15 Movies...

So, I was challenged to come up with a list of 15 movies that mean something to me.  Well for a movie lover like me, this really was a challenge.  Even moving away from just thinking about my favorite movies to movies that I had strong emotional ties to didn’t narrow the field much.  Apparently, I’m a tad over-emotional and I get emotionally invested far too easily.  That being said, I think I finally have a list (that has changed about a thousand times…and if I worked on it any longer would probably continue to change another thousand times).  So here you go, in no particular order:

Knotting Hill:  This is the first one that came to mind.  This is a movie that Kevin and I saw on a date pretty early on in our relationship.  And even though we hadn’t been together long, we both left that movie with the strongest feeling that we would be together forever. 

Willow:  Very fond childhood memories here.  My family always loved to watch movies together.  And we would watch them over and over.  While the quotes in this movie may not be very applicable to real life (there’s a peck here with an acorn pointing it at me), that sure didn’t stop us from remembering and repeating them.

Harry Potter (the whole series, really):  I know, I’m letting my nerd light shine a bit too bright right now, but I can’t help it.  I enjoy the movies almost as much as the books.  They’re all about friendship, good vs. evil, loyalty, overcoming your fears, hope, and so much more.  Lots of great quotes that actually do mean something and are applicable to real life (We have all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the power we choose to act on. That’s who we really are).  And being able to share them all with the kids has been awesome, too.

Armageddon:  This is one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time.  It’s got just about everything you could ever want in a movie:  action, tears, laughs, romance, tears, family, camaraderie, great music, tears, quotes, etc. If I ever come across it on TV, I will always watch it.  It’s amazing.

Forest Gump:  Another top 5 fave.  I love how it spans the decades.  You get to see how the characters grow and change, how the world around them changes and evolves, and you get to listen to all of the amazing music along the way.  You root for the underdog.  You root for love, kindness, and friendship.  And you walk away with a smile on your face.  Puffy eyes, maybe.  But a smile on your face.

Almost Famous and Rockstar:  These two movies are going to share a spot on this list for a couple of reasons.  1) because I needed to cheat a little bit, and 2) because they deliver similar themes and similar stories in two very different movies.  They both have amazing soundtracks and great stories.  Kevin and I saw them both in the theater before we were married, so they carry a lot of fond memories along with them, too.

Pirates of the Caribbean (the series):  These are not necessarily my favorites.  They would not make my top 10 in that regard.  But I enjoyed them.  The reason they made this list, though, is because I saw each of them in the theater with my baby brother…even the last one.  We made time when we were both visiting in Abilene to go see it.  After all, it was tradition, and it was one-on-one time together that we just never get any more.  So as far as I’m concerned, they can keep making the movies, just so we can keep the tradition alive.

Spaceballs:  One of the greatest and most ridiculous movies ever.  Again, great childhood memories with this one.  I remember happily watching it and quoting it with the family as a child.  Then I remember watching it with them in High School and actually understanding all of those things!  OMG.  This is one of the most quoted movies in my family…much to the chagrin of Cakes.

Mr. Holland’s Opus:  This movie came out when I was in the middle of marching band bliss.  In fact, when my friend Jenn and I saw it in the theater, our band directors were in the row behind us.  I have always had a huge love of music, and this move has a lot of it.  Like Forest Gump, it spans the decades and you get to see so much change and growth.  It has heart, humor, and music…3 of my favorite things.

Old School, Anchorman, and Wedding Crashers:  I’m cheating again.  But seeing as these three movies were released in 3 consecutive years and all three of them feature the comedic brilliance of Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn, I figured I could group them together pretty easily.  They have provided multitudes of laughs and quotes to Kevin and I, our friends, and our family.  Cakes and I saw each of them in the theater on dates after we got married:  the first while pregnant with Hannah, the second while pregnant with Mason, and the third while we had a baby and a toddler waiting for us at home. 

9 Months:  The 2^nd of what will be 3 Hugh Grant movies on this list.  It just reminds me of Mom.  Sure, it’s a pretty enjoyable movie to watch and can stand pretty well on its own.  But the birth scene at the end is just one of the funniest things to Mom and me.  We laugh so hard.  Then I laugh at how hard she is laughing, she laughs and how I’m laughing at her, and we just end up in tears.  It’s our thing.  And it’s greatness.

The Croods:  If you haven’t seen it, you should.  It may not be my favorite animated movie, but it definitely got me emotionally invested.  I sobbed when I saw it in the theater with the kids.  I cried when I watched it with them at home.  It’s a great little story about a girl and her family.  But the focus is on the changing dynamic of the girl and her father, and it really struck a chord with me.  And I’m pretty sure it struck a chord with my Dad, too.

Crazy, Stupid Love:  This was another one of the rare date night movies that Kevin and I have gotten over the years.  I laughed and I cried.  Kevin got his first man-crush.  I left the movie theater declaring that it had just become one of my favorite movies ever.  It is a great romantic comedy, but it’s not your typical rom-com either.  I thought it was very well done.  I just love it!

Love Actually:  While I enjoy most, if not all, of Hugh Grant’s romantic comedies I am putting this one on the list more for the fact that it’s one of the few movies with a giant ensemble cast that I think actually works.  It tells several different love stories and shows that you never quite know the impact you might have in someone else’s life.  It’s set at Christmas time, so it is one of my favorite Christmas movies, too.  Another movie that I watched with Cakes; this time on an at-home date.  It always makes me smile (Ok, smile and cry).

Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Lion King:  My final entry, and my final cheat.  These were the best animated movies of my childhood.  They were my favorites then, and they are still among my favorites now (along with more recent additions like Nemo, Monster’s Inc., Up, etc.).  I can still sing every song from Little Mermaid, and most of the songs from the others as well.  They just don’t make movies like that anymore.  Literally.

 

...and one to grow on...

We Are Marshall, Invincible, Remember the Titans, Rudy, Friday Night Lights, and When the Game Stands Tall:  Because who doesn't love a good football movie?!  Hard hits, exciting plays, and comeback stories.  Especially when the movies have such positive messages about what it is to be a team, how you are more than what the scoreboard shows, the benefits of hard work and integrity, etc.  What's not to love.  The last of those movies, When the Game Stands Tall, is out in theaters now.  I recommend that everyone sees it.  Watching it today with Kevin and the kids (and Mason's friend) was great.  Mason said it is the best movie ever, and he even almost cried.  Great story.  Great football.  Great message.