American Independent Movies I've Seen
by agorelik | created - 18 Jul 2011 | updated - 18 Jul 2011 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Faces (I) (1968)
R | 130 min | Drama
A middle-aged man leaves his wife for another woman. Shortly after, his ex-wife also begins a relationship with a younger partner. The film follows their struggles to find love amongst each other.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: John Marley, Gena Rowlands, Lynn Carlin, Seymour Cassel
Votes: 11,644
2. Shadows (1958)
PG | 87 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Cassavetes' jazz-scored improvisational film explores interracial friendships and relationships in Beat-Era (1950s) New York City.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: Ben Carruthers, Lelia Goldoni, Hugh Hurd, Anthony Ray
Votes: 12,552
3. The Exiles (1961)
Not Rated | 72 min | Drama
Follows a family of Native Americans living in the City of Angels.
Director: Kent Mackenzie | Stars: Yvonne Williams, Homer Nish, Tom Reynolds, Rico Rodriguez
Votes: 1,389 | Gross: $0.03M
4. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
R | 135 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A proud strip club owner is forced to come to terms with himself as a man when his gambling addiction gets him in hot water with the mob, who offer him only one alternative.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips
Votes: 14,747
5. Killer of Sheep (1978)
80 min | Drama
Set in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support.
Director: Charles Burnett | Stars: Henry G. Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy, Angela Burnett
Votes: 7,530 | Gross: $0.40M
6. Gloria (1980)
PG | 123 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When a young boy's family is killed by the mob, their tough neighbor Gloria becomes his reluctant guardian. In possession of a book that the gangsters want, the pair go on the run in New York.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, Buck Henry, Julie Carmen, Tony Knesich
Votes: 11,426
7. Mikey and Nicky (1976)
R | 106 min | Crime, Drama
Nicky is on the run from the mob, and he turns to old pal Mikey for help.
Director: Elaine May | Stars: Rose Arrick, Carol Grace, William Hickey, Sanford Meisner
Votes: 7,162
8. Love Streams (1984)
PG-13 | 141 min | Drama
Two closely bound, emotionally wounded souls reunite after years apart.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Diahnne Abbott, Seymour Cassel
Votes: 6,630
9. Minnie and Moskowitz (1971)
GP | 114 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A museum curator falls in love with a crazy parking attendant.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel, Val Avery, Timothy Carey
Votes: 5,285
10. Opening Night (1977)
PG-13 | 144 min | Drama
A renowned actress teeters on the edge of a breakdown as she counts down the days toward a big Broadway opening.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Joan Blondell
Votes: 12,202
11. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
R | 155 min | Drama, Romance
Although wife and mother Mabel is loved by her husband Nick, her mental illness places a strain on the marriage.
Director: John Cassavetes | Stars: Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Fred Draper, Lady Rowlands
Votes: 28,697 | Gross: $13.34M
12. Chameleon Street (1989)
R | 94 min | Comedy, Drama
Detroiter William Douglas Street poses as a Harvard doctor, Time reporter, African exchange student.
Director: Wendell B. Harris Jr. | Stars: Timothy Alvaro, Renauld Bailleux, William Ballenger, Lynn Barbee
Votes: 1,037 | Gross: $0.24M
13. My Brother's Wedding (1983)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama
A man who has struggled personally has conflicts with his upwardly mobile lawyer brother and well to-do fiancee and is reluctantly to be the best man at their wedding.
Director: Charles Burnett | Stars: Everett Silas, Jessie Holmes, Gaye Shannon-Burnett, Ronnie Bell
Votes: 1,072 | Gross: $0.01M
14. Do the Right Thing (1989)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson
Votes: 112,384 | Gross: $27.55M
15. Ellie Parker (2005)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama
A hilarious comic portrait of a young woman's struggle for integrity, happiness, and a Hollywood acting career.
Director: Scott Coffey | Stars: Naomi Watts, Jennifer Syme, Greg Freitas, Gaye Pope
Votes: 4,816 | Gross: $0.03M
16. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama
A lonely shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggle to connect in this unique take on contemporary life.
