No, it's not an advertisement from a 1980s men's clothes catalogue. This is another largely pointless albeit fun movie list featuring those memorable mentoring moments in major motion pictures.

Not included are your run-of-the-mill school teachers (ie. Sydney Portier in To Sir With Love), principals (Jeffrey Jones in Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and sporting team coaches (ie. Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday).

These are the special one-on-one relationships that result in some amazing turn of events. The secret appears to have something to do with looking over one's shoulder. Note: There may be spoilers




7. The Color of Money (1986)
Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson trains
Tom Cruise as Vincent Lauria.

The relationship: The sequel to 1961's The Hustler sees that movie's main character, now a long retired pool player, take a young hustler under his wing - not to mention his girlfriend.

Words of wisdom: ``You gotta have two things to win. You gotta have brains and you gotta have balls. Now, you got too much of one and not enough of the other.''

Thanks for everything: After a falling out, the master, who makes a return to competition, and the cocky apprentice go head to head in a big tournament. Eddie rolls Vincent, but then finds out the match was thrown. Rematch!

Everyone's a winner: Fast Eddie feels alive again by rediscovering his love for pool and Paul Newman finally wins that Oscar for Best Actor. Cruise ... umm ... got to wear really interesting hair.


6. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Clint Eastwood as Frankie Dunn trains
Hilary Swank as Maggie Fitzgerald.

The relationship: The story of a weathered old boxing trainer who forms an unlikely union with a female fighter. Frankie is relucatant to take on the waitress Maggie at first, but ends up becoming like a father to her, offering her some great fatherly advice like this ...

Words of wisdom: "I want you to jab, right in the tits, until they turn blue and fall off.''

Thanks for nothing: Maggie is left a quadreplegic after an incident during her first title fight in which she lands on a stool, so like a god mentor should, Frankie euthanizes her.

Everyone's a winner: Oscars all-round please, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Film, Best Supporting Actor. Worth all the pain.


5. My Fair Lady (1964)
Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins refines
Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Dolittle

The relationship: A snobby English professor makes a bet that he can turn a rough-as-nails Cockney lass into a refined lady.

Words of wisdom: "You are to stay here for six months learning to speak beautifully, like a lady in a florist's shop. If you work hard and do as you're told, you shall sleep in a proper bedroom, have lots to eat, and money to buy chocolates and go for rides in taxis."

Thanks for everything: The transformation works a little too well and so Eliza becomes the desire of a young aristocrat, as well as her own 'coach' old 'Enry 'Iggins himself. Noffin' like a good luv triangel izz ther? Suffice to say, she makes the right choice. Well coached. Well played.

Everyone's a winner: Well almost, while nearly everyone else involved in the making of the film got Oscars (incl Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director), Hepburn missed out.


4. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Anthony Hopkins as Dr Hannibal Lector guides
Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling.

The relationship: Not the most conventional team up with a young female FBI agent seeking guidance from an incarcirated psychiatrist who doubles as a cannibal, for a case involving a serial killer.

Constructive criticism: "You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube. A well scrubbed, hustling rube with a little taste."

Thanks for everything: With the good doctor's assistance Clarice gets her man, the cross-dressing Buffalo Bill, and Lector gets out of jail after hatching a brilliant, albeit sadistic plot to escape involving the face of a prison guard.

Everyone's a winner: Showing true dedication to his mentorship, Lector later even cuts off his own arm to save Clarice (in Hannibal), and offers her some succulent Ray Liotta brain. Oh, there were some more Oscars in there too for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Acress etc etc.




3. The Karate Kid (1984)
Pat Morita as Mr Myagi trains
Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso.

The relationship: A little Japanese man teaches a young American runt who is constantly being beaten up by bullies how to paint a fence - as well as the finer points of karate.

Words of wisdom: "Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important. Wax on, wax off.''

Thanks for everything: Happy ending here with Daniel-Son, the rank outsider, using the now legendary crane maneuvre (haven't we all tried that one) to win the All-Valley Karate competition, and kick some bully bum at the same time. And they said he was going home in a body bag.

Everyone's a winner: Daniel-Son gets the title (and another in KK3) and the girl, and then another girl (in KK2) and finally another girl (in KK3). Mr Myagi gets his car buffed ... if you know what I mean.


2. Rocky (1976)
Burgess Meredith as Mickey Goldmill trains
Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa.

The relationship: Though it ended up being a very special father-son type deal this union didn't start off too well, with the old trainer none too happy with the boxer's lack committment to the sport...

Constructive criticism: "You're a bum, Rock. You're a bum.''
And later: "You're gonna eat lightnin' and you're gonna crap thunder!"

Thanks for everything: After he has him chasing chickens, Mickey helps Rocky win an unlikely world title from Apollo Creed. I'm still scratching my head at that one. Mickey though eventually suffers a heart-attack and dies after a run-in with Mr T's Clubber Lang right before their title bout (in Rocky III). I pitied the fool.

Everyone's a winner: Rock won several world titles - and a Best Picture Oscar to boot - and Burgess Meredith got to be remembered as Mickey, Rocky's old trainer, and not so much the fat annoying Penguin from Batman. He also got to wear pretty pink sweaters.


1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Frank Oz as Yoda trains
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

The relationship: Another that got off on the wrong foot. With the young Jedi not initially realising the three-foot tall, snot-coloured alien with the big ears and the voice that's got a touch of the MIss Piggys about it is the all-powerful master who is to train him. Amusing, it was.

Words of wisdom: "... if you choose the quick and easy path as Vader did - you will become an agent of evil."

Thanks for everything: After having Luke carry him around like a back pack, Yoda helps him fulfill his destiny by defeating Darth Vadar and the Empire, but not before he has another one of those long dramatic drawn-out death scenes. There is cough cough a ... noth ... er ....

Everyone's a winner: Sure Luke freed the universe, but he celebrated by partying with Ewoks. Where were the women Luke!? After initially feeling all glowy and blue and doing a bit of haunting, Yoda got to come back to life through the power of the prequel and then run away like a scared little girl.