This will be short because I’m still tired after staying up to see the Oscars. Don’t know why I did that since this year it was pretty clear what would get best picture. I like to see the acceptance speeches, which you miss if you just read the results in the paper. Of course, watching the show made me think about what movies have been my favorites. I’ve watched many outstanding movies, great movies, some that even received an academy award, but I don’t count them my favorites if I haven’t watched them over and over again, loving them each time. For example, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List were terrific, but they are too tough to watch more than once. Here, then, are some of the movies that do make the category of favorites for me:
- Without a doubt, my very favorite drama is To Kill a Mockingbird. Was there ever a more admirable character than Atticus Finch, played by Gregory Peck? For years I watched it once a year with my students at the end of our study of the novel. It is one of the few movies that does justice to the novel it is about.
- In the comedy category, two movies come to mind, Princess Bride and When Sally Met Harry. Princess Bride is hilarious all the way through, whereas only one scene in the second movie stands out, the one we all know quite well, but that one scene is enough to make me want to see the movie more than once or even twice.
- As for the best Sci-fi movie, a genre I dearly love but which doesn’t produce nearly enough excellent entries, the original Star Wars movie wins out for me. I remember watching it at the Cape Cod Mall when it opened in 1977. We had two kids then, and the youngest was two and fell asleep in my arms before the movie started and slept right through it. The movie was nothing less than the classic struggle between good and evil, with young Luke Skywalker taking on the role of David against Darth Vader’s Goliath. Characters, both the leading ones and minor ones, we’re fascinating, making me marvel at the imagination that created them.
- Finally, in the category of scary movies, my two favorites are Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Psycho. The suspense in both of those is so intense that I can feel my heart palpitate. Even when I know what’s coming, my heart races again and again.
Those are a few of my all-time favorites. What are yours?
Coming East 
Love your list, and my all-time fave is “Driving Miss Daisy.” Of course, since I live where it was set…:)
I have many other favorites, of course, and have been working on a post about 80’s movies in general.
Great post, CE!
I would love to see your list when it’s ready, HG. My brother reminded me today that I should have included the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the first Indiana Jones. Those were great movies, too.
The three original Star Wars, You’ve got mail, In her shoes to name a few. I guess I’ll have to watch Princess Bride – everyone keeps raving about it.
I never saw In Her Shoes. I don’t think I’ve even heard of it. I’ll have to check it out. Yes, you must watch Princess Bride! Let me know what you think.
My list is way too long… To Kill a Mockingbird is on top of my list. I’m glad to see A Room Without a View and E.T. were mentioned. I really enjoyed Hugo, well filmed!
Yes, I forgot about E.T. I loved that movie, too. I saw Hugo at Thanksgiving with my the whole family. It was very good, but I had just read the book and the book was even better.
My favorite comedy is ELF, hands down.
I like a drama that makes me think. I know these are controversial, but I liked FIGHT CLUB and AMERICAN BEAUTY. To me, both of these movies are about the same thing, only at different times in a life: feeling bored and disenfranchised and at feeling likes there’s no way to improve. That said, A WONDERFUL LIFE makes me cry every time I watch it.
Scary movies: I’ll go with JAWS. It had a lasting impact on me; one I think about every time I go swimming.
SciFi I l-o-v-e, love. I’ll go with FIREFLY. An old-fashioned Western in outer space.
Oh, I’d add Jaws, also, Adela. Forgot about that one. I’ve never heard of Firefly. I’ll have to check it out because I love sci-fi.
The Wizard of Oz, the first Star Wars, E.T., the Bourne series, and AVATAR! Come to mind.
I like all of those, too, Brother, but none would make my very favorite list, except for the one we have in common. There are so many good ones to choose from.
To Kill a Mockingbird, certainly, but any movie with a courtroom scene is gold as far as I’m concerned. I am a sucker for courtroom drama. Some of the better ones: “Anatomy of a Murder”, “A Civil Action”, “Inherit the Wind”, “The Verdict”, “Philadelphia”, “Amistad”, and just about any John Grisham movie. And for a little humor to boot, there’s always “My Cousin Vinny!”
I like courtroom drama and lawyer movies, too, Big Al. Did you see The Lincoln Lawyer? I read the book first and then saw the movie. Both were really good.
Princess Bride is also an all-time favorite! “As yoooouuuu wish.” My sister shared it with her kids, too, as we just loved the movie when we were kids back then and kept watching over and over again. They loved it, too especially the sword fight scenes.:)
That movie never gets old, Yen. Fairy tales are like that.
There are so many really wonderful movies out there. My favorite is probably A Room with a View. But the one I can’t resist when I see it in the TV Guide? Grease. I have to watch it and sing along.
Music is definitely a big part of a movie for me. I love South Pacific for its scope and story, but I love it even more for its music. I know the words to all the songs.
I would agree with To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus was such a wonderful example of a human being who did the right thing. To that I would add Gone With the Wind, I think the glory and opulence of the old south is one of my romantic golden ages (as per Woody Allen). Doctor Zhivago for the pure romance and dynamic between Julie Christie and Omar Shariff gets my vote. This morning, in my groggy state, My brain is leaning toward romance. From last night’s picks, I could watch Hugo over and over again… a wonderful story and spectacular images!
Those are good choices, too, Carol. I wasn’t a great fan of Gone With The Wind except for the epic proportions of it. I actually liked Gettysburg as a portrayal of the Civil War, though it obviously wasn’t a romance. Dr. Zhivago was gorgeous, and I owned the record of the soundtrack and would play it over and over again.