Director: Miranda July | Stars: John Hawkes, Miranda July, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff
Votes: 37,427 | Gross: $3.89M
17. George Washington (2000)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama
A group of children, in a depressed small town, band together to cover up a tragic mistake one summer.
Director: David Gordon Green | Stars: Candace Evanofski, Donald Holden, Damian Jewan Lee, Curtis Cotton III
Votes: 8,665 | Gross: $0.24M
18. Nadja (1994)
R | 93 min | Drama, Horror
This ultra-hip, post-modern vampire tale is set in contemporary New York City. Members of a dysfunctional family of vampires are trying to come to terms with each other, in the wake of ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Almereyda | Stars: Elina Löwensohn, Peter Fonda, Nic Ratner, Karl Geary
Votes: 3,452 | Gross: $0.45M
19. Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)
Not Rated | 169 min | Documentary, History
A documentary on how Los Angeles has been used and depicted in the movies.
Director: Thom Andersen | Stars: Encke King, Ben Alexander, Jim Backus, Brenda Bakke
Votes: 2,731
20. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
R | 81 min | Comedy, Drama
Follows two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.
Director: Noah Baumbach | Stars: Owen Kline, Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg
Votes: 90,414 | Gross: $7.36M
21. Dead Man (1995)
R | 121 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
On the run after murdering a man, accountant William Blake encounters a strange Native American man named Nobody who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Crispin Glover, Lance Henriksen
Votes: 103,068 | Gross: $1.04M
22. Broken Flowers (2005)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
As the extremely withdrawn Don Johnston is dumped by his latest woman, he receives an anonymous letter from a former lover informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. A freelance sleuth neighbor moves Don to embark on a cross-country search for his old flames in search of answers.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Bill Murray, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone, Julie Delpy
Votes: 106,797 | Gross: $13.74M
23. Mystery Train (1989)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Three stories are connected by a Memphis hotel and the spirit of Elvis Presley.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Masatoshi Nagase, Yûki Kudô, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Cinqué Lee
Votes: 30,817 | Gross: $0.37M
24. Down by Law (1986)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two men are framed and sent to jail, where they meet a murderer who helps them escape and leave the state.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi
Votes: 55,279 | Gross: $1.44M
25. Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Drama
A New Yorker's life is thrown into a tailspin when his younger cousin surprise-visits him, starting a strange, unpredictable adventure.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: John Lurie, Eszter Balint, Richard Edson, Cecillia Stark
Votes: 40,647 | Gross: $2.44M
26. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
R | 116 min | Crime, Drama
An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Forest Whitaker, Henry Silva, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman
Votes: 96,930 | Gross: $3.31M
27. Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A series of vignettes that all have coffee and cigarettes in common.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Bill Murray, Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni, RZA
Votes: 67,469 | Gross: $1.97M
28. The Puffy Chair (2005)
R | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Josh Sagers drives cross-country on a mission to deliver his father's birthday gift - a giant purple LazyBoy.
