I thought I’d concluded the Favorite Movies series with my all-time fave, but I forgot about another personal classic: the 1998 ensemble drama Deep Impact.
Deep Impact was one of two Comet Apocalypse movies released in the late 90s. The other was Armageddon, which I’ve only seen once in its entirety. While Armageddon was more of an action movie, Deep Impact took the human-interest perspective. I’ve probably said before that one of my favorite elements in any story is a cast of diverse, unrelated characters who are slowly weaved together by the events of the plot. Mix well with Comet Apocalypse, network broadcasting, estranged families reuniting, the space program, young love, and President Morgan Freeman, and you can’t fight me off with a stick.
I’m aware that this movie will never make any critical best lists. There’s plenty of cheese, and the line delivery of Tea Leoni’s dad leaves a lot to be desired. But the ensemble cast is hard to beat. Pre-Frodo Elijah Wood! Laura Innes at the peak of her Dr. Weaver days. Leelee Sobieski. Blair Underwood. Robert Duvall. Again, Tea Leoni, who’s always terribly underrated. And again: MORGAN FREEMAN AS PRESIDENT.
Deep Impact is also my guaranteed weeping movie. When one doomed character presses his hand to a screen showing his infant son and tells him to “be good…” I lose it every time.
It’s been a while since I watched this. Maybe I’ll take out the DVD tonight!
You know, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen this movie. I know I’ve seen Armageddon, but it’s been a long time.
Deep Impact made me cry, while Armageddon did not. And this was before I had a kid, so I would be an even bigger mess now.
Armageddon made me cry BUCKETS because of the daddy/daughter storyline. I don’t think I could ever handle it again.
Wow that is a good movie… I haven’t thought of it in a long time though! I do love Tea Leoni, but Morgan Freeman is maybe my favorite actor, he is for sure on the list!