The Old Man and the Sea

Ernest Hemingway's choice for the lead in the film version of his "The Old Man and the Sea" was the right one: Spencer Tracy's performance brought him the sixth of his nine Academy Award nominations, and the film won the National Board of Review's 1958 Best Picture and Best Actor awards. Alone in a small skiff, an aging Cuban fisherman catches a huge marlin - and must defy the sea, marauding sharks, and his own flagging strength to bring his great catch home. Filmed in part on sun-drenched Cuban locales, and graced by Dimitri Tiomkin's Oscar winning score, "The Old Man and the Sea" is a colorful cinematic ode to the indomitability of the human spirit.

• drama