Here are my 25 Favorite Movies in random order. Some have quotes from the movie. Others have clips. Watching is optional, but recommended.
1. BETTER OFF DEAD (1985)
"Two dollars!" ~ The Paper Boy
2. SAY ANYTHING (1989)
"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that." ~ Lloyd Dobler
3. SHE'S HAVING A BABY (1988)
4. WHITE OLEANDER (2002)
5. LEGENDS OF THE FALL (1994)
"She was like the water that freezes inside a rock and breaks it apart. It was no more her fault than it is the fault of the water when the rock shatters." ~ One Stab
6. THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
7. ICE CASTLES (1978)
"Don't give me that. Not trying is pointless and cruel. Not trying is wondering your whole life if you gave up too soon. Who the hell needs that?" ~Nick Henderson
8. FREQUENCY (2000)
"You went down 30 years ago, pal. You just don't know it yet." ~John Sullivan
9. CRAZY, STUPID LOVE (2011)
10. ABOUT TIME (2013)
"There's a song by Baz Luhrmann called Sunscreen. He says worrying about the future is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life will always be things that never crossed your worried mind." ~Tim
11. THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985)
12. PITCH PERFECT I and II (2012, 2015)
13. CONSTANTINE (2005)
[speaking to God] "I know I'm not one of your favorites. I'm not even welcome in your house. But, I could use a little attention." ~John Constantine
14. THE BIG EASY (1986)
"Why don't you just face it, Remy? You're not one of the good guys anymore." ~Anne Osborne
15. P.S. I LOVE YOU (2007)
16. THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY (2005, 2008, 2012)
"People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man, I'm flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed; but as a symbol... as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting." ~Bruce Wayne AKA Batman
17. INCEPTION (2010)
"They say we only use a fraction of our brain's true potential. Now that's when we're awake. When we're asleep, we can do almost anything." ~Cobb
18. GREASE (1978)
19. X-MEN SERIES/FRANCHISE (2000-PRESENT)
"Mankind is not evil, just... uninformed." ~Prof. Charles Xavier
20. PRETTY WOMAN (1990)
Vivan: People put you down enough, you start to believe it.
Edward: I think you are a very bright, very special woman.
Vivan: The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?
21. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012)
22. SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL (1987)
"Any fool can get into college. Only a select few can say the same about Amanda Jones." ~Laura Nelson
23. DIE HARD SERIES/FRANCHISE (1988-PRESENT)
Hans Gruber: Who are you then?
John McClane: Just a fly in the ointment, Hans. The monkey in the wrench. The pain in the ass.
24. LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992)
Cora Munro: They're going to hang you. Why didn't you leave when you had the chance?
Hawkeye: Because what I'm interested in is right here.
25. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989)
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
GRUMPY OLD MEN/GRUMPIER OLD MEN (1993/1995)
GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)
LIFE AS A HOUSE (2001)
GRAN TORINO (2008)
A PERFECT WORLD (1993)
MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004)
THE LOVELY BONES (2009)
THE NOTEBOOK (2004)
POWDER (1995)
OCTOBER SKY (1999)
CHRISTMAS VACATION (1989)
KATE AND LEOPOLD (2001)
SHE'S ALL THAT (1999)
MEET JOE BLACK (1998)
BULL DURHAM (1988)
EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014)
FIELD OF DREAMS (1989)
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING (2002)
Who doesn't think The Princess Bride is an awesome movie?
ReplyDeleteLast of the Mohicans is classic Michael Mann.
And I can recite every line from Better Off Dead.
Thanks for participating in the Listing Hop!
When I was in college we watched Better Off Dead... a lot. I'm pretty sure I could've said the lines with the characters.
DeleteThat said, I think The Princess Bride might be more quotable. The dialogue in that movie is "inconceivable!"
Oh such great choices. And the Big Easy...what a sexy fun movie that was. I liked Constantine, too, more than I thought I would.
ReplyDeleteThe Big Easy. That is another movie I found in college or just after. It's hard to keep straight because I lived with my college roommate for a few years after college. We both loved that movie and rented it a lot. In hindsight, we really should've BOUGHT the movies we constantly rented. Young and dumb I guess.
DeleteMy cousin recommended Constantine to me. I love that movie. Just love it.
I really liked Some Kind of Wonderful, too. I thought it was better than Pretty in Pink, which had the same story line.
ReplyDeleteWhen Harry Met Sally is one of my favorites. My husband and I were a Harry and Sally, so it's "our" movie.
It's funny (right now as I'm commenting) that most of these movies has a story.
DeleteMy neighbor from when I was a kid (who I just adore!) suggested Some Kind of Wonderful. She was like my second mom and very in tune with what was going on. Turns out I did indeed love it. If possible, I might've loved the soundtrack even more than the movie. That was the day of cassette tapes and I wore the tape out.
