My Favorite Movies

I should begin this little self-indulgence by confessing that IF I see 8 different movies this year in a theatre, I have just doubled my average! It's not that I don't enjoy movies; I'm just not captivated by the medium. And I tend to watch the ones I like more than once.

So without further ado....“My Favortie Movies” are:

#10 "The Hours" ~ When Meryl Streep offers up the weakest performance...how incredible is that? The water scene with Julianne Moore in the motel, the camio of my favorite Toni Collette (watch how she uses her mouth), and Ed Harris’ demise....all stellar in a galaxy of brilliant moments.
#9 "Billy Elliot" ~ Dance, Billy, dance! -- a child's dream redeems two adults...brilliant message.
#8 "Stand By Me" ~ Children acting like adults! It took me years to figure that one out! So it’s my favorite fantasy flick.
#7 "The Color Purple" ~ The shaving scene on the porch is a tour de force of cinematography and suspense. And I think God is pissed off by a lot of humanity's shenanigans, not least of which is our lack of appreciation for this fragile planet, our island home.
#6 “Y Tu Mama, Tambien” ~ Life can suck, but don't forget, it's also an adventure. Have fun, daring fun, ALL along the way!
#5 “Amelie” ~ Magical Realism at it best. Analyze the use of color....it’s very intentional, and effective. Love the gnome, too!
#4 “Radio Days” ~ It's a Flounder, NO, it's a Fluke! I'm sure, it's a fluke.
#3 “Torch Song Trilogy” ~ This time the dream is on me.
#2 “Central Station” ~ Get out the mop, cause I'm a puddle at the last scene! Fernanda Montenegro is simply Brilliant!
#1 “Wizard of Oz” ~ Follow the Yellow Brick Road!--it will lead you where you most need to go....Home.

Honorable Mentions:

“Crimes and Misdemeanors”, “Gallipoli”, "Ma Vie en Rose," “Monsters, Inc.,” "The Red Balloon," and, yes, even “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”.

Recent flicks worth seeing:

“The Incredibles” (loved Edna Mode, gave away all of my capes!) “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe” (The first five minutes are worth the price of admission -- and then the earth is destroyed, how awesome is that?) and “Madagascar” (An animated flick without the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, or Mike Myers -- daring! n’est pas?) These are relative lightweights in my filmography. But worth an afternoon with a friend out of the heat.