While at a conference last year, someone asked me over lunch, “So what do you do to relax?” I quickly answered, “I watch movies.”
I’ve never been much of a television fan. I’ve never seen even a single episode of most of the popular shows that are on television. The only television programs I’ve watched faithfully (in my adult years) have been 24, Seinfeld, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, and Nightline (with Ted Koppel – the greatest interviewer in history, bar none).
Other than that, the only time I watch television is if the Yankees or Mets are in the World Series (I was euphoric in 2000 when they played against each other in the Series – ‘twas a dream come true). I also watch news programs on a fairly regular basis.
Unlike most humans with a Y chromosome, I don’t watch Football, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Volleyball, ESPN, Boxing, Tennis, Badmiton, or Baseball (unless the World Series is featuring the Yanks or the Mets).
Other than that, I watch movies pretty regularly. I typically watch them on DVD so that I can fast-forward through anything I don’t like or rewind to anything I do like. (I find myself hitting FF on many movies.)
What follows are some of my favorite films:
Romance – my favorite type.
- Message in a Bottle (though I hated the end)
- The Cutting Edge (the original 1992 film, not the cheesy remakes.)
- Bed of Roses
- Don’t Tell Her It’s Me
- A Walk in the Clouds
Comedy
- Meet the Parents
- Airplane
- Just Friends
- Shallow Hal
- Never Been Kissed
- Anger Management
- Ground Hog Day
- Mr. Deeds
- 50 First Dates
Action
- The Bourne Identity trilogy
- The Matrix (the first one)
- The Dirty Harry films (Clint Eastwood)
- Rocky
- Sneakers
- Die Hard (only because I am Bruce’s stunt-double)
Drama/Suspense – too many to list. This is my favorite type of film after Romance. I enjoy most films with Denzel Washington. Déjà vu was among his best, I think. A brilliant movie. And I really like The Zero Effect.
Horror – don’t watch it.
I also don’t care for films in the spirit of Fried Green Tomatoes, Little Women, Terms of Endearment, and Steel Magnolias – what many call “chick-flicks.” (Umm . . . romance does not fit into this category, Sir.)
Disclaimer: For those of you who may be troubled by this blog post, just because I may like a movie doesn’t mean that I endorse everything in it. I rarely do.
Incidentally, I’m not sure if anyone else is like me in this particular regard. So far, I’ve only met one person who was. Most people I know are the opposite. But when it comes to books, I have the hardest time reading fiction. I mean a really, really, really hard time.
I much prefer non-fiction books.
However, when it comes to movies, I much prefer to watch fiction films over against documentaries and “based on a true story” movies.
It’s just the way my brain is hard-wired I guess. Your mileage may vary.
Things Aren’t Always What They Seem
I also prefer to watch fiction films rather than documentaries and “based on a true story” movies. I don’t care for “chick flicks,” and I enjoy action, suspense, thrillers, and sci-fi. Roll it all into one movie, and it’s bound to make my list of favorites! However, I do watch some horror (I try to avoid the gory stuff), because I know it’s fiction. It’s the true-to-life movies that I have the most difficulty watching. I watch movies for their entertainment value, not to be horrified and sickened at what has been done to others in real life. I get enough of that watching the news.
I’m one of those who’re the opposite of you when it comes to books. Although I usually have a couple of non-fiction books going at the same time, I read several fiction books in the amount of time it takes me to read one non-fiction.
Writers and other creative folks NEED movie breaks and sometimes I spend all my “watch movie time” trying to decide on a movie so this post is a huge help. The comments are helpful as well.
I recently saw an entertaining “romance” movie with Dean Cain called “Bed and Breakfast” and liked it a lot. Bill Engval was also in it.
Groundhog Day. Leap of Faith (Steve Martin ) The Truman Show. Gladiator. Gran Torino. Book of Eli. Training Day. Don’t watch horror. Tolerate Rom Com. Eastwood Westerns. Paradoxical Spy Thrillers. (With lessons which sift and smoke out character and loyalty etc ) Some Psychological Thrillers. ie Double Jeopardy. Ashley Judd. Shawshank Redemption. The Castle.
Also can’t read fiction and usually don’t like films based on true stories (most of which, oddly enough, feature Beau Bridges…has he ever commented on why he is in so many of them??). However, I saw McFarland USA and really liked it for the look into the Latino landscape (my husband’s background).
I LOVE that you mentioned, “Don’t Tell Her it’s Me!” SUCH a great 80s film (they changed the name to something silly now, like The Boyfriend’s Club, or something?) Hardly anyone I know even knows about it.
