Top 10 movies to watch in the Coulee (and one TV show)

Ah, small town life. Country living. Old pickup trucks, down-home diners. You gotta love it. Sometimes it's a bit dull, but only boring people are bored, so you have to create your own excitement. If you need a little help with that, then these 10 small-town movies might give you the entertainment you so crave. Here they are, in no particular order: the top 10 movies to watch in a small town.

The Last Picture Show

1971, rated R

directed by Peter Bogdanovich

"The Last Picture Show" epitomizes small-town life, emphasizing the beautiful in the mundane, the odd thrills of life in a shit-kicker, podunk town: pool halls, the movie theater shutting down, life after high school, egg-and-apron down-home diners, skinny dipping, chasing adventure and meaning in the wake of high school, fishing in some obscure little lake. "The Last Picture Show," an examination of the complexity of living a country life and squeezing out what thrills you can from a dying small town. A hell of a movie that speaks to the pain and loneliness of growing up in the middle of the desert. Black and white, artsy fartsy, sexy, cool, and relatable ... plus a young Jeff Bridges.

Edward Scissorhands

1990, PG-13

directed by Tim Burton

Johnny Depp in the role that established him as an ultra-cool eccentric. The scene: a mellow small town with houses colored in a chalk-pastel color scheme, the Avon lady going door to door, the religious nut, the randy cougar lady, picket fences and well manicured lawns. An eccentric comes to town from the outskirts and raises all interest and suspicion. The townsfolk contrast so sharply with the oddity of the title character, who does indeed have scissors for hands. The juxtaposition is so stunning and so sweet. Anyone who has felt at odds with the status quo of small-town communities knows the feeling emphasized in the greatest collaboration between director Tim Burton and Depp.

The Man with No Name

1964-1966, R

directed by Sergio Leone

The trilogy "A Fistfull of Dollars" (1964), "For a Few Dollars More" (1965), and "The Good The Bad and The Ugly" (1966), comprise Clint Eastwood's most defining role. These are the greatest, most epic cowboy movies of all time (sorry, John Wayne). Filmed in Spain's Serengeti desert, by a multicultural cast, including Italian director Sergio Leone, "spaghetti westerns" as they came to be called, were the west's answer to Japan's master director Kurosawa's samurai movies. Ennio Morricone's score, unforgettable in itself, sets the tone for what seems to be epic western dreams that take place in what could be mistaken for Grand Coulee's landscape. After seeing one or all three of the movies ... take a walk through the sagebrush, wear your most worn Stetson and a pancho, and smoke a cigarillo on a hike out in our nature here and take a moment to feel like a man (sorry, ladies).

East of Eden

1955, PG

directed by Elia Kazan

The first of legend James Dean's only three movies, "East of Eden" has a tragic-romantic appeal to anyone who has kissed a girl at the carnival, done a bit of farm work, wanted to help support his working-class family, or who desires to make something of himself. Between the farm scenes, the family scenes, the carnival, and the small-town setting, "East of Eden" is very relatable to coulee folk. Set during WWI, the movie stars James Dean, who plays one of two sons working at their father's farm. A bit of a black sheep, Dean seeks to prove himself as useful to the farm, while also running around town, getting into romantic squabbles, and trying to find his long-lost mother. Beautifully done. No description could ever capture the screen charisma of the iconic young actor.

Dead Man

1995, rated R

directed by Jim Jarmusch

An offbeat, modern western, "Dead Man" stars Johnny Depp, who, having taken a bullet and been falsely accused of murder, skips town and meets Gary Farmer (Smoke Signals) who is a wandering native man who guides him through the wilderness and marvels that Depp's character has the same name as real-life English poet William Blake, convinced he is the reincarnation. Full of mysticism, humor, and an all-star supporting cast, the film is beautifully written, violent and serene. You'll laugh and you'll cry, and you'll feel one with the Earth in independent film guru Jim Jarmusch's "Dead Man," set to the original score of distorted, chic, western, crunchy guitar of Neil Young.

Napoleon Dynamite

2004, PG

directed by Jared Hess

Vastly popular with my old high school chums back in the day, Napoleon Dynamite stars Jon Heder in the title role, whom you have to see to believe. The film takes place in Idaho, but may as well take place 100 miles west of Idaho in Grand Coulee. Farmers mumble about eggs, a weird talent show takes place ... everything is out of date: the clothes, the music, the technology. Chapstick! Uncle Rico, in his 40s, still stuck in his high school football days. How can anyone explain this movie? So absurd and offbeat, you'll either love it or hate it. Hilarious and full of quotable lines, Napoleon Dynamite touches upon the humor of mundane small-town life in a colorful way accessible to all ages. The characters are all brilliantly distinct, reflecting ourselves or people we all know.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

1993, PG-13

directed by Lasse Hallström

A great '90s movie. Johnny Depp, in the title role, works at a small-town grocery store, has a younger, mentally handicapped brother - played by Leonardo DiCaprio in his first Oscar-nominated role - and a tight-knit, but dysfunctional, family. He meets Juliette Lewis, who plays a cute country girl traveling through with her grandmother in an RV. She swims in the slimy pond and seems to tug at Depp's heartstrings, but life is more complicated than staring at the clouds all day. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" has a lot of small-town scenes and characters to which I think we can all relate.

Smoke Signals

1998 PG-13

directed by Chris Eyre

Written by Sherman Alexie, who grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, "Smoke Signals" often hits a bit close to home. A very popular, often-quoted movie on the rez, the film stars Adam Beach and Even Adams as the infamous Victor and Thomas, who ride down to Arizona after learning Victor's father has passed away, to get his ashes. Gary Farmer plays Victor's father in the flashbacks throughout the movie. Touching upon many aspects of native life on and off the rez, the film has a positive message about family, tradition, and life lessons. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll never look at John Wayne's teeth the same way.

Rebel Without a Cause

1955, PG-13

directed by Nicholas Ray

The second of James Dean's three films, with his most iconic role, "Rebel Without a Cause" explores the trials of youth who go out looking for trouble in their town. Still relevant today, the film addresses youth issues like fitting in, defining love, defining values, and finding something to do in a boring place. Perhaps the most famous scene is the "Chicky Run," in which Dean's character races against the alpha trouble-maker Buzz in old stolen cars toward the edge of a cliff that always reminds me of Crown Point. The first person to jump out is a chicken. "Why do we do this?" Dean's character asks. "Because you gotta do something," Buzz responds in existential malaise. Plenty of excitement and beautiful Technicolor in this legendary film. Also starring a young Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, and Dennis Hopper.

Pleasantville

1998 PG-13

directed by Gary Ross

Tobey Maguire plays a teenager in the 1990s obsessed with a "Leave It To Beaver"-style show called "Pleasantville." While fighting over a remote control during a storm, the young man and his sister, played by Reese Witherspoon, get sucked into the TV show. Now living in black and white, where everything is routine and "pleasant." The two 1990's teenagers eventually introduce sex and art and (gasp) color to the black-and-white world. As things slowly turn colorful, and modern, many in the town embrace the change, while others cling to their old, so-called "pleasant" ways. I love this movie.

Parks and Recreation

2009-2015 TV-PG

Though not a movie, Parks and Rec deserves an honorable mention because of its on-point portrayal of small-town life, particularly small-town public officials trying to get projects done in a community that doesn't seem to want anything to get done. Wildly funny, Parks and Rec offers some great comic relief to some of the frustrations of living in a small town. Amy Poehler portrays ultimate optimist Leslie Knope. She contrasts with Ron Swanson, a libertarian who despises government and loves his privacy.