Let’s trade favorite movies.
It’s the time of year where I sit around with my family, while someone plays movie trailer, after movie trailer, and someone else tries to get us to watch something derided by the rest, and we never actually choose anything, and then my father falls asleep on the sofa.
Maybe this is also your family… so I am hoping that from a shared list of recommendations, we can all be like– oh yes! That is exactly what we should watch!
I will go first, but please understand— I am NOT a film critic… to prove this, I begin my list with a Nicholas Cage movie… The Family Man, love! SO GOOD!
Note: I am breaking up this wall of text with past Christmas photos.
My movie-criteria was ABSOLUTE FAVORITES: movies that make me clap my hands together and say– oh! I LOVE that movie! LET’S WATCH IT RIGHT NOW!!!
In no particular order, and with plans to update the list, as you remind me what I forgot:
Goodfellas
Urban Cowboy
Amadeus
Wolf of Wall Street
Kiss Me Kate
Roadhouse
Braveheart
Good Will Hunting
Elf
White Christmas
The Family Stone
The Princess Bride
True Romance
Aristocats
Armageddon
Brokeback Mountain
Independence Day
Thelma and Louise
Ocean’s 11
It Happened One Night
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Blow
Casino
The Martian
I love a heist movie.
Bad boys, being bad.
Anything set in another period with EXCELLENT COSTUMES.
Anything with Robert DeNiro… EXCEPT THAT EXCRUCIATING NETFLIX MOVIE.
Brad Pitt, shirtless.
Literally everything about Elf.
Young Matt Damon.
Old Matt Damon.
Howard Keel.
scored these auction urns for a great price–they were exactly what I wanted for a tree base!
View this post on Instagram
Some of my movies are garbage.
Or generally problematic.
Be warned.
I rewatched Armegeddon this summer… and… Steve Buscemi’s character is… not good.
Some of these movies I love because they remind me so strongly of periods of my life— rewatching them is sort of like revisiting myself in that time period.
Sometimes I find that a movie is improved if you edit it for yourself… example: I don’t watch the end of Thelma and Louise— because it’s wrong.
Same for Roadhouse— once all the monster trucks show up, I’m done… also, even though obviously I am fine with a young Patrick Swayze, I’m actually in it for Sam Elliot.
Life Pro Tip:
If you have a choice, always choose Sam Elliot.
After he two-steps the girl around the diner, the movie is pretty much over for me.
Now.
I want to tell you how I came to watch Urban Cowboy, which I LOVE SO MUCH– it is pure kitsch, with EXCELLENT DENIM AND HATS AND CHARLIE DANIELS BAND AND A VERY BAD DUDE AND A MECHANICAL BULL AND LOTS OF FANTASTIC MUSIC AND DANCING.
Many years ago, on some list of “films every person should see“ I made a mental note of a movie titled Midnight Cowboy.
Sometime later, as I was searching through Netflix, I saw URBAN Cowboy. And my brain remembered the “cowboy” part, so I said to Paul— oh! This is a top movie everyone should see… want to watch it?
And like 10 minutes into it? I was speechless.
TRULY, I was like– HOW have I never seen this!! This IS the greatest movie ever made!
But also, HOW is this on a list of must-see cinema!?
Usually, when they say you should watch something, it’s Easy Rider. Have you tried to WATCH Easy Rider? I tried… after four minutes I was like— this is unwatchable AND WHERE IS JACK NICHOLSON?
ANYWAY.
Urban Cowboy.
I was SO confused that I googled— why is Urban Cowboy one of the greatest movies ever made?
And Google was like— do you mean MIDNIGHT cowboy?
Which we did watch later and it was depressing and cold and not in a good way.
Ok! I think that’s it! NOW IT’S YOUR TURN… what is your FAVORITE!?
Whatever you celebrate, I hope you get to spend it with the people you love!
xoxo, VEB
December 23, 2019 @ 4:32 pm
Because you mentioned The Family Stone, and because my cousin and I just spoke of that movie this morning, BUT mostly because it sorta-kinda resonates on a similar frequency as the movie we were ACTUALLY discussing, which is the movie I came here to talk about…..
If you have not, you must watch “About Time” – mostly British actors, but also with Rachel McAdams. Amazing movie. Don’t get me started.
December 23, 2019 @ 4:33 pm
Practical Magic and The Big Chill are two of my favorites.
December 23, 2019 @ 4:37 pm
I always choose Sam Elliot. I add to your movie list my favorite, “Don Juan DeMarco.” Sappy as it is.
December 23, 2019 @ 4:46 pm
So, so, SO many favorites! But the one that comes to mind first today is Auntie Mame, with Rosalind Russell. It’s fanTAStic!
