A lot of my life has been impacted by books and movies. We grew up in the middle of nowhere and the only television I saw was Walter Cronkite giving the number of dead Americans in Vietnam at the end of the news, and Jacques Cousteau. Ok an occasional “Flipper” but back then it was a porpoise and not crummy home renovations.
Here’s my list of favorite “small” movies that are deemed so by me because they are not produced by Bruckheimer and don’t have a lot of cars crashing and things blowing up. If they do, there’s a story behind it that backs up the carnage.
At age eight I read The Diary of Anne Frank and Death Be Not Proud. Both were quiet stories about tremendous trials and hardship. I don’t need car chases or trains and planes blowing up. Human trials are enough for me and more poignant.
Over the past few days I’ve been tossing movie names out to my husband. We go to his sci-fi movie and I get a chick flick. He takes me to The Ring and I take him to Memoirs of a Geisha and we each get two movies to choose from. With both Netflix and Amazon Prime we rarely go out to the movies anymore. Along with that I must say he thinks I’m nuts for doing this and he created this blog and I’ve nearly 2,800 posts on it. Thank you, dear. This list is a random creation.
My first is Star Wars IV, A New Hope. I never saw it in the theater but decades after it premiered we bought the CD’s and lent them out and they were never returned. Now we watch part of the marathons. I thank my loving husband for introducing me to this genre which does include blowing stuff up but for a reason and real story. btw, in the end Luke and Leia are twins. Sorry, thirty years later to spoil the story.
ET, a love story between a boy and an alien and knowing who should have been involved (not the military). If I were to pitch it I’d say it was a coming of age story with a family – a boy – and an alien and the over-intrusive government tries to get in the way of a true friendship.
Finding Forrester, because the kid chose his own way to get an education and play ball.
Truly Madly Deeply because it was about forever love.
The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins for the songs, of course, that made me want to make music, and telling me whatever I chose to do in life I could make a difference.
A Price Above Rubies for courage. Salmon Fishing on the Yemen for commitment and love.
Field of Dreams for transcendence and James Earl Jones. The Pride of the Yankees for the great Lou Gherig. Rudy for pushing through against all odds to be carried off the field at Notre Dame.
The Brothers McMullen because it exposed some raw notes in religion, sexism and going public on issues that had not been discussed. Seven Years in Tibet, The Last Samurai. The Princess Bride, To Catch a Thief……
There are others. This is just a start. Perhaps I should be a movie critic as I don’t yet have my own in the can, so to speak. The sun is up and so is the dog so I must dance to the music. This morning, merci beaucoup, I can’t dance, don’t ask me, Dee.
ps Fred and Ginger danced to that song, her in high heels and backwards, yes I got to meet her and she danced with my father on stage in front of a few thousand people. I think she led.
Cooking with Dee 