I really enjoyed your list!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Cutting Edge and Bed of Roses as well. Other films I put at the top of my favorites list include The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Shadowlands starring Anthony Hopkins, The King’s Speech, Shawshank Redemption, Spy Game, The Gathering Storm, Dances with Wolves, Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story and The Next Three Days.
First-time blogger ever.
I have 3 favorites:
The Last Samurai (not because of the acting, mind you): it is the discovery of brotherhood thru trial and suffering, of a cause worth fighting and dying for, of finding one’s self in spite of circumstances beyond control,finding peace in chaos.
Then it’s Dances with Wolves: just returning to a simpler way of life. Leaving the “establishment” once and for all, just like coming out of babylon.
Last but not least, Field of Dreams: the spirituality is intense-
but also unpredictable. It’s basically: You can’t put God in a box.I have personally lived similar kinds of experiences where God has worked this way in my life – just thru everyday things.
A lot of them are recognizable (to me) in this movie since they are very similar.
There you have it.
Marc Prefontaine
LOVE MOVIES!!! So, have to give a shout out for one of my all-time favorites that is soooo overlooked. Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel in FREQUENCY. The layered story, the awsome performances, and the heart-wrenching father/son connection across time makes you totally forget that what you are watching is impossible outside of science fiction…it’s a movie I can watch over and over and can’t say that for very many. The relationships and the suspense and the twists are captivating!
Thanks for the list- I too love romance movies- my favorite one is You’ve Got Mail- so well done- but wondering if you ever got into the TV series Lost? Steph and Earl Bennett got my husband and I hooked on them, wishing there were more episodes. Some parallels can be drawn to the Spirit on that show also- I think they’re available on Netflix- beware though, habit forming. We miss our “friends” from that show, as we miss our friends in Florida also!
I also love the art form of movies. To me a good movie entertains, but a great movie transcends the story. My favorite movies are The Razor’s Edge with Bill Murray (it’s not a comedy) and Shadowlands. I love movies which tell of the passionate pursuit for finding the heart of man. Same with music. The Lord helped use them for me to find mine. He gave me the space to find mine because He knew that I would find His during the journey. He promised. I love my God for that.
so happy to hear you are a film buff…
i think if we Christians insist on NOT watching anything beyond PG rating, we miss out on some of the very best of “seeing Christ” on celluloid. i have SO many that i adore and that speak such volumes to the human condition and God’s unlimited love and involvement in and among us. top of that list is my perennial favorite Breaking the Waves…a vivid and heart breaking story, with some stellar stars,that contrasts the redemption in the secular as opposed to the rejection in the “sacred” it helps that it is also set in the Scottish Hebridean Islands!!
Alice, I only know a handful of Christians who only watch PG movies (and even in that crowd, some of those people watch PG-13 and R on occasion, depending on the particular film). So I think your statement represents an extremely tiny group of people today.
We watch comic Brian Regan’s shows over and over. I think we laugh harder each time we watch them.
I’ll play. Instead of dividing up into categories, though, I’ll just share some of my favorite movies. I’m interested in hearing about seeing Christ in films. I think a lot of Christians miss the benefit of some of these great films and other art because of various soapbox issues — like believing Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings promote witchcraft. I’ll add too that God used some of these films and literature to awaken my heart and prepare me to hear the Gospel. I think we often miss opportunities to have the same effect on the world because we refuse to enter the discussion.
Some of my favorite films: Lord of the Rings, Best Years of Our Lives, Godfather 1 and 2, Babette’s Feast (French/Danish), Wings of Desire (German) Last of the Mohicans (with Daniel Day Lewis).
For comedies, Raising Arizona and The Other Guys come to mind. My favorite westerns include The Searchers, Unforgiven and True Grit (with Jeff Bridges).
There’s many others I could mention, but this’ll do. Thanks.
Thx. The two “Seeing Christ in Films” posts are at the bottom. I trust you saw them. Will check some of these out! Appreciate the comment.
Aw. Fried Green Tomatoes is one of my top ten faves. Now I feel like issuing you the challenge to watch it and identify aspects of the film that reveal Christ. ; )
Other faves include: the Lord of the Rings trilogy, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Boys Next Door (the one with Nathan Lane), The Matrix, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Galaxy Quest, all Star Treks (except ST:V and Nemesis), Lady in the Water, and pretty much any ’80s fantasy flick.
I always prefer fiction over nonfiction. But I can be persuaded to read certain nonfiction books dealing with the nature of the church, from time to time. ; )
Btw, I’m @courtcan on Twitter. You met some of my fellow OKC saints at Threshold last weekend. Wish I could’ve been there! : )
Thx. for the recommends. You may be interested in my two posts, “Seeing Christ in Films” – they are noted at the bottom. Yes, we saw some of the saints from OKC. Great time!