50 things: movies i’ve loved
The movies in this photo are all the movies I actually own, so of course, they get top billing.
This may have been even harder than narrowing down 50 books. After the first twenty or so, I could have come up with a hundred. And I’m certain that I have left out so many, mainly independent films that I remember watching and loving, but not their name. I’ve seen all of these more than once, which, in the end, was the criteria for making the cut.
And apparently, Emma Thompson is by far my favorite actress, though if you ask me, I always say Juliette Binoche. I don’t think I have a favorite actor, really, though if I had to pick one, I would probably say Anthony Hopkins, but only in his non-violent roles.
A lot of these are movies that made me cry. Either in sadness, or in laughter, with Wit and Shadowlands earning Best Sob awards. Napolean Dynamite and A Christmas Story might be my favorite comedies.
- Remains of the Day
- Pride and Prejudice (the McFadden version)
- Wit
- Sense and Sensibility
- The Dead (The John Huston one, not the zombie one)
- Love Actually
- Napoleon Dynamite
- Shadowlands
- A Christmas Story (our Christmas Eve tradition)
- A Family Stone
- The Gods Must Be Crazy
- Amadeus
- Forrest Gump
- Chocolat
- Harry Potter Series
- Cold Mountain
- Cool Hand Luke
- Dead Poets Society
- Good Will Hunting
- E. T.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- The Fisher King
- Grizzly Adams
- Home for the Holidays
- Field of Dreams
- Moonstruck
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
- Spencer’s Mountain
- Rain Man
- Clerks
- Schindler’s List
- Like Water For Chocolate
- The Color Purple
- The Usual Suspects
- West Side Story
- The Hours
- Jeremiah Johnson
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being
- 50 First Dates
- Born Free
- Lord of the Rings Series
- Night on Earth
- Short Cuts
- Sleepless in Seatttle
- Before Sunrise
- Ghostbusters
- Lost in Translation
- Juno
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Sideways
So here they are, 50 movies I’ve loved. I’d kind of like to be watching any one of them just now.
Apocalypse Now is a movie I never got over, though I can’t call it a favorite. Suspiria, which I saw when I was 15, made me afraid to look out of windows at night for years, and turned me away from horror films forever. I love Woody Allen movies, but couldn’t choose a favorite. Henry V is a movie I absolutely loved, but I’ve only seen it once.
And Back to the Future was the last one I cut, though I have seen it dozens (perhaps hundreds) of times because it was my son’s favorite movie for a few years when he was a kid. But I’ll let him put that one on his list.
So okay, now it’s your turn. Would love to see your list if you feel so inclined… come back and leave me a link to your post if you do!
March 7th, 2013 at 7:58 am
“My Left Foot,” “A Man and a Woman,” “The Graduate,” and….hmmmmm….!
March 7th, 2013 at 8:33 am
One day, we will meet and we will sit down, make tea, eat chocolate and work our way through a fair few of these because there are so many on this list I found myself nodding at and mentally adding to my own.
Amadeus is completely worth the almost 3hrs it takes.
March 7th, 2013 at 8:41 am
where in the world is caddyshack?
March 7th, 2013 at 9:20 am
I have always wanted to see Shadowlands. I can’t seem to find it on DVD, but maybe it’s streaming now. Hmmm. I’ll have to check that out. A Woody Allen movie almost made my list – Hannah and Her Sisters. I also remembering finding Bullets Over Broadway really funny, but it’s been a long time and I’ve only seen it once. This is such a great list – lots of favorites (Amadeus, Forrest Gump, Moonstruck, etc). Thank you for sharing and putting together such a fun exercise! LOVE!
March 7th, 2013 at 9:22 am
Pure diversionary favories: The Mask of Dimitrios, The Third Man, The Big Sleep. Also (reaching back a way) most of the Thin Man series.
March 7th, 2013 at 10:13 am
i have seen many of these….a funny story on shadowlands….it messed my wife up so bad emotionally she started laughing in the theatre cause she could not cry anymore…and we had to leave for a bit so she could get it under control and people not think she a mad woman…lol
a few of mine: the postman, once, when harry met sally
March 7th, 2013 at 11:22 am
Ha, I’m impressed you got it down to 50; I never managed to. We have some in common. I too love Emma Thompson, Wit is the movie I inflict on house guests (to see if they have hearts). Mine is a page and not as orderly or brief. A few I would highlight that you may enjoy Cherry Blossoms, Blue (incredible performance by Juliette Binoche), and Ponette. http://chromalexicon.com/recommended-cinema/
March 7th, 2013 at 4:22 pm
This is a most awesome list. There is no way I could compress my list to 50, but my numbers 1-10 might all be ‘To Kill a Mockingbird.’ I also watched ‘The Big Chill’ 17 times in a single weekend. So, there’s that. And Cary Grant. Goodness.
March 7th, 2013 at 5:36 pm
there are a few movies on here I have not seen, but I have to say the list Anna shared, was pretty much mine. I don’t think there is any way I could list just 50… I struggled through doing that with the books! ~laughing~
Great List and thank you for the share!
March 7th, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Great list with some favorites 🙂
March 8th, 2013 at 2:16 pm
definitely Jeremiah Johnson(we know ALL the sentences and all the takes, we have seen it so many times!!…but then most anything with Robert Redford. Out of Africa. Also Quigley Down Under. Lonesome Dove. Driving Miss Daisy. ANYTHING by Hallmark. Fried Green Tomatoes. Dancing with the White Dog (both Jessica Tandy)
But actually I don’t see many movies.
in fondest, tilda
March 19th, 2013 at 12:51 am
I had to come back and add this one,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKmHBFgIoX0
as I just watched for about the 10th time and still laughed until I cried…
just in case yo have not seen it and want a good giggle…
March 20th, 2013 at 2:09 pm
Let’s see, off the top of my head
The Holiday
Message in a Bottle
Sleepless in Seattle
You’ve got Mail
Eat Pray Love
Blindside
Nights in Rodanthe
Catch and Release
Clueless
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Jerry McGuire
Serendipity
RENT
Les Mis
xoxox