When Harry Met Sally. Honestly, I can't think of one person who doesn't love this movie. It's pretty awesome that you married your best friend. Most are not so lucky. Or smart. Whatever.
Thanks for listing with me, Robin! There are a bunch of movies here I haven't seen and will add to my list. I've pretty much come to the conclusion if a person doesn't like The Princess Bride or The Breakfast Club that something must be wrong with them! :D
ReplyDeleteIt was fun listing with you. I'm sorry I forgot to grab the button. Ugghh.
DeleteI think that a person must watch The Breakfast Club as a teenager or early 20s to get it. If you wait longer than that it probably isn't going to hit real close to home. But I can't think of a reason why anyone wouldn't love The Princess Bride.
Some great choices here. And others, well, I just haven't even heard of them. I didn't watch a lot of movies in the 80s/90s/early 2000s. I will say that The Breakfast Club and Inception are definitely on my list (which I'm still struggling with).
ReplyDeleteI know that your movie education is being rounded out by Stephen T. McCarty with your TRT nights. I must say I haven't watched most of the movies he's watched. I think much of that is being born in different generations. It's why (without the aid of someone from a different generation) our lists would look very different. All three of us. (FAE and STMC have much more similar taste in pretty well everything.)
DeleteI just-just rewatched Better of Dead. It's still funny!
ReplyDeleteIt never gets old!
DeleteSo many of my favorites are on this list! I fell in love with Daniel Day Lewis as he ran through the forest to save Cora. Don't tell.
ReplyDeleteWe are probably on the same page with movies - or very, very close. :-)
The Last of the Mohicans. I saw this one in the movie theatre with J1. The battle scenes were a bit hard for me (and still are). Of course, when has hand to hand combat to the death ever been pretty? Anyway, I was already very interested in native american history. Shortly after watching this movie I came across a book called Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson. OMG. That book was amazing. It was historical fiction based on the real life of Catherine Ann Parker. Ms. Robson was a librarian before she was an author and her researching was stellar. I got a healthy dose of what life among the Cherokee would be like while being invested in the characters.
DeleteI then read her other books about other tribes.
It all changed my thinking about the Native American Indians. We stole their land. Outright theft because they were different (ergo less). When I watched that movie the next time I was still rooting for the MCs but the battle scenes were easier to take. I understood it better from the perspective of the indians. And I kinda wanted them to win.
Awesome list! I was surprised to see Constantine listed. I love that movie but not many people do.
ReplyDeleteI've seen it many times and have been thinking I'm ready to watch it again!
DeleteA great list! I've seen so many of them!
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteGreat list! There are some here I have not seen so I need to add them. Great to see The Princess bride on here. Last of the Mohicans is another great movie
ReplyDeleteGirl, you've seen tons of movies. I try to keep up with your weekly movie posting (if nothing else).
DeleteSecret: I haven't been feeling well, so blogging has been really tough for me to stay on top of, but I TRY.
I am sorry to hear you are not feeling well. I hope you are better today (almost a week later). Gosh I miss Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
DeleteThis is a fantastic list, Robin! So many of my own favorites are in here—and yes, favorites and best are really not necessarily the same :) These are amazing, though. Great post!
ReplyDeleteGuilie @ Quiet Laughter
No. Favorite and best are two different things. Some of the best movies I've seen I could only watch once. It's like that lyric from the song If You Could Read My Mind "You won't read that book again because the ending's just too hard to take."
DeleteI've seen several of your choices. My favorite would probably be About Time--I really liked that film a lot.
ReplyDeleteI saw Constantine but don't remember it now. I want to watch it again since our Bible study pastor was mentioning that he thought it had what he thought was a realistic vision of what Hell might be like. He also said that he didn't recommend that we watch the film, but I'm probably a different kind of film viewer than most of the others in our class.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
About Time is the most recent I've seen on this list. I watched it because FAE recommended it on her blog (with a BoTB post). OMG I watched it twice within a week.
DeleteConstantine. I'm not sure I agree with your pastor about this movie portraying a realistic version of hell. I think it might be as simple as complete separation from God, with the full knowledge of what means (which we don't have here). Since we all came from the Father, but don't remember that, it would be having the memory and knowing what you lost. And never being able to get it back. Since I'm well aware of the destructive quality of regret that would be hellish.
That said, I still think this movie is fabulous. And I do believe there is much about heaven and hell and everything in between that is beyond our comprehension.
I would tend to agree with the concept of separation from God and the burning regret and remorse. I think what our pastor was referring to is the visual representation as described in parts of the Bible. Since the mental and emotional aspect might not be totally comprehensible as an eternal state and maybe not seem so bad since these feelings in our earthly existence are usually eventually overcome or displaced, the concept of hell might have been represented as a visual metaphor or a simile saying hell is like this. But still I'd rather not take any chances. I think the Bible should be interpreted literally as well as symbolically. The ramifications for sin without salvation and redemption are foreboding to me as they should be to everyone.
