A highly eclectic, hardly systematic accounting of what I liked best in 2008:
1.) THE ELECTION. What a tremendous drama. The characters were strong and well-drawn–too-good-to-be-true Barack Obama, the redoubtable Hillary Clinton, the indomitable and gracious John McCain, and the brilliantly imagined Sarah Palin, among others–plus the well-plotted series of upsets and comebacks, culminating in Obama’s eventual, resounding victory. Could have done without the big financial crash at the end, though.
2.) THE SUPER BOWL. Try this: a wandering, underperforming team gets its act together, makes the playoffs, goes on the road to upset traditional rival Dallas, goes on the road to frigid Green Bay to upset the Packers, goes to the Super Bowl, and with a staunch defense and what is, by acclamation, the greatest play in Super Bowl history, upsets the undefeated Patriots. What could be better? How about: it’s the team you rooted for all year!
3.) THE SPIES OF WARSAW. Alan Furst is a master of the pre-WW II espionage novel, in large measure because his characters are so precisely and insightfully drawn. The hero of this latest novel, a French officer stationed in Poland, is a fully satisfying combination of nobility, class, duty, and simple courage.
4.) BLOOD, TOIL, TEARS AND SWEAT, by John Lukacs. Another of Professor Lukacs’ close studies of Winston Churchill in the perilous days of 1940 and 1941, this time a masterful study of one of Churchill’s greatest speeches. A joy to read.
5.) GENERATION KILL. HBO’s adaptation of Evan Wright‘s book by The Wire‘s impresario David Simon about a Marine recon unit during in Iraq was somewhat underappreciated, but until Iraq turns into that pro-American democracy that Bush promised us, it ia surely the best thing we get out of this war.
6.) TELL NO ONE. This French adaptation of a Harlen Coben novel was easily the best thriller of the year.
7.) THE BUSH TRAGEDY by Jacob Weisberg. A brilliant, insightful portrait of the president.
8.) MAD MEN, SEASON 2. No show takes more risks–and wins.
9.) WAR INC. Better than a great movie, it’s a great satire. It could have been a little funnier, but it created its own reality and kept with it, and nothing is harder to do than that.
10.) IN BRUGES. A good movie with good performances, but Bruges stole the show!
Honorable Mention: Mike Mussina‘s classy retirement; the last season of The Wire; interviewing Billy Crudup; hearing Matthew Weiner; breakfast with Lawrence O’Donnel; shooting at Sandanona; losing 30 pounds