Top 5 Film Endings According to Matt

#3. Glory

**Spoiler Alert**

Many war films end with the good guys defeating the bad guys in a big battle. Not many American war films end with the entire regiment getting killed. This might be a bit of a spoiler, but this ending is about more than just an entire regiment dying while trying to capture Fort Wagner. “Glory” is about the first all-black regiment of the Union Army during the Civil War. The story itself is fueled by racial tension, especially since all of the officers are white and the soldiers are black. Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and many more deliver heartbreaking and emotional performances, creating beautiful and perfect characters arcs that are extremely rewarding to see come full-circle. In the end, the regiment learns to fight as one, and they volunteer to lead the charge against Fort Wagner. It’s a sad scene, watching the characters you’ve grown to love get cut down by Confederate fire, but the courage they show has a huge effect on the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln said himself that the 54th Regiment turned the tide of the war, mainly because their courage inspired thousands of black men to join the Union Army. It’s one of my favorite endings because it combines sorrow, sadness and satisfaction into an incredible outcome.

#2. Taxi Driver

“Taxi Driver” is a disturbing, deep and ambivalent film. The ending is one of the most ambiguous of all-time. It has been studied and studied over the years, but there never seems to be ONE answer to what the ending actually means. To me, the ending is completely satisfying because Travis Bickle achieved what he wanted. After coming home from the Vietnam War, Bickle becomes a nighttime taxi driver in the worst part of New York City. Through the people he meets and the sights he sees, he becomes determined to clean up the streets and make the world a better place. After he meets a twelve-year-old prostitute, he wants to save her from the terrible life she’s in. In the end, he does so in a very violent and poetic way, achieving his external and internal goal. I love this ending because of its ambiguity. It makes you think and makes you try to understand the mind of a psychopath. Was he really a psycho or was he just trying to find a purpose in life? Many war veterans come home feeling like they never did enough or they have nothing to live for. With being a veteran of a war we lost, I think this fits Bickle perfectly, and it’s tough for an American soldier like him to re-connect with a country that only shows him adversity. It’s pretty much the same premise as “Rambo,” but takes place in New York instead of the woods. “Taxi Driver” is a fascinating film with an incredible, iconic ending. Compare it to The Bible, compare it to a philosophy, or tear it apart as much as you wish, but I promise you will never find a correct answer. An ending like this demonstrates the beauty and storytelling filmmaking is capable of creating.

#1. Rudy

Most sports films end with the underdog team either winning or losing while learning a valuable lesson in the end. “Rudy” is the ultimate underdog story. I always root for the underdog, no matter which sport it is (I’m a Cleveland Browns fan for crying out loud). While the film may not portray “exactly” what happened in Rudy Ruettiger’s life, it’s still a pretty fantastic and completely satisfying story. As the ultimate underdog, the undersized and un-athletic Rudy only wants to play for his favorite team, Notre Dame. After Notre Dame denies him over and over, Rudy fights and fights to make the grades and get on the team. He finally does, but he’s only part of the practice squad. What he wants more than anything is to suit up, run out of the tunnel and play in a game, but the coaches believe he isn’t worthy of a spot on the main roster. So, Rudy’s love for the school and love for the game of football inspire the entire Notre Dame team to sacrifice their playing spots in order to make room for Rudy. The coach reluctantly accepts the team’s demands. Rudy gets to suit up, run out of the tunnel and play in a game. In his only defensive play in Notre Dame history, Rudy sacks Georgia Tech’s quarterback, making the entire stadium erupt and the team carry him out on their shoulders. It’s the most incredible ending a sports film could ever ask for, even more than “Rocky,” to be honest. “Rudy” is the perfect example of an underdog achieving his dream, demonstrating how hard work and determination opens every door imaginable.

What are your favorite film endings?