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In past columns I've also expressed my admiration of Boston crime dramas Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, directed by famed actors Clint Eastwood and Ben Affleck, respectively. Those would appear on the list today, but they will yield to others in the interest of novelty. I’ve also expressed admiration in past columns for two Rob Reiner films, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men, and he is an accomplished actor in his own right, with film roles going back as early as the 1960s and as recent as The Wolf of Wall Street.

In seventh place is Ordinary People, by Robert Redford. While I love that Best Picture winner, one of the most moving family dramas of the 20th Century, Redford’s directorial career didn’t really go many other places outside that film. And the movie that is in sixth place is They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, by acclaimed director/actor Sydney Pollack. From Tootsie to Out of Africa, Sydney Pollack is arguably one of the most populist versatile directors of all time, and his acting credits are even longer. But, since I’m so partial to that movie, eponymous with our Oscar Watch column, I’ll leave it now to avoid stating the obvious - that is likely one of the best movies ever directed by an actor.

5. Good Night, and Good Luck by George Clooney

Could George Clooney become the Babe Ruth of movies one day? He already has an acting Oscar for his supporting turn in Syriana, and a directing bid is not out of the question given the success of the McCarthy-era black-and-white drama, Good Night, and Good Luck. Clooney also directed himself in the movie, which is an incisive look into a sinister era in politics in America (similar to this year’s Oscar contender, Trumbo). Clooney exhibits a masterful directorial style that matches his acting - sly, witty, and charming, all while captivating you into what is strictly a dialogue-driven film.

And, like many actors-turned-directors in this list, Clooney wears his politics on his sleeves. The persecution of journalists by the Communist witch-hunters is odious, but the heroes are not god-like, they are simply humans with their heads on their shoulders. In thus presenting Edward Morrow, Clooney avoids the pitfalls that befall many dramatist-turned-helmers: excessive sentimentality that would take the viewer out of the movie.

4. Awakenings by Penny Marshall

Speaking of women directors (and I hope you were not expecting Barbara Streisand's Yentl on the list), Penny Marshall's psychological, creepy study of reality and what it means to be alive is one of the most memorable movies directed by an actor. Marshall only gets to fourth on the list because her screen credits are scarcer - sure, she is beloved for her title role in TV's Laverne & Shirley, but her notable movie roles are limited to The Odd Couple and How Sweet It Is! To accompany the 1990 Best Picture nominee (for which she shamefully failed to get a Best Director nomination), she also directed hits like A League Of Their Own and, of course, the Tom Hanks hit, Big. Marshall thus showed her versatility, from easy comedy to wartime drama, but it is with the hospital drama Awakenings that she shone the brightest. Obtaining stunning performances from a gifted cast that included Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, and Max Von Sydow, she conveys well the profound experiences that the individuals in the story lived through, and leave you itching to know more.

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