Jaws (1975)
 

This movie kept thousands of ticket buyers out of the water the summer it hit the box office. The opening scene took the word "thriller" to a new level. A great white shark terrorizes a small New England coastal town during the height of tourist season. A battle of wills ensues between the police chief and the mayor on closing the beaches: Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) wants to downplay the attacks, and Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) fears more deaths. Brody enlists the help of oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and charter boat fisherman Quint (Robert Shaw) to find and kill the shark. Brilliant timing lures the audience from one terrifying shark encounter to the next, but it's the underlying comedy that prevents viewers from holding their breath too long. Favorite scene: When Brody sees the full length of the shark for the first time and tells Quint, "You're going to need a bigger boat." ―Vicki J. Weathers 

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