Directors: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass | Stars: Mark Duplass, Katie Aselton, Rhett Wilkins, Julie Fischer
Votes: 5,260 | Gross: $0.19M
29. Slacker (1990)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
A day in the life of Austin, Texas as the camera roams from place to place and provides a brief look at the overeducated, the social misfits, the outcasts and the oddballs.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Richard Linklater, Rudy Basquez, Jean Caffeine, Jan Hockey
Votes: 23,463 | Gross: $1.23M
30. Before Sunset (2004)
R | 80 min | Drama, Romance
Nine years after Jesse and Celine first met, they encounter each other again on the French leg of Jesse's book tour.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Vernon Dobtcheff, Louise Lemoine Torrès
Votes: 287,718 | Gross: $5.82M
31. The Newton Boys (1998)
PG-13 | 122 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The story of the Newton gang, the most successful bank robbers in history, owing to their good planning and minimal violence.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Skeet Ulrich, Vincent D'Onofrio
Votes: 12,382 | Gross: $10.30M
32. Waking Life (2001)
R | 99 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy
A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Trevor Jack Brooks, Lorelei Linklater, Wiley Wiggins
Votes: 66,910 | Gross: $2.89M
33. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
R | 100 min | Animation, Comedy, Crime
An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Rory Cochrane
Votes: 117,106 | Gross: $5.50M
34. Dazed and Confused (1993)
R | 103 min | Comedy
The adventures of high school and junior high students on the last day of school in May 1976.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey, Rory Cochrane
Votes: 199,378 | Gross: $7.99M
35. School of Rock (2003)
PG-13 | 109 min | Comedy, Music
After being kicked out of his rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of an uptight elementary private school, only to try and turn his class into a rock band.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Adam Pascal
Votes: 330,744 | Gross: $81.26M
36. SubUrbia (1996)
R | 121 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of suburban teenagers try to support each other through the difficult task of becoming adults.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Giovanni Ribisi, Steve Zahn, Jayce Bartok, Amie Carey
Votes: 10,656 | Gross: $0.73M
37. Before Sunrise (1995)
R | 101 min | Drama, Romance
A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert, Hanno Pöschl
Votes: 339,154 | Gross: $5.54M
38. Choose Me (1984)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Love doctor radio host Nancy, bar owner Eve, Pearl, drifter Mickey et al meet in LA.
Director: Alan Rudolph | Stars: Geneviève Bujold, Keith Carradine, Lesley Ann Warren, Patrick Bauchau
Votes: 3,085 | Gross: $2.49M
39. I Am a Sex Addict (2005)
Not Rated | 98 min | Biography, Comedy, Romance
Autobiographical comedy about a recovering sex addict, about his obsession with prostitutes, and how that affected his relationships and his life altogether.
Director: Caveh Zahedi | Stars: Caveh Zahedi, Christoff Colas, Rebecca Lord, Lindsey Tjian
Votes: 3,371 | Gross: $0.11M
40. Lone Star (1996)
R | 135 min | Drama, Mystery, Western
When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town.
Director: John Sayles | Stars: Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Stephen Mendillo, Stephen J. Lang
Votes: 32,319 | Gross: $13.27M
41. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
R | 102 min | Drama
While drag-racing through the American Southwest in a Chevrolet 150, a driver and his mechanic cross paths with an enigmatic hitchhiker and the tall-tale-spinning driver of a GTO.
Director: Monte Hellman | Stars: James Taylor, Warren Oates, Laurie Bird, Dennis Wilson
Votes: 13,418
42. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
R | 101 min | Crime, Drama
A pharmacy-robbing dope fiend and his crew pop pills and evade the law.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, James Le Gros, Heather Graham
Votes: 40,614 | Gross: $4.73M
43. Sideways (2004)
R | 127 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
Votes: 204,207 | Gross: $71.50M
44. Crumb (1994)
R | 119 min | Documentary, Biography, Comedy
An intimate portrait of controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb and his traumatized family.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Robert Crumb, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Charles Crumb, Maxon Crumb
Votes: 21,589 | Gross: $3.17M
45. The Apostle (1997)
PG-13 | 134 min | Drama
After his happy life spins out of control, a preacher from Texas changes his name, goes to Louisiana and starts preaching on the radio.
Director: Robert Duvall | Stars: Robert Duvall, Todd Allen, Paul Bagget, Lenore Banks
Votes: 14,895 | Gross: $20.73M
46. Swingers (1996)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Drama
A wannabe actor has a hard time moving on from a break-up, but he is lucky to have supportive friends.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Vince Vaughn, Heather Graham, Jon Favreau, Ron Livingston
Votes: 88,112 | Gross: $4.51M
47. Lost in Translation (2003)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama
A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.
Director: Sofia Coppola | Stars: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris
Votes: 488,715 | Gross: $44.59M
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