December 23, 2019 @ 5:01 pm
People Will Talk, with Cary Grant and Jeanne Crain, 1951. It’s different and redemptive. It has a surprise or two. Happy ending. It has Cary Grant,….oh I said that.
December 23, 2019 @ 6:06 pm
Cary Grant always bears repeating!
December 23, 2019 @ 5:01 pm
Galaxy Quest!!
December 23, 2019 @ 5:03 pm
Serendipity with John Cusack
Love the way the universe gives us a hand.
December 23, 2019 @ 5:05 pm
“the life of pi”, it’s one of those movies I watch everytime I come across it, no matter what scene it is, also “little big man” with dustin hoffman, I saw this over 40 years ago as a teen and had an awakening that history books don’t tell the whole story, and of course “Forrest Gump”
December 23, 2019 @ 5:12 pm
“the life of pi” beautiful to look at, I even watch it with the sound off, “little big man” with Dustin Hoffman, I saw this as a teen 40 years ago, it had such an impact that it’s always the movie that always come to mind whenever I’m asked this question, and of course “Forrest Gump”
December 23, 2019 @ 5:19 pm
Not holiday movies, but these are some favorites: Bagdad Cafe, Enchanted April, Harold and Maude, Amelie
December 23, 2019 @ 5:22 pm
You and I would make great couch potato buddies! So many of your faves are mine too, so I will list others I really enjoy for various reasons that you may as well.
Baby Boom, Steel Magnolias, Pretty in Pink, The Odd Couple, Pillow Talk (Doris Day), On Moonlight Bay, Pride and Prejudice (Keira Knightley), Once Around (though I haven’t seen it in ages), The Other Sister, The Boys Next Door
December 23, 2019 @ 5:24 pm
No Coen Brothers??? Burn After Reading (Brad Pitt to boot), Hotel Budapest (even get that Christmasy spirit with all the snow!
December 23, 2019 @ 5:31 pm
Oh, and The Boys Next Door-Tony Goldwyn version. It’s hilarious!
December 23, 2019 @ 5:35 pm
In no particular order, some being rotten tomatoes worthy, some oscar worthy, Blood Diamond! The Departed! (omg) Dances with Wolves, The first two minutes of Top Gun, Body Heat, The Holiday, Love Actually, Shawshank Redemption, The Usual Suspects, Revenge (a very under appreciated Kevin Costner movie) and Bull Durham because who could forget the “slow, deep kisses that last 3 days” line? I could go on, but I’m too lazy. Some of my favorites are on your favorites list…. I love movies! trashy, suspense, comedy, romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense…. basically romance in general, but also quite love murder and mayhem. I’d love to watch paint dry with Sam Elliot, I’d love to paint a room with Idris Elba and I’d love to have Sam Heughan doing anything, anywhere as long as I could watch. Are you an Outlander Fan? Books AND series? And speaking of series, Yellowstone!!!! and The Last Kingdom, all starring some of my imaginary boyfriends! Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy the gifts of natural excellence I’ve just gifted you
December 23, 2019 @ 5:56 pm
Doc Hollywood with Michael J. Fox. Me being a southerner and it being filmed in Micanopy, Fl it certainly resonated. You’ll laugh til you pee!
December 23, 2019 @ 6:04 pm
Now that I see you watch old movies and can be trusted with other old movies, I HIGHLY recommend three wonderful old movies: My Man Godfrey with Carole Lombard and William Powell (which I watched the first time from a hospital bed the morning before I had my triplets!), Midnight with Claudette Colbert and Don Ameche and The Uninvited with Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey which scared the wits out of me as a kid but didn’t bother my kids at all. Oh! And An Apartment for Peggy, and A Big Hand for the Little Lady, which you think is one movie but turns out to be another one entirely. My mother practically forced me to watch old movies and I fell in love with them.
If you get tired of old movies (although why would you?) if it’s on I will always watch The Princess Bride (and can quote essentially the whole movie). For a rolicking good time I recommend Stardust.
December 23, 2019 @ 6:39 pm
Man in the Moon- great movie from when Reese Witherspoon was about 12.
December 23, 2019 @ 6:45 pm
I forgot a classic, ” whatever happened to baby jane” with bette davis and joan Crawford, more suited to Halloween
December 23, 2019 @ 6:53 pm
Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O’Conner
White Nights with Gregory Hines and Mikal Barishnakov
December 23, 2019 @ 6:58 pm
Thomas Crown Affair…the one with Rene Russo. Sense and Sensability with Emma Thompson. So I Married an Axe Murderer. 🙂