One of the most consistent movie production companies in the world is Focus Features. Almost every film Focus has released was met with strong critical acclaim and they've won or have been nominated for some major awards. And now the relatively young Hollywood staple is celebrating its 20th anniversary!
While there are plenty of reasons why their movies have been successful, including screenwriting and casting, a big one is that almost all of them have memorable or iconic moments that have stood the test of time. These are the legendary scenes that have helped turn Focus Features' films into truly special projects.
The Big Lebowski (1998) - Funeral For A Fallen Bowler
Stream On Peacock
The Coen Brothers are responsible for no shortage of great movies, but The Big Lebowski is still one of their best roughly two-and-a-half decades later. The film has ridiculous and hilarious moments, arguably peaking with Donny's funeral scene. After Donny's (Steve Buscemi) untimely death, the Dude (Jeff Bridges) and Walter (John Goodman) gather by the sea to eulogize their fallen friend. What starts out as a stammering (if potentially heartfelt) eulogy almost immediately spirals into Vietnam ramblings before a gust of wind blows Donny's ashes right into the Dude's face. The fact Walter kept Donny's ashes in a Folgers coffee can is the cherry on top.
Being John Malkovich (1999) - Into The Malkovich
Stream On Peacock
Being John Malkovich is a strange movie to say the least. When Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) finds a portal that leads into the mind of John Malkovich (John Malkovich), he soon begins profiteering off it. Things quickly begin to spiral for Craig and Malkovich (who can feel everything happening to him), but the apex is when John goes through the portal himself and enters a Malkovichian hellscape where everyone and everything is pure Malkovich.
The Pianist (2002) - Playing The Piano
Rent On Apple TV
It only took a few releases before Focus Features found themselves among the distributors to produce a Best Picture Academy Award nominee. That was The Pianist, which tells the story of a Polish Jewish musician's harrowing experiences during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw.
After the audience witnesses so much suffering, there's a pivotal scene where protagonist Władysław Szpilman (Adrien Brody) is found hiding by a Nazi soldier. He lets him play the piano and Szpilman plays like it's the last time he ever will. The man looks like he's on the brink of death but his performance moves the soldier to do the unthinkable and actually help him survive.
Lost In Translation (2003) - The Whisper
Stream On Tubi TV & IMDb TV
A year after breaking out with The Pianist, Focus Features was already onto another critical darling with Lost in Translation. The Sofia Coppola picture centers on a former movie star who befriends a female recent college graduate while visiting Tokyo.
The relationship forged between the characters drives everything and the performances of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are fantastic. The movie ends with their final time seeing each other before departing and he whispers something in her ear as they embrace. Nearly two decades later and fans are still trying to figure out what he said.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) - Beach 'Date'
Stream On Peacock
Starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey in what might very well be his best performance, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind juggles romance, comedy, drama, and a bit of science-fiction in a brutal examination of romantic love. The film's ability to depict growing affect to a couple falling out of love touches on a level of reality most romantic-comedies never go to.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's unique structure also makes rewatches very rewarding. Beyond their chemistry, part of what makes Joel (Carrey) and Clementine's (Winslet) meeting on the beach so special is the fact the movie frames their first meeting as their train-ride interaction early on. Knowing the full scope of their relationship recontextualizes everything.
Shaun Of The Dead (2004) - Impersonating Zombies to Get By
Stream On Hulu
Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy began with Shaun of the Dead, a film that masterfully blends a genuinely funny romantic-comedy with zombie genre staples. Wright's eclectic and sharp sense of humor is on full display, but the movie never shies away from indulging in gory kills or building up legitimate tension. This can be best seen when Shaun and his friends are forced to impersonate zombies to get past a group. Watching the cast stumble around and bicker is hilarious, but it's hard not to sweat when the living dead stare them down in dead silence.
Pride & Prejudice (2005) - Elizabeth & Mr. Darcy Dance
Stream On HBO Max
There have been so many Pride & Prejudice adaptations over the years but it could be argued that the 2005 iteration is the best ever. The main crux of the story is always the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, which develops into something special over the course of the film.
Their highlight comes during the scene where they dance together. There is obvious reluctance to do this but you can tell that both really actually want to be there. Despite their pride and differences, they become so enthralled with each other that the rest of the room disappears and all they see is each other.
Brick (2005) - The Chase
Rent On Apple TV
These days, director Rian Johnson is one of the most prominent names in filmmaking thanks to his work on Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Knives Out. One of his earliest films to prove just his talent came in 2005 with Brick.
Brick was made for less than $1 million so the mystery film about a high school loner searching for his ex-girlfriend had to make good use of the small budget. It does that best during a chase scene where the protagonist is followed by someone with a knife. The use of footsteps is a wonder to behold and is not easily forgotten.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) - Ennis Finds The Shirt
Stream On Peacock
There are still strong debates going on today that Brokeback Mountain should've won Best Picture over Crash. The film focuses on two cowboys who fall in love with each other while working together, which complicates their relationship back home and their lives.
While the moment when the two first make love could be considered, there's a very emotional scene near the end that stands out. After Jack's death, Ennis visits his childhood home and discovers that he had the shirts both men wore when they first met hanging up in his closet. It really hits home just how special their bond is.
In Bruges (2008) - Ray Denies Being Rude
Stream On Peacock
The talented Martin McDonagh is something of an expert in dark comedy and that's clear with In Bruges. Starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, the story centers on the shenanigans of two hitmen who wait in the titular town for their next mission.
The movie starts by showing Ray (Farrell) being rude to a family of heavy-set people. That part in itself isn't funny but it becomes hilarious when Ken (Gleeson) arrives to ask why the family was yelling at him and Ray simply shrugs as if he's totally innocent. It's a great way to introduce who Ray is as a character.
Coraline (2009) - The Offer From Other Mother
Rent On Vudu
There's always something uniquely beautiful about stop-motion animation and that was once again the case with Coraline, a film about a young girl who seemingly finds a much better life in a parallel universe she discovers behind a secret door in her room.
Of course, the audience can tell that something is just a bit off about this new world. So, when Coraline's "Other Mother" offers her a chance to stay there as long as she has buttons sewn on her eyes forever, the other shoe drops. It's a harrowing concept that sends the movie to the next level.
Hanna (2011) - The Interrogation Fight
Stream On Peacock
The incredibly talented Saoirse Ronan has been a staple of some Focus Features films, including her breakout role in Atonement. While she is known for more dramatic roles, she took on an action part in Hanna, playing the titular young assassin.
Hanna and her father get some memorable action sequences but the one that is hard to forget comes when she gets interrogated by a double of the villain. Hanna seems to bond with her and shows vulnerability before immediately snapping her neck and taking out several guards and escaping. It's all so well done.
BlacKkKlansman (2018) - The Bomb Goes Off
Rent On Apple TV
Almost every scene in BlacKkKlansman is powerful and holds some serious weight from the early speech by a civil rights leader to the one told by the KKK Grand Wizard later on. However, the true highlight comes when Connie, the wife of a KKK member, sets off a bomb at the house of Patrice, a Black civil rights activist.
Protagonist Ron Stallworth attempts to stop her but the cops pull up and just see a Black man on top of a white woman. They ignore his pleas of the truth and only change their tune when Ron's partner shows up, who they don't even question simply because he's white. The kicker is that it all happens too late, resulting in deaths.
Thoroughbreds (2017) - Committing The Murder
Rent On Vudu
One of the most underrated films to arrive in recent years is Thoroughbreds. Written and directed by Cory Finley, the movie tells the story of two teen girls (one highly emotional and one emotionless) who work together to plot to kill one of their stepfathers. The dark comedy comes to a head as the emotional Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) wants to back out of the plan to frame Amanda (Olivia Cooke) for murder only for Amanda to want to go through with it.
While unconscious, Lily goes upstairs and commits the murder, with the camera never leaving the sleeping Amanda. All the viewer does is hear what happens and then they see Lily come down to smear the blood on Amanda and lay in her lap, proving this movie wasn't going to shy away from the premise.
Emma. (2020) - Emma & Mr. Knightley Dance
Stream On Max Go & IMDb TV
Yes, it's another film adapted from a Jane Austen novel and it's another scene where two main characters dance. There is a clear difference here though and that comes from the fact that Emma and Mr. Knightley are friendly when they start doing so.
After plenty of fun is had in Emma, things get serious on a romantic level during this dance. It sees the friends find romantic feelings awakened in ways they didn't expect and it changes the course of the rest of the movie and their lives. It helps that it is a beautifully shot scene too.
Kajillionaire (2020) - The Kiss
Stream On HBO Max
The driving force of Kajillionaire is the unexpected bond that forms between Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) and Melanie (Gina Rodriguez). The former is an emotionally-stunted woman raised to do petty crime with her parents and the latter is a free woman who helps them on some jobs.
The relationship between the two covers anger, resentment, jealousy, awkwardness (Old Dolio's parents try to get Melanie involved in a threesome), and true friendship. So, after Old Dolio's parents break her heart one last time, the two head to the store together and finally kiss in a rare moment of passion for Old Dolio.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) - Autumn Gets Questioned
Stream On Max Go
A criminally overlooked film from 2020 was Never Rarely Sometimes Always. While not a big hit commercially, it was beloved by critics and those who saw it. The plot follows a young woman who goes to New York with her friend in an attempt to terminate an unintended pregnancy.
While every bit of Sidney Flanigan's debut performance is spectacular, the scene where she gets questioned by a counselor is heartbreaking. During this entire process, the camera never leaves her face as she goes through all of the emotions of being asked these harrowing questions and reliving the tragedies that got her to this place. It's the kind of scene that stays with you long after the credits roll.
Promising Young Woman (2020) - In Death, Cassie Gets Revenge
Stream On HBO Max
The Best Original Screenplay Oscar winner is obviously great for its writing but the powerhouse performance of Carey Mulligan is what really makes Promising Young Woman tick. The film sees her go on a quest to get revenge for her friend who was sexually assaulted and took her own life because of it.
The movie delivers a huge twist as once Cassie gets the culprit in her sights, he turns the tables and suffocates her to death. It's jarring and hard to watch while also making viewers believe that evil wins out. Thankfully, the film ends with the reveal that Cassie had a backup plan, letting the truth out and leading to the arrest of those behind it all.
Belfast (2021) - Celebrating Pop's Life
Rent On Vudu
At its core, Belfast is a story about family. There are plenty of moments throughout its runtime where that is evident including Buddy bonding with Granny on the bus, Pop and Buddy talking at the hospital, or the family's choice to move after the riot.
The one that truly shines though comes after Pop's funeral. There's no doubt that Pop's death is sad but the family is then shown celebrating together in a heartwarming moment. It proved that despite the somber situation, this family connection conquered all.
Last Night In Soho (2021) - The Dance Scene
Rent On Apple TV
Unlike the two aforementioned dance sequences, this one has nothing to do with romance or two characters exploring a new aspect of their relationship. Instead, the dance scene in Last Night in Soho is incredible because of the remarkable editing and Edgar Wright's skill as a director.
In the scene, Ellie is transported to the '60s while dreaming and when looking in the mirror, she suddenly sees Sandie, a singer from that era. As Sandie dances with a man, the film seamlessly switches from her to Ellie anytime she steps out of view, cementing how connected yet different these two ladies are.