North by Northwest

1959.

#40 / #55

Nominated for 3 Academy Awards.

Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is pursued across the country after he is mistaken for an international spy, who, it turns out, doesn't even exist.

Eddie: This is perhaps one of Hitchcock's best films, although it is tough to find a bad one. This is also my introduction to Cary Grant, who I firmly believe is one of the most charismatic people to ever be captured on film. Famous for the crop duster scene, NORTH BY NORTHWEST accomplishes so much with so little. Hitchcock draws out the audience's suspense with simple, seemingly benign objects - a crop duster, a train, Mount Rushmore.

Sarah: I'm pretty sure this movie has the first shot of a train going into a tunnel as a sexual innuendo, so props for that. However, I think this is a silly Hitchcock film. It is more ridiculous than suspenseful. It doesn't compete with his horror films. Watching this, I was never worried or anxious. I was just wondering how a woman could scramble over Mount Rushmore in heels.

The good thing is it has Cary Grant, and he can make anything charming and sexy. But I have a feeling if they had cast anyone else, it wouldn't be on the list.

Why You Should See It: The crop duster scene. No question. Pay particular attention to Cary Grant's socks. Grant costumed himself in all of his films, and whether its intentional or not, his light-colored socks in NORTH BY NORTHWEST draw your eyes to his feet, highlighting the fact that he is a man on the run.