By Vanessa Zimmer
Twenty-five years ago this month, many of us learned the meaning of the expression the full monty.
It was 1997, and a unique ensemble-cast film led by Robert Carlyle - following a group of unemployed English steelworkers and laborers who organize a male striptease act, vowing to do the Chippendales one better by stripping all the way down (the full monty) - opened to critical acclaim.
Introduced to independent-film fans at the Sundance Film Festival earlier that same year, the comedy was a huge success upon its wide release on August 13. The film was praised as much, nay more, for its humanity and tenderness as for the novelty of the fleeting stripping scene. It attracted the attention of plenty of awards bestowers, and the British Film Institute named The Full Monty among the top 25 British films of the 20th century.
Still, The Full Monty isn't the only award-winner hailing from Sundance that celebrates a birthday in August. The Usual Suspects won two Oscars. The films 500 Days of Summer and Ingrid Goes West captured attention for their scripts.
And Blinded by the Light was proclaimed by Sundance programmer Kim Yutani as a comedic, joyous musical companion piece to writer/director Gurinder Chadha's 2002 hit film Bend It Like Beckham, which played the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.
All five of these films screened at the Sundance Film Festival and then were released to wider audiences between three and 27 years ago during the month of August. So, surrender to the urge and check out all five as they observe their anniversary dates.
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