My Movies

September Writing Challenge - Prompt #21:

Favorite 

Whenever I get asked what my favorite movie is, I draw a blank. I can never think of the answer in the spur of the moment. For a few months, I’ve been keeping a note on my phone of my favorite movies so I can be better prepared to tackle this question. 

In no particular order (ordering them would be too hard a task), here are twelve of my favorite movies:

1. Robin Hood Men in Tights

Highly inappropriate (I would never want my grandma to watch it), and yet, I grew up watching it and can quote the entire show. 

2. Back to the Future

I’ve mentioned 5,000 times on this blog that Marty McFly was my first crush, so it’s very fitting that I still love Michael J Fox, and to this day, Back to the Future remains one of my favorite movies of all time. When Marty says, “Damn! I’m late for school!” and “Power of Love Drops,” it’s like an energy drink for me.

3. A Quiet Place

The first one is so good. The second one is okay. The third one… should not exist. 

4. The Green Mile

I watched this movie out of boredom as a teenager and was surprised how much I loved it. I read the book as an adult (it’s quite different). For those who don’t know, it was written by Stephen King under the pen name, Richard Bachman. 

5. 50 First Dates

I don’t know what I would think of this movie if I saw it for the first time now, but when it came out in 2004, it was right up my alley.

6. The Wedding Singer

This is another movie I can quote in its entirety. Should I be ashamed that there are two Adam Sandler movies on this list? 

7. Holes

When Holes came out I had no desire to see it. I’d never heard of the book, and I thought the movie looked dumb and, frankly, too orange. But then my in-laws invited Scotty and me to go see it with them, and I was blown away. It was so good! Sometimes I go to rewatch it, and I think, “Is this movie really as good as I thought it was?” Yes. It is. 

8. The Truman Show

This movie came out before reality TV and social media, and despite Jim Carrey starring, the ethical questions it raised were quite thought provoking. It’s a comedy, but it’s also very deep. And the way it ended shook me because I wasn’t used to things ending like that. 

9. Benny and Joon

I stumbled across Benny and Joon by accident on TV one day about ten years after its release. I had never heard of it! I caught the very end and recognized Johnny Depp but had no idea what the movie was. I did some research on my dial-up internet and ended up getting a copy from the library. It’s been a favorite ever since!

10. The Shawshank Redemption

Many years ago, Scotty worked for a company that had edited movies the employees could rent (the business was completely unrelated to this service, it was just something they provided for their staff). At some point they decided to sell all the copies of the DVDs and no longer offer this perk, so Scotty bought a bunch of movies. One was The Shawshank Redemption, and it became one of our favorite movies.

11. Jurassic Park

It was such an iconic movie from my childhood. My love for it has never died. And of course, I’ve read the book! It was required reading in junior high, and then I read it again a few years ago.

12. The Count of Monte Cristo

It’s just a great movie! And if you can’t tell from this list, I tend to like prison movies. 

I’m still not sure how to answer if someone asks what my favorite movie is, though. If I can only say one, I don’t feel like there’s a single movie that I can name that accurately represents my taste in movies, so let’s hope I always have the opportunity to list at least twelve.