DeleteLee
I think you should watch the movie, Lee. I suspect you'll like it. (I like it... obviously.) It is certainly food for thought. If you do watch it, let me know what you think!
DeleteYou've included so many of my favorites. Frequency is not a well known movie but I really like it. Great picks.
ReplyDeleteSusan Says
I can't tell you how many times I've seen Frequency.
DeleteI really like Dennis Quaid. He was also in The Big Easy (another favorite on this list). I like most every movie he's in.
GIRL WONDER ~
ReplyDeleteThanks for providing me with your list. (You have about 3-4 weeks to break it into two parts: "Top Ten" and "The Next Fifteen".)
Most of your movies I have not seen. But here's a list of those I have:
'BETTER OFF DEAD': "I want my two dollars!" (We've laughed together about that before. I LOVE this movie! I own it! And it pains me that there's not enough room on my 25 FAVORITE MOVIES list to get this one on it. I SERIOUSLY think it's one of the FUNNIEST movies ever made.
'THE PRINCESS BRIDE' (Yeah, great movie. Who doesn't love it?)
'ABOUT TIME' (I saw this for the first time just within the last 2 or 3 months. I need to see it again. I may have been drunk at the time. Ha!)
'THE BREAKFAST CLUB' (Well, Bish is right. There IS something wrong with me! Actually, several somethings. I tried to watch this movie once, many years ago, and I just couldn't get through it. I think I turned it off after about 30-40 minutes. The characters all just seemed like stereotypes to me.)
'GREASE' (I'm not really a fan of this one, but believe it or not, I recall working in it one or two days during filming.)
'PRETTY WOMAN' (Eh... Not bad, not great. OK. I don't really care much for Sandra Bullock. Er... I mean, Julia Roberts. What's the difference? I think they're the same person.)
'DIE HARD' (I'm ordinarily not a fan of "Action" movies like this, but I am a Bruce Willis fan and this movie had tons of great, snarky dialogue. To me great surprise, me likey!)
'WHEN HARRY MET SALLY' (Wonderful movie! I've probably seen it 5 times. That scene of the boys doing 'The Wave' while carrying on a deep discussion at the ballpark always makes me laugh.)
Thanks again for the list, Girl Wonder. Of the 8 I've seen, half of them I like A LOT!
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
I know it's politically incorrect, but my favorite line from Better Off Dead in What a shame, throwing away a perfectly good white boy like that"
DeleteNo, that would be Politically Incorrect only if they said "Black boy", "Brown boy", "Yellow boy", or "Red boy".
DeleteBut White boys you can have fun with all you want. We're not a minority in the USA, see? (Nor are we overly sensitive and looking for a reason to be upset.)
~ D-FensDogG
You've probably seen more off my list than I will have from yours. So, good job!
DeleteYou've mentioned that you turned off The Breakfast Club to me before. I think this movie just missed you. The time to watch it is when you're a teenager. And it may have missed you then. I don't know. But, for MOST OF US, school feels very stereotyped with all of us having our roles to play. There is to be no mixing and mingling, and there is definitely a hierarchy of power. So, the beginning of the movie shows that. There are hints that these people are all more than that, but no one wants anyone else to see that stuff. Eventually they break through that glass ceiling of untruth and see each other for the layered people that they all are. In that discovery they find out they are more alike than different (which was a concept that would've been unbelievable that morning) and it is actually possible for them to be friends (crossing all of those social boundaries that seemed uncrossable before).
So, you're right. This movie is about stereotypes. It's about shattering them.
Great list, looks a lot like my movie list.
ReplyDeleteJuneta Writer's Gambit
Now this is a list where I've seen most of the films. Good list for today. I love a good movie list. I'll be done one in the next few days. I'm worried what people will think of my favourite movies, like I'm always worried what people will think about my faovurite songs.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who used to spend a lot of time worrying about what other people think, I feel you on this. A big part of my therapy over the last year has been letting all of that go and accepting that some people aren't going to agree with you or even like you. In fact, my therapist introduced me to the law of thirds, which I find very helpful. One third of the people will love you. One third will be "meh" about you, not really caring one way or the other. One third won't like you. This is for Everyone. Not just me and you. That applies to your blog and if your writing a book... that too. The law of thirds. It's freeing.
DeleteI will certainly keep that in mind. Because yes, worrying about what others think of me is a BIG concern of mine. I grew up moving from school to school never making friends and always being picked on. So I guess that's where that come from. I'm always seeking approval. You give good advice. And yes, I have been working on a short story series.
DeleteSome great one here. What's not to like about 'The Princess Bride' and 'Harry and Sally' it's relevant and a lot of fun. I see 'Big Fat Greek Wedding' only got an honorable mention, but it too is great. And, P.S. was a rather interesting premiss for a rom-com, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteMy mom actually got me to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It's one of the few movies she saw in the theatre. She loved it so much that she went on and on about it. It came *thisclose* to being in the Top 25. I just didn't know what to throw out to get it in there.
DeleteP.S. I Love You. Oh boy. I think I cried all the way through that movie. I've only seen it once, even though I own it. I want to watch it again soon. I suspect that all of that crying had a lot to do with my own emotional "distraughtness," even though it was a very sad movie in its way. Is it better to have loved and lost than never loved at all?
I've seen almost all of them, Robin. I remember watching Grease at our local movie theater (I was, what... 8!), and The Breakfast Club back in '85 (yes, I loved Molly) and Pretty Woman in 1990 right after the love of my life dumped me... Movies trigger memories, don't they?
ReplyDeleteGrease was the first movie I went to the theatre to see without my parents. It was a Big Deal. The Breakfast Club changed how I saw high school. A big deal. And I watched Pretty Woman right after I moved to New York City. I think we all want the fairy tale. We might not get it in life, but there's always the movies!
DeleteSome films I love on your list, one I've never seen and never will (Grease), a few everyone says I should see (Princess Bride, Legends Of The Fall). Like you, I find lists difficult-movie lists more so as I tend to forget them while the credits are rolling these days.
ReplyDeleteGrease remains a favorite for me because it was the first movie I saw at the movies with my friends. That was huge for me. Plus it was a musical and I love music. I owned the record. And I danced with one of my friends in the local talent show to Greased Lightning (took 3rd place). That is not to say you should watch it, but just explains my love for it.
DeleteI just don't go to the movies very much any more.
I am not a movie guy by any means, and I was beginning to wonder if your list was going to be the one I saw none of! But the superhero ones (minus Constantine, which I think I've seen a part of) and one of the DieHards, and Groundhog Day and maybe Vacation on your runners up. While it might be a stretch to say my best 25 movies might be all I've ever watched, I am certainly not well versed enough to make a competant list.
ReplyDeleteMy mom isn't a big movie person either. I think she'd be hard pressed to come up with 25 favorites.
DeleteLots of good ones on this list! Grease makes me feel nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteYvonne
:)
DeleteVery cool list!
ReplyDeletePhantom of the Opera, the musical, would round it out! LOL
Would you believe I haven't seen that one????
DeleteQuite a few of these would make it onto my list, too. I agree that the best movies I've seen are not necessarily my favorite movies. In fact, I have to wonder how little those two lists would meet in the middle for me.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. There might be SOME crossover, but I wonder how much...
DeleteMore than half of your movies would make my list!!! Big Easy was so good, Some kind of wonderful- OMG I watched over and over. I will need to think about this. I may do a similar post if that's OK.
ReplyDeleteWell, girl, I see you've already done it (been there and commented). You came up with several I forgot and some I've not seen and then there's that one I don't like at all. hahahaha.
DeleteI CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST ONE ON YOUR LIST IS OUR FAMILY'S ALL TIME FAVORITE! Okay, sorry for shouting, but I was THAT excited to see it there. We watch it at least once a year, during a family ski trip, and we love introducing it to people who have never seen it before.
ReplyDeletePrincess Bride is another favorite, of course. And I really enjoy Frequency a lot. But family favorites -- ones we can quote from memory -- also include Galaxy Quest and Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl.
Can I just say how appropriate it is that you watch it on a family ski trip? hahahaha. It's hard to believe there are people who haven't seen this movie!
DeleteI don't think I've seen Galaxy Quest. Now, I'm thinking I should. Who doesn't like Jack Sparrow? But, now I just remembered that I left Edward Scissorhands off the list. Doggone it!
You have a few of my favorites on there, and you got me in the mood to watch Princess Bride. "Inconceivable!"
ReplyDeleteThat may be the ONE movie everyone can agree on. Not so inconceivable after all, eh??? :)
DeleteYeah, most of these are very watchable. I think that on this Top 25 list Legends of the Fall would be the one I'd have the toughest time watching over and over. It's sad. Sad is really hard for me. But it really made an impression on me. I can watch it like once every five years or so.
ReplyDeleteI am fascinated by the range in types of movies you picked! I have only seen half of them, but loved the ones I have seen!
ReplyDeleteTime to get busy;)
DeleteI did this bloghop years ago, and The Breakfast Club made my list too. It's excellent.
ReplyDeleteI'm most impressed, though, that you cited White Oleander. It's very well done and intense. I don't think it's that well known. I've seen it because I work with foster kids. You have high quality taste, my friend.
Have you read the book, Robyn? It's very good.
DeleteNo one so far had my favorite film on their list (which is probably due to the fact that it's fairly little known in the English speaking parts of the world). :D
ReplyDeleteGrate list though.
What is your favorite film?
Delete