April 6th, 2008
For the Love of my DVD Player….
I’ve always been a movie fan….it seems as if a huge portion of my dating and marriage life was spent at the movies. The translation of that is movies that I love enough that I want to watch a fifth of sixth time…. So, here is my list of five movies that I would buy an extra copy of….just in case my copy gets damaged. I know that there will be some you may not have heard of…but if you would just watch them, you would love them, too!
1. Secondhand Lions. This coming of age story about a boy stuck in the country with his two eccentric - and possibly rich - uncles is a film I can watch time and time again. Haley Joel Osmond is Walter, a bit of a dreamer, who gets dumped on two bachelor uncles (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall) by his irresponsible mother (Kyra Sedgewick). Now, the uncles disappeared from Texas for 40 years, and while exploring fantastic stories of his uncles past, he finds out what it is to trust. A favorite line in the movie….about what it takes to be a real man: “Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things that a man needs to believe in the most: that people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; that love, true love, never dies… No matter if they’re true or not, a man should believe in those things because those are the things worth believing in.”
2. While You Were Sleeping. The tale of how a lonely woman becomes entangled in a large family at Christmas….Lucy (Sandra Bullock) is a lonely Chicago subway employee who’s life consists of living with her cat, avoiding her landlord’s boorish son, and nursing a hopeless crush on a handsome commuter who passes her booth every day. hen she spots her dream lover, Peter, getting mugged at the station, she rescues him and brings him to a hospital, but Peter goes into a coma. Peter’s family thinks that Lucy is Peter’s fiancee, and welcomes her into the family. Lucy feels the family love for the first time. During the time spent with Peter’s family, Lucy falls in love with Peter’s brother, Jack. I love Joe, Jr…and one of my favorite scenes is the whole description of a man “leaning” into a woman he is interested in her…..
3. Shining Through. A “B” movie to be honest, but I still love it. In this romantic espionage thriller set during World War II, Linda (Melanie Griffith) is a secretary from Queens that wants to serve the war effort…and goes undercover into Germany as a spy for the United States. The romantic side of the movie is about her relationship with her boss (Michael Douglass), who is an attorney and a secret agent. I just like the strong character of Linda and her determination to succeed in her mission….greatest melodramatic line “I am a silly girl. I was worrying if you were dead or alive and here you waltz into a nightclub.”
4. Fried Green Tomatoes. Based on the novel by Fanny Flagg, the movie tells the tale of four women: Evelyn and Ninny during modern times….and Ruth and Idgie during the 1920’s. Ninny tells Evelyn the stories of the life, love and friendship between Ruth and Idgie…inspiring Evelyn to stop complaining and do something about her unhappy life. There are so many pieces of this film I just love…. but who wouldn’t love the mystery of the murder of Frank, Ruth’s husband. I love the strong women….and their love. Now, the movie does gloss over the romantic relationship between Ruth and Idgie, but it’s still a truly wonderful movie.
5. Mulan. I had to choose an animated film, and to be honest, I watched this with my youngest about a week ago. Based on a Chinese Legend, the story is about a young woman who disguises herself as a man in order to take her elderly father’s place to defend China against the invasion of the Huns. I love Mulan’s dedication to honoring her family…..
What about you? What movies are in YOUR personal DVD collection?
