot first third of the film captures the central conflict of Star Wars.  The rebels are ill-equipped and low to the ground; the Empire is large, well-resourced, and ready to pound anything in its path.  But all it takes is a single pilot with a cable and detonator to turn things around.

You Can Count on Me, 2000

Sammy and Terry Prescott talk in the restaurant upon Terry’s return home.

If ever a scene in a film has captured what it means to be disappointed or a disappointment, the “responsible one” or the “irresponsible one,” and all the awkwardness associated with the convergence of the two, this is it.  Successful in equal parts due to Kenneth Lonergran’s talky dialogue, Laura Linney’s and Mark Ruffalo’s nuanced performances, and the simple fact that the conversation takes place in public, this is my favorite scene in one of my favorite films.

Scenes from a Marriage, 1973

Marianne calls friends to confide that her husband Johan is having an affair; her friends tell her that they already know.

True, this is a mini-series and not a film per se, but chalk it up to Ingmar Bergman being ahead of his time.  He was making film-quality episodic television well before HBO and Showtime had the idea.

Scenes from a Marriage is all about small moments, big revelations, and impeccable acting (particularly from Liv Ullman as Marianne).  The shock and pain that this realization brings to her character comes at the middle of the series and represents emotional devastation at its most honest, powerful, and severe.