The Labor Day weekend is historically a slow day for new movie releases. "The American" opened Wednesday, with George Clooney playing a hit man awaiting his last assignment. But in recent months, I have done Top 10 lists on the best Clooney movies AND assassination flicks.

So we're going to pull one from left field and do the best Matt Dillon movies. Why? Well, there's two reasons: One, he is starring in the movie "Takers" which opened last week. Two, I've always been a fan. Ever since he broke into the movies in the early 1980s as your basic troubled teen, Dillon has the rare ability to command the screen.

But after making a splash in those teen films, the 46-year-old Dillon had a tough time breaking into mature dramas, being typecast simply as a "thug" or "hood." But Dillon stayed the course and has turned in a number of strong performances in solid movies.

Dillon is even good enough to earn some honorable mentions: "Tex", "Target" and "The Saint of Fort Washington."

10. Singles (1992) Cliff Poncier: Cameron Crowe's story of the loves and lives of six Seattle 20-somethings is a solid, entertaining movie, best remembered for helping introduce grunge rock to the world with a soundtrack featuring Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney.

9. In & Out (1997) Cameron Drake: Funny, insightful film. Dillon plays an actor who inadvertently "outs" his old high-school teacher (Kevin Kline) as being gay. The teacher, engaged to a colleague, is then beseiged with questions from family, friends and the media.

8. The Flamingo Kid (1984) Jeffrey Willis: One of my guilty-pleasure films, with Dillon playing a high-school grad whose straight-laced family wants him to go to college. But he becomes enamored with the glitzy lifestyle at the posh country club where he works.

7. The Outsiders (1983) Dallas Winston: The best of the Francis Ford Coppola/S.E. Hinton films, this is more of a story of Johnny and Ponyboy than of Dillon's character. Still, Dillon is very good in support, playing a friend who helps protect two fellow "Greasers".

6. My Bodyguard (1980) Moody: Chris Makepeace plays the lonely son of a hotel manager who gets picked on by the bully at his new school (Dillon), so he hires the service of a tougher kid (Adam Baldwin). Good acting all around.

5. Rumblefish (1983) Rusty James: Not quite as good of a movie as "The Outsiders", but Dillon's performance was better. He plays the leader of a dying youth gang who longs for the glory days of deliquency. Shout out to Tom Waits, who had a small role.

4. Drugstore Cowboy (1989) Bob: Gus Van Sant's low-budget indie about a pair of drug dealer (Dillon and Kelly Lynch) who drive through the Midwest and rob pharmacies could have been simply depressing. But Dillon's strong performance makes it riveting, and even amusing at times.

3. There's Something About Mary (1998) Healy: Dillon steals the show from Ben Stiller, playing the ridiculously crude and sleazy private investigator who tracks down Stiller's long-lost love, only to fall in love with her himself. This is an extremely funny movie, thanks in large part to Dillon's against-type comedic performance.

2. To Die For (1995) Larry Moretto: A somewhat forgotten movie, with Nicole Kidman shining as a woman who will do anything to achieve TV newscaster stardom, even if it means hiring some teens (Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck) to kill her husband (Dillon). Dillon is perfect as the loving but clueless spouse.

1. Crash (2004) John Ryan: Dillon deserved the supporting actor Oscar (Clooney got it for "Syrinana") playing an L.A. cop, stressed by caring for his sick father, whose racism sets him on a collision course with modern life. This could have fallen into stereotypes, but Dillon gave the role layers of complexity and compassion.

While it's not the most dramatic moment from "Crash", Dillon shines in this low-key scene. Click here.

And have fun with the trailer from "There's Something About Mary." Please click here.