The only movies Andrew Garfield watches at least once a year: “A stunning, stunning film”
Even though it looks like he was only born about 12 years ago, Andrew Garfield has racked up an impressive CV. Most people will recognise him from his time as Peter Parker in the two ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ films, as well as his memorable cameo in the MCU film Spider-Man: No Way Home. He was recently seen in the schmaltzy romance We Live in Time and is due to appear in a version of Enid Blyton’s classic children’s book, The Magic Faraway Tree.
It’s not just the mainstream where the British star shines. He won a BAFTA for his very first movie role; a young man who re-enters society after spending time in prison for murder. He’s also a double Oscar nominee; once for his role in Mel Gibson’s World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge and once more for his portrayal of Jonathan Larson in Tick, Tick… Boom! Most people will be surprised to learn that his role in The Social Network doesn’t make the cut, as he is phenomenal in that movie.
Basically, Garfield can do it all, and he seems like a thoroughly nice chap to boot. He certainly seems like someone whose film advice should be respected, so it’s a good thing that he once sat down with The Academy to discuss some of his all-time favourites. On a list that also includes Big, Network, and On the Waterfront, the affable chap revealed that he has two movies that he watches every year without fail.
First up is The Deer Hunter, Michael Cimino’s iconic Vietnam War drama. “The first hour is this kind of languorous look at this friend group and the culture that they come from, and it feels like a documentary,” he explained. “It feels like we are watching lives unfold and people existing together. And I think in terms of the acting, it’s some of the best modern film acting that exists, with [Robert] De Niro and Chris Walken and John Cazale and Meryl Streep. The way that they create the reality of their relationships and the reality of the moment… It felt like a bar. A bar of storytelling, a bar of acting to me, and a level of filmmaking that was so epic, so sweeping and so personal and so mysterious.”
Then came a film that is also an annual rewatch for a lot of people – the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life. It reminds us of all of our preciousness and the sacredness of all life,’ Garfield said. “It’s heavy and it’s dark and it’s devastating and ultimately the most uplifting film that I can imagine watching. And with the great Jimmy Stewart in the center, just containing all of our humanity, being the project screen for everyone’s human experience. It’s a stunning, stunning film.”
It’s a Wonderful Life, directed by the great Frank Capra, is easily one of the best-loved movies ever made. Garfield is far from the only famous face to have sung its praises over the years.
Unfortunately, Stewart died in 1997, when Garfield was still a teenager. He did get the chance to work with another of his idols. In Lions for Lambs, which came out in the same year as Boy A, Garfield appeared alongside Robert Redford, Leonardo DiCaprio, and The Deer Hunter’s own Meryl Streep.
