All things considered, 2008 was a pretty good year. Obama won. The Phillies captured the World Series title. I walked on the Great Wall of China. The Snuggie was unleashed on the world.

But when it came to movies, 2008 was disappointing. Very few films really captured my imagination, and a few (Gran Torino, Synecdoche, New York, The Reader) were just plain disappointing. Too often, I found myself leaving a movie and thinking “Well, that was … pretty good.” I don’t know what to blame. The writer’s strike? G.W. Bush? Whatever the reason, I’m looking forward to a big 2009.

With that in mind, not everything sucked. There were a few films I enjoyed, and it was a surprisingly good year for superhero movies and cartoons. Here’s my top 20 and nominations:

1. The Wrestler. Thank you, Darren Aronofsky, for letting Mickey Rourke be Randy “Ram” Robinson. I loved just about all of it, but the scenes at the autograph signing and in the bar, especially, made this an easy choice to earn the title belt from me (had to get in a bad wrestling pun). Where can I get a Ram action figure?
2. Doubt. Philip Seymour Hoffman wasted nearly three hours of my life watching “Synecdoche, New York.” But this made up for it. On a side note, I really enjoy discussing this movie with people.
3. Milk: Sometimes I like my entertainment with a little bit of learning (I knew nothing about Harvey Milk), and that was the case with Milk. This probably moved a notch or two up on my list because I saw it the day after Proposition 8 was passed.
4. Frost/Nixon. I’ve heard people say that half the movie is just a re-enactment of footage that already exists, and that the rest of it is just made up. So what? Good movie.
5. Wall-E. I thought that the first 45 minutes or so were cute. And then it got really, really interesting and good.
6. Rachel Getting Married. If you look at my Orange Street history, movies about family dysfunction (Savages, The Squid and the Whale) always rank high for me. Umm, yeah.
7. Slumdog Millionaire. Really solid movie, with an interesting mix of nasty drama and humor. Saw this in Toronto in September and was surprised when it got so much “best picture” hype a few months later, though.
8. Revolutionary Road. So much yelling, angst and unfulfilled dreams made me uncomfortable. But then I realized that’s not a bad thing.
9. The Dark Knight. I thought that the movie as a whole was little convoluted, but it had so much style and Heath Ledger was unbelievable. I was a little scared of the Joker, to be honest.
10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Disappointing overall and way too long, but it snuck into my top 10 based on the story, acting and special effects.
11. Happy-Go-Lucky. I was very glad to see that this got some good buzz, and that Sally Hawkins got some recognition. But Eddie Marsan steals the movie.
12. Kung Fu Panda. I’m not embarrassed to say that I walked out of this with a smile on my face. Plus an urge to kick someone.
13. The Visitor. Well-acted, good story. Now I know “that guy” is named Richard Jenkins. And I was glad to see that no bongos were hurt during filming.
14. Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Entertaining look at educated girls gone wild in Spain. This movie made me realize, however, that Scarlett Johansson really can’t act.
15. Tropic Thunder. A little hit-or-miss for my taste, but I loved the concept, and Robert Downey Jr. is genius. “Full retard” will be quoted for a long time.
16. Man on Wire. How did I not know this happened before this movie started getting some good reviews? This guy is nuts – and amazing.
17. Iron Man. I know I’m probably the Orange Streeter who gave this the lowest ranking. Sorry, guys. Liked it, didn’t love it. But it does answer Seinfeld’s big question: does Iron Man wear some type of undergarment under his suit?
18. Burn After Reading. Not one of the Coens’ best, but I’ll take anything from them over 95 percent of what’s in theaters at any given time. Brad Pitt should do more comedic roles (note: I may be one of five people who liked “The Mexican”).
19. The Reader. I was expecting a lot more out of this. Is it a romance? Is it a Nazi drama? But it had some good moments in addition to Ms. Winslet sans clothes, which is never a bad thing.
20. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Michael Cera continues to attract cute indie chicks in movies. Not a bad life.

Honorable mention (nearly made the top 20): Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show, Zack and Miri Make a Porno (loved it the first time, not as much the second time), Hulk, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, In Bruges, Hancock.

Dishonorable mention: Gran Torino (an after-school special with Clint Eastwood in full “grumpy” mode), Synecdoche, New York (so pretentious), Quantum of Solace (not terrible, just a disappointing follow-up), Indiana Jones (Aliens? Really?), Pineapple Express (some funny spots, but overall a mess).

Some films I wanted to see, but didn’t: Waltz with Bashir, Che, Changeling, I’ve Loved You So Long, Frozen River, Miracle at St. Anna, Cadillac Records, Hamlet 2, Young at Heart.

Best Actor
1. Mickey Rourke
2. Sean Penn
3. Frank Langella
4. Richard Jenkins
5. Javier Bardem

Best Actress
1. Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
2. Meryl Streep (Doubt)
3. Anne Hathaway
4. Sally Hawkins
5. Frances McDormand

Best Supporting Actor
1. Heath Ledger
2. Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman
4. Josh Brolin
5. Eddie Marsan

Best Supporting Actress
1. Viola Davis
2. Marisa Tomei
3. Amy Adams
4. Rebecca Hall
5. Kate Winslet

Best Director
1. Darren Aronofsky
2. Ron Howard
3. Gus Van Sant
4. Danny Boyle
5. Sam Mendes

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