Nothing But the Best: "Chariots of Fire" (1982)

Scene from Chariots of Fire

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

R.I.P. Colin Welland (1934-2015)

Colin Welland

Actor and writer Colin Welland passed away on November 2, 2015 at the age of 81. Over the course of his career, he won various awards such as a BAFTA for acting and an Oscar for writing. Among his many achievements is writing the screenplay for the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, directed by Hugh Hudson and featuring an iconic score by Vangelis. While he would have a career in writing, he was more prominently an actor, having appeared in films such as Kes and the controversial Straw Dogs. Despite it all, he will likely be remembered for his overt patriotism to his British homestead, of which he made note to in his acceptance speech claiming that "The British are coming." It's a statement that has since rang true not only for the film, but for most of